What To Do With All Those Cherry Tomatoes?Make Yellow Pear Cherry Tomato Salad With Cucumbers, Avocado And Jalapeño

A delicious and simple way to use those cherry tomatoes
and other garden veggies. Only 53 calories per serving!

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My Garden Overfloweth
While my garden zucchini has taken much of my attention, these cute and very prolific yellow pear cherry tomatoes are gathering steam. My cucumbers and jalapeños are also holding there own so what better way to use them all up than in this simple raw salad! 

Raw yellow tomatoes are low in calories and are an excellent source of Vitamin C, niacin, folate, potassium, copper and manganese.

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Yellow Pear Cherry Tomato Salad
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 6 servings]

2 cups halved yellow pear cherry tomatoes
2 cups peeled and diced cucumbers
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 small jalapeño, thinly sliced (seeds optional)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice, or more
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Place the tomatoes, cucumbers, avocado, red onion, and jalapeño in a bowl. Sprinkle with lime juice, salt, and pepper and toss gently until well coated.

Per serving: 53 calories, 4 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 29 mg omega-3 and 441 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 5 g carbohydrates, 2 g dietary fiber, and 207 mg sodium.

And Here Come The Zucchini!Try This Delicious Raw Zucchini Salad

Baby zucchini are used in this chopped veggie salad.

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And Here They Come!
It's funny how excited I get when I harvest my first zucchini and how happy I am at the end of the summer when I pull the plants out for the season. To maintain my joy this year, I've made a promise to myself that I would harvest every zucchini while it is still relatively small. There are several advantages of doing this. First of all, the zucchini and its skin will be tender with few seeds. But most of all, it will keep me from being overwhelmed with the sheer amount of this prolific vegetable.

Female zucchini flowers

Do Your Zucchini Start to Fruit and then Wither?
As prolific as zucchini are, in the beginning of the season you may find that your plants begin to fruit only to wither. If you are having this issue, read last year's post on boy and girl zucchini flowers and how they need to develop before fertilization can take place.

Simple and Delicious Chopped Salad
Here's a simple chopped salad that uses tender baby zucchini. This raw vegan salad is gluten free and less than 100 calories per serving. It is suitable for weight loss and a raw food cleanse. And of course it is a delicious salad to serve anyone during the summer months when these wonderful fresh veggies are in season.

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Zucchini Salad
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[Makes six servings]

2 small zucchini, diced (2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
Kernels from 1 ear corn (1 cup)
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon cold-pressed hemp oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 avocado, diced

Place the zucchini, red bell pepper, corn, red onion, and cilantro in a medium-sized bowl.

Make the dressing in a 2-cup container by combining the lime juice, hemp oil, salt, and pepper. Mix until the salt dissolves. 

Mix the avocado into the dressing and toss gently until well coated. 

Mixing the avocado into the lime dressing
helps prevent it from turning brown.

Pour the dressing and avocado over the chopped salad. Toss gently until all the veggies are well coated and serve.

Per serving: 98 calories, 6 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 389 mg omega-3 and 1,887 mg omega-6 fatty acid, 2 g protein, 11 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber, and 205 mg sodium.

Update
Oops, we didn't get to this one in time. This guy was hiding under a big leaf!

Did You Pick Your Lemons And Limes Before The Freeze? Here's What To Do With Them!

An easy way to store lemons and limes.

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Pick those Lemons and Limes Before they Freeze!
We are not buried in snow like many places in the country but we are having our first hard freeze in Northern California. Last night I was frantically pulling up all my lettuce, bok choy, and kale while Doug was pulling lemons, limes, and oranges off the trees. It's not too hard to juice and use up all the oranges but lemons and limes are a different story.

Saving the Grated Zest
Before juicing, you may want to save the grated zest. To do that, thoroughly wash the fruit. I would only do this if the fruit is organic. My favorite tool for this is a microplane zester/grater. But you can use a simple grater too.

Grate the cleaned peel.
You can do this with lemon, lime, or oranges.

You can either freeze the zest or dry it. You can dry it by spreading it out on a plate for a day or so or place it in a dehydrator. Once completely dry, you can put it in a jar.

Saving the Juice
Here's a popular and easy way to save the lemon and lime juice.

Juice the lemons or limes.

Place the juice in an ice cube tray and freeze.

Place the lemon or lime frozen cubes in a ziplock bag.
Label and date them and place in the freezer.

Uses for Frozen Cubes
My favorite use for frozen lemon or lime cubes is to place one in a pot of soup at the very end of cooking. Many of my soup recipes call for the addition of an acid like lemon or lime juice to intensify the flavor. 

