South of the border salad (serves 2-3)

1C red leaf lettuce,chopped finely
1/2C chopped cilantro
1C romaine, chopped
4 chopped med. Tomatoes
2 diced avocados
2T lemon juice
1/4 diced yellow onion
2C sprouted beans ( pinto, navy, white or garbanzo) (or a can of beans - I like to use navy or pinto beans on this salad)

dressing
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4C EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1/4C green onion
3T lemon juice
1T apple cider vinegar (optional - I usually make this without the vinegar)
1/4C parsley
1/4C cilantro
1t tarragon
1T sea salt

Head of Romaine lettuce or cabbage leaves or tortillas.

Mix salad ingredients in a large bowl.
Mix dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pour dressing over salad and mix together.

Serve over bed of romaine or leaf lettuce OR wrap in cabbage leaf OR wrap in tortilla.

I wanted to tell you about a couple cooking blogs that I read regularly. I’ve had a lot of fun finding new recipes from them and learing more about cooking. So instead of a recipe, here’s a couple blogs you should check out:

Fulltummies - written by 2 sisters who are the mothers of young children they have a lot of “family friendly and not very complicated foods.” A personal favorite, their Compromise Cookies.

Simply Recipes - great pictures, good foods, I’m looking forward to trying her Chicken Curry Salad.

Smitten kitchen - pictures during the cooking process, delicious food, decadent desserts.  A favorite that I made for small group: Brownie Mosiac Cheesecake

My mouth is watering just looking at this picture! I never thought I would not only like, but actually crave ‘kale’, that’s right kale. I worked at Burger King when I was a teenager and remember using kale to decorate the salad bar (yes BK used to have a salad bar) and I thought it was only good for was decoration! Needless to say I’ve come along way. I’ll share more of my story and how I got where I am today at another time. My daughter begs me to make this too! We eat this 3-5 times a week. Most of the recipes that I will be posting are ones that I have created or modified to make my own. Feel free to email me if you have any questions. Enjoy!

Marinated Greens

(Serves 1-2 as a main dish or 4 as a side)

1 bunch of Kale (or combination of kale, mustard greens, spinach, swiss chard or collard greens) - remove thick stem and chop

1 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Lemon Juiced (I use a citrus press)

1 Garlic Crushed

1 t Sea Salt (or to taste)

4 Green Onions, finely chopped

1 Avocado, diced

Combine all ingredients, except avocado in a large bowl. Work with your hands until the greens are wilted, add avocado and serve. If you prefer, you can mush the avocado too, it’s a little messier though.

For a variety - add any of the following: sunflower seeds, finely chopped tomato, sprouts, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (natural alternative to soy sauce), fresh ginger and/or cayenne pepper.

Here is a link for nutritional benefits of kale:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38

Anna says: The dressing is hands-down the most delicious sweet dressing I’ve ever tasted. I think I could eat this salad everyday and never get sick of it!

Sublime Strawberry Spinach Salad from Anna Limber

2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup white sugar (can use half or all Splenda)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced onion
10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered
¼ cup feta and/or blue cheese, crumbled

In a blender or food processor, combine the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and onion. Chill for one hour.
In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, cheese, and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Or, if you plan to have leftovers, let folks pour their dressing on their own servings.