Salads

Broccoli and Raisin Salad with Toasted Almonds

  This is probably my favorite salad.  It is definitely my favorite way to eat raw broccoli.  This salad has a great crunch with broccoli, carrots and toasted almonds. then you get a little bit of sweet with the raisins and honey.  It is well balanced and a great way to get raw food into your diet.     Salad ingredients:  1 head of Broccoli, finely chopped 2 carrots, grated 1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped 1/2 cup parsley, chopped 1/3 cup Thompson seeded raisins 1/2 cup toasted, slivered almonds       Dressing:  2/3 Cup good quality mayonnaise (I prefer avocado oil mayo) 2 TBS. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar 3 TBS. Raw Honey Salt & Pepper to taste     Directions: 1. Combine all the salad ingredients. 2. Mix the dressing ingredients until well blended. 3. Pour over salad and toss.     This salad keeps up to 5 days in the refrigerator and does a great job of holding it’s “crunchiness”.  This is a super easy but nutrient dense recipe.  Give it a try! Enjoy!       © The Sown Life LLC, 2019

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Homemade Ranch

  Let me tell you, my husband and I had this homemade ranch on our salads almost every day for a week and my kids loved it!!!  It has so much flavor and it was the perfect thing to have with fresh veggies as a snack as well. You will not miss Hidden Valley with this one!!! Making your own salad dressings is not difficult and the flavors are amazing!!  Give it a try!!!   Ingredients: ½ C avocado oil mayonnaise (You can use store-bought or my Homemade Mayo recipe) ½ C sour cream or plain whole-milk Greek yogurt ½ C milk (you can use creamy nut milk here as well) ½ tsp garlic powder ¼ tsp onion powder ½ tsp sea salt ¼ tsp black pepper 4 T fresh herbs, chopped finely (parsley, chives, dill) Zest of one lemon Juice of ½ lemon   Directions: Combine all ingredients in a ball jar with a lid and shake until well blended. Store in the fridge for about a week! Enjoy!!                       © The Sown Life LLC, 2020

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Summer Market Grilled Chicken Salad Bowl

This salad is a great recipe to showcase how you can use both my grilled chicken and salsa verde recipes in your everyday life. These two are incredibly versatile! When you have all the “pieces” prepped in your fridge, this kind of goodness is so easy to throw together. I love all the colors in this salad, you can substitute any veggies you want, but I love this combination. If you ever don’t know where to start, just go for color! Eating the rainbow is a terrific rule of thumb for assembling a salad that’s both delicious and nourishing. In the summer especially I enjoy getting my produce from local farmers. Normally everything in this recipe, except for the pumpkin seeds, will come from my farmers market or local farm share. Ingredients: 3 grilled chicken breasts, see my recipe for grilled chicken here 4 hard-boiled eggs 4 sliced beets 6 sliced radishes 3 diced or shredded carrots 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved ¾  cup goat cheese, crumbled ½  cup toasted pumpkin seeds Dressing: 3 TBS. My salsa verde (find recipe here) 1 TBS. olive oil 1 TBS. white balsamic vinegar   Directions: 1. Follow directions for grilled chicken breasts recipe. 2. In a small saucepan add 4 eggs and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, bring the water down to a simmer by lowering the heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove eggs and put in ice and water bath. Peel. 3. Place 4 bowls on your […]

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Hormone Balancing Salad Dressing

This dressing is a complete hormone balancer. No supplements needed here! I often teach how to make this in my classes but it’s high time I share it here because its such a good recipe to have on hand. I’m obsessed with this dressing because we often only think of dressing when we want to add flavor to a salad. However, this one not only tastes good also does wonders for your hormones! It feels like cheating honestly, in such a good way! The Ingredients in this dressing work to detox the liver, remove bad or fake estrogens from the body and help to build up good hormones. It’s full of healthy fat and fiber along with a little sweetness from the goji berries. I’ve noted beside each ingredient how it helps your body, I’m always looking for new ways to incorporate these ingredients into other dishes, they are that good for you!   Ingredients: 2 TBS. Balsamic Vinegar (I use Neopolitan from Olive Oil Taproom) 2 TBS. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I use Picoult from OOTR) 1 tsp. Chia seeds (removes bad estrogen) 1 tsp. Goji berries (detox the liver) 1 tsp. Maca powder (builds good hormones) ½ tsp. Flax seeds (removes bad estrogen) ½ tsp. sea salt Freshly ground pepper 1 TBS. water if needed for consistency Directions: 1. Place all ingredients in the food processor (except olive oil). 2. As the food processor is going add the olive oil in a slow steady stream and blend until well […]

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Freezing and Storing Summer Produce

I just love the flavors of summer produce: tomatoes, basil, bell peppers, hot peppers, cucumber, blackberries, blueberries, peaches and so many more! When I am in the middle of winter I find that I crave those fresh sunny fruits and vegetables and have found a way to have those year round. I buy up as much as I can afford each week and freeze them. It’s way more fresh and cost-effective than buying frozen veggies and fruit at the grocery store. It’s best to buy fruits and vegetables in the summer as they are always less expensive in season. Also, when you freeze them yourself you know exactly where they came from and that nothing was added in the freezing process. As summer sets in, remember that colder weather will come and you will long for these delicious foods. So buy a little extra each week, you’ll be surprised how much it adds up and you can stash away for the winter. Here is my method: Berries: Put berries on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet, make sure they are not touching and freeze. Note: I first freeze them on a cookie sheet to make sure they don’t clump together. Much easier for grabbing just a handful for smoothies etc. Then date, label and move to a quart size bag. I keep adding to the bag each week until full and freeze as many bags as I can over the summer. Use in desserts and smoothies. Peaches: Peel and slice. Place single layer on […]