Lemon juice in hot water is a popular detox method as it helps cleanse the liver. Just add a lemon cube to a cup of boiling water and drink it first thing in the morning. You can do this more than once a day. It's a great substitute for coffee.

And of course, when life brings you lemon cubes, make lemonade!

Vegan and Gluten-Free Kidney Bean Salad With Chili-Lime Dressing- Perfect For Summer Picnics And Barbecues!

Kidney bean salad with corn, avocados and red onion.

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SUMMER TIME ENTERTAINING
Summer is the time for friends to get together and enjoy an outdoor barbecue or picnic. When asked to bring a dish to share, be aware that many people have food sensitivities and eating preferences.  With hearty kidney beans, creamy avocados, crunchy fresh corn and a tasty chili-lime dressing, no one will suspect that this delicious salad is also rich in protein, high in fiber and perfect for those who avoid meat, dairy and gluten. And it couldn't be any easier to prepare!


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Kidney Bean Salad with Chili-Lime Dressing
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 8 servings]

For the dressing:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon cold-pressed hemp oil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

For the salad:
2 cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Kernels from 2 large ears corn
1 red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup)
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup diced red onion

Place dressing ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until well combined.

Add all salad ingredients and gently toss until evenly coated with dressing.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Per serving: 196 calories, 7 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 386 mg omega-3 and 1,790 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 8 g protein, 29 g carbohydrates, 9 g dietary fiber and 485 mg sodium.

Mexican Papaya Salad With Strawberries And Poppy Seed Dressing - Raw Vegan And Gluten Free, It's Time To Increase Raw Food Intake For Spring!

Mexican papaya with strawberries.

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It's Spring - Time to Increase Raw Food Intake
I'm not a proponent of a 100% raw food diet, but I do believe having adequate amounts of raw food in your diet is extremely important for good health. In the winter, we crave warm, cooked foods but I still try to eat at least a third of my food raw. Now that spring is here (I realize some of you are still getting some nasty weather but hang in there, it will come soon!), it's time to up our intake of raw food. I aim for about 50% in the spring.

Raw foods are rich in phytochemicals, many of which are destroyed by cooking (except for some carotenoids). Vitamin C and essential fatty acids are also heat sensitive and are better consumed in raw foods. And although there is some debate as to the significance of their contribution to human digestion, raw foods are alive and rich with enzymes.

Fruit Salads
Salads made with fruits, nuts and seeds are a great way to add raw food to the diet. They can be part of any meal or enjoyed as a dessert. Today I'm making a Mexican papaya salad with a few strawberries tossed in a simple poppy seed dressing. This recipe is suitable for a Raw Food Cleanse.

Mexican papaya are a deeper orange than the ones we get from Hawaii and can be much larger. Besides being a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin A and folate and other vitamins and minerals, they contain papain, an enzyme that aids in digestion. Papaya is also high in dietary fiber. 
And don't throw out the seeds - they make a nice, peppery salad dressing. Check out Raw Fruit and Greens with Papaya Seed Dressings and 10 Interesting Things to Know about Papaya.

Mexican papaya
One cup provides:
only 55 calories
144% DV of vitamin C
31% DV of vitamin A
2.5 g dietary fiber

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Mexican papaya salad with strawberries in a poppy seed dressing
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]

4 cups diced papaya (peeled and seeds removed)
4 large strawberries, tops removed and sliced
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon raw agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds

Place papaya and strawberries in a medium size bowl.

In a small bowl or cup, mix together the lime juice, agave nectar and poppy seeds until well incorporated.

Pour over the fruit and toss gently until combined. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 78 calories, 0.5 g total fat, 0 g saturated fat, 48 g omega-3 and 128 g omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g protein, 20 g carbohydrates, 3 g dietary fiber and 5 mg of sodium.

Mango And Black Bean Salsa With Honey Lime Baked Salmon - Fish And Pregnancy

Makes a great vegetarian salsa or salad all by itself.

Fish and Pregnancy

There is a misconception that pregnant women shouldn't eat fish. The facts are that the EPA and especially the DHA omega 3 fatty acids in fish is critical for the development of the baby's brain, eyes and central nervous system. EPA and DHA make up almost three quarters of a newborn's brain, retina and nervous system and must get these nutrients from the pregnant mom. Studies have shown that mothers who supplement with fish oil during pregnancy have children with higher intelligence, better eyesight and fewer behavioral problems after birth. Mom's enjoy a lower risk of postpartum depression, reduced breast cancer risk, and less chance of a cesarean and pre-term labor.

Other studies have shown that absorption of this omega 3 fatty acid is better when you eat salmon than when you take a cod liver oil supplement. Salmon is one of the very best sources of these important omega 3's and is very low in mercury and can safely be enjoyed frequently. Unfortunately some doctors are still misinformed about the safety of fish and pregnancy. At a medical conference I recently attended, they were all in agreement that pregnant and lactating women should eat low mercury fish like salmon. Vegans should supplement with DHA supplements derived from Algae however these do not contain EPA. Unfortunately plant based omega 3 (from foods like flax seed) does not convert efficiently enough to provide sufficient amounts. A significant number of people cannot do this conversion at all.

Many Health Benefits

You need not be pregnant to enjoy the many health benefits of salmon. Besides EPA and DHA omega 3 fatty acids, salmon is an excellent source of selenium, protein, niacin and vitamin B12. It is excellent for hearth health, lowering triglycerides, controlling high blood pressure, protecting against stroke, heart attacks, colorectal and prostate cancer, reduces the risk of macular degeneration and dry eye and reduces depression. Although my diet is plant centric and I eat large quantities of raw vegan food, I consider salmon to be a true "Food For Long Life" and enjoy it regularly. Here's a recipe that combines this healthy fish with a vegan salsa with mostly raw ingredients. One serving provides over two grams of EPA and DHA omega 3 fatty acids.

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Mango and Black Bean Salsa

[serves 4]

1 cup diced mango

1 cup diced jicama

1 California avocado, diced

1 can organic black beans, rinsed well and drained

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (optional)

3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro plus some for garnish

2 tablespoons minced red onions

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/2 to 1 teaspoon fresh minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Black pepper to taste

Place mango, jicama, avocado, black beans, jalapeno, 3 tablespoons of the cilantro, and red onions in a bowl. In a small bowl mix lime juice, salt, garlic, cumin and black pepper. Gently stir the lime dressing into the mango mixture and serve. Top with a serving of Honey Lime Baked Salmon (below), extra cilantro and fresh black pepper.

Per serving (salsa only): 173.6 calories, 5.3 g fat, 0.8 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 5.8 g protein, 28.4 g carbohydrates and 8.3 g of fiber.

Honey Lime Baked Wild Salmon

[serves 4]

1 pound wild salmon cut into 4 slices

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon raw honey

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place salmon in a lightly greased shallow pan just the size of the 4 pieces of salmon.

Mix oil, lime juice and honey in a small bowl and spoon over the salmon. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 15 minutes. Do not overcook. Serve over Mango and Black Bean Salsa.

Per serving (salmon only): 208 calories, 10.2 g fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 62.7 mg cholesterol, 22.7 g protein, 4.6 g carbohydrates, 0 g fiber, 2.3 g omega 3 fatty acids, (2.1 g EPA and DHA omega 3 fatty acids).

Coconut Chili Lime Corn on the Cob—For Your Vegan Friendly BBQ

Happy 4th of July!

Corn on the cob is a favorite this time of year, especially as a side dish for your 4th of July BBQ. Unfortunately, it is usually drowning in butter. For a healthier and vegan friendly way to serve this popular food, try this easy recipe.

Instead of butter, the fat used in this recipe comes from virgin, expeller pressed, unrefined, organic coconut oil. This type of coconut oil has been extracted by methods that do not use harmful chemicals or high heat and is readily available at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or your local health food store.

There is much debate and even more confusion as to the health benefits of tropical oils. Coconut oil is high in saturated fat but has no cholesterol. Being saturated, it is a stable fat which makes it less likely to form harmful trans-fats when heated. Although there has been much negative press in the past about tropical oils, (much of it sponsored by the American Soybean Association and the Corn Products Company), the places in which coconut and other tropical oils are consumed on a daily basis do not have a high incidence of heart disease. Coconut oil is high in lauric acid, a medium chain fatty acid which the body converts into monolaurin. Monolaurin has antiviral, antibacterial and antiprotozoan properties.

That being said, coconut oil is high in calories and should be eaten in moderation. I get a bit concerned when I see the quantity of coconut oil used in raw food dessert recipes. In a recipe like this, however, a few tablespoons is a good alternative to butter.

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Coconut Chili Lime Corn on the Cob [serves 4]

4 medium ears of corn, each cut into 4 equal pieces

2 tablespoons virgin, unrefined, organic coconut oil

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, room temperature

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon Himalayan or sea salt

Gently melt coconut oil (put on low power in microwave for 10 seconds or more). Mix with lime juice and salt. Put all 16 pieces of corn in a large bowl. Pour the lime, coconut mixture over the corn and with your hands, thoroughly coat each piece. Sprinkle the chili powder evenly over the corn and place on a BBQ grill at low heat. Cook on all sides for a total of 10 to 15 minutes.

Per 4 piece serving: 139 calories, 8 g fat, 6.5 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 3 g protein, 17.6 g carbohydrates and 2 g of fiber.