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Sauerkraut

This Saurkraut recipe is such a satisfying side with grilled chicken or some kind of roast. Something about the flavor helps to round out the meal and make you feel full. Its also make from cabbage which is a cruciferous vegetable that can help improve digestion with the fiber it offers and also balances hormone levels. The probiotics in this recipe work to elevate the good hormones in your body. Besides that, it is an incredible asset in preventing cancer and can actually decrease cancer risk by removing toxins (xeno-estrogens) from the body. I try to find ways to incorporate fermented food into my diet and this is a great way to do so. It’s so good for your overall gut health. A little side note: If you choose to strain the whey when making my homemade yogurt, this is the perfect use for it. If you don’t have whey then water also does the trick. This recipe and the yogurt are perfect to make in the same week. Enjoy making these fermented foods and pay attention to how it makes your tummy feel. It has definitely helped me. Happy eating! Ingredients: Fresh Organic cabbage, 1 medium/large head 1/2 cup of whey from organic yogurt and (or) filtered, lightly salted water 2 TBS Salt (kosher or sea salt, non-iodized) A bowl Mandolin (optional) A potato masher or similar tool A large jar for fermenting with a lid A small ziploc bag   Directions: 1. Slice your cabbage into thin pieces or shreds. (you can […]

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Kale and Butternut Squash Salad

I know it doesn’t feel like it yet, but Fall is approaching and that means all the delicious root veggies are coming.  Squash is already beginning to appear at the farmers market. I love to buy up plenty each time I go. It lasts a while when stored in a cool, dry place and I can make it later in the week if I need to. Butternut squash is one of my favorites in the squash family because of its sweetness, especially after roasting. This salad really highlights the squash and the salty, smoky bacon is a great balance. The pumpkin seeds provide the crunch and pomegranate seeds are a really fun burst of flavor with every bite. Goat cheese tops it off with rich and creamy texture and also gives you a bit of a tang. Not only is the salad delicious but it is beautiful to look at. We eat with our eyes first and making beautiful looking food is a part of enjoyment! You could add some shredded chicken to this for a great midweek supper or as a side on the weekend when entertaining family and friends. It will be a hit for sure. This recipe will hold up in the fridge for about 4 days so a great make ahead as well. Give it a try! Ingredients:  1 Large bunch of kale, curly or Tuscan, de-stemmed and chopped 1 Butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed 4 Slices thick cut bacon ¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds ¼ cup […]

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Winter Slaw

I love slaw as a side with almost anything! Its such a good way to get in my veggies, fiber and raw food all in one dish! This slaw is a twist on my original favorite slaw recipe. I changed it up a little with some more winter veggies and added ginger and turmeric to the dressing. I could do another blog post about Turmeric and maybe I will one day but suffice it to say, Turmeric is a very healing spice and brings a warm, comforting flavor to any dish. Enjoy this winter slaw!!     Ingredients: 4 C shredded green cabbage 2 C shredded red cabbage 2 C shredded Tuscan kale 1 C shredded Brussels sprouts ½ C shredded carrot ½ C chopped parsley 1 C toasted pistachios     Dressing: ⅔ C mayo 2 T apple cider vinegar 3 T raw honey ¼ tsp ground ginger ½ tsp ground turmeric salt & pepper to taste     Directions:  1. Mix together all the chopped veggies. 2. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients and pour over top. Mix well! 3. Toast the pistachios on medium heat until fragrant, use a spatula to keep them moving. 4. Add the nuts, give your slaw one last mix, season with a little more salt and pepper and enjoy!               © The Sown Life LLC, 2019

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Lemon and Parsley Vinaigrette

  This dressing is a part of my Turmeric Bowl recipe but it is so versatile that it deserves its own post. Now that we are in the thick of spring its the perfect opportunity to use all your herbs! I have an abundance in my garden so this dressing is being made just about every week here. Its perfect for a salad with some protein and raw veggies.       Ingredients: 1 bunch of fresh parsley 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 tsp. Lemon zest 1 lemon, juiced 1 TBS. raw honey or to taste ⅓ cup olive oil ¼ tsp. Sea salt Freshly ground black pepper   Directions:  1. In a food processor, add parsley, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper. 2. While the food processor is running, add olive oil in a steady stream. 3. Once the parsley is all processed your dressing is done.  Taste to see if you need more honey or salt and pepper. 4. Store in a ball jar in the fridge for about a week, drizzle on any salad!!             © The Sown Life LLC, 2019    

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Chili, Lime and Cilantro dressing

  This dressing is featured in my Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowl recipe but it deserves its own post because it is so delicious and versatile. Whenever I have leftover cilantro, which is the main ingredient here, I pulse it up in my blender and make another batch of this dressing. It really is good on just about anything.  Both this dressing and my lemon parsley vinaigrette are perfect for using up extra herbs!    Ingredients:  Zest of 3 limes Juice of 2 limes 1 TBS. brown rice vinegar 2 TBS. raw honey 1 ½ TBS. Bragg’s Amino Acids 3 TBS. avocado oil 1 jalapeno, seeded 1 handful cilantro Salt & pepper to taste   Directions:   1. Add all dressing ingredients into a small blender or food processor.   2. Pulse until desired consistency.  (I like my dressing pureed pretty well but you can leave it chunky if you like.) 3. Store in a ball jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.           © The Sown Life LLC, 2019

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