Raw Vegan, Gluten Free Mexican Salad And Chili-Lime Dressing With Fresh Jicama, Corn, Red Pepper And Avocado

Chili-lime dressing gives the flavors of Mexico in this beautiful salad of fresh greens and raw vegetables!

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Great for Raw Days
Today I decided to load up on raw food since I had a bit too much heavy, cooked food over the weekend. A few weeks ago I wrote about doing mini-raw food cleanses - one day at a time. Today was one of those days for me. 


Jicama
If you weren't familiar with Jicama, I doubt you would ever pick one up at the grocery store. It looks like a giant, round potato with a harder, thicker skin - not very appetizing. But the treasure is inside. Jicama, also know as "yambean" is a root vegetable with a wonderful crisp texture and a slightly sweet, mellow flavor. I love to slice them as part of a crudité and serve them with guacamole or hummus. I often just eat them by themselves as a snack. They are very high in fiber, 1 cup providing 6 grams, almost one quarter of the daily requirement. They are also an excellent source of vitamin C, 1 cup providing 40% of the daily requirement. 

Jicama looks like a big potato with thick skin. 
One cup is only 46 calories!

For the salad, julienne the red pepper and jicama.
Thinly slice the red onion.

Chili-lime dressing
This dressing has a nice mixture of Mexican seasonings with lime juice and a combination of cold-pressed hemp oil and extra-virgin olive oil. No blender is needed.

Chili-lime dressing is versatile. Try it on a simple salad of fresh corn and pinto beans.
Or, cut jicama in the shape of french fries. Rub this dressing over them and enjoy raw chili fries!

Mexican Salad with Chili-Lime Dressing
Raw Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 4 servings]


For the dressing
1/4 cup cold-pressed hemp oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced


For the salad
4 large handfuls salad greens (~8 cups)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup julienned jicama
1 cup julienned red bell pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
Kernels from 1 ear of corn
1/2 California Hass avocado, peeled, pitted and sliced


To make the dressing, combine all dressing ingredients in a cup or small bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.


To make the salad, place salad greens and cilantro in a large bowl. 

Use one large handful of greens per serving.

Dress the greens with the desired amount of salad dressing and place on 4 plates.
Divide the remaining salad ingredients between the 4 plates and place over the greens. Drizzle with additional salad dressing and serve.


Per serving (salad plus 2 tablespoons dressing): 217.3 calories, 16.6 g fat, 2.1 g saturated fat, 1.2 g ALA omega-3 and 5.4 g omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 2.0 g protein, 16.2 g carbohydrates, 4.4 g dietary fiber and 172 mg 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).

Raw Tabouli—Full Of Nutrient Rich Herbs

Day 21 of our “One Month Raw Food Cleanse”
When we search for foods rich in vitamins and minerals, we generally focus on basic food groups like fruits, vegetables, grains, dairy, etc., but did you know that herbs like parsley and mint are very good sources of vitamins A, C, folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, copper and potassium? In addition, parsley is loaded with vitamin K.

Nutritionists usually don’t highlight this because most recipes use insignificant amounts of herbs not to overpower the dish. Tabouli, however, is an exception and is known for its generous use of both mint and parsley.

This quick and easy raw recipe uses jicama and pine nuts instead of the traditional cooked bulgar. Each serving will have a generous 4 tablespoons of these nutrient packed herbs!

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Raw Tabouli [serves 8]
4 cups jicama, diced
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 medium yellow heirloom tomato, diced
1 medium red heirloom tomato, diced
1/4 cup red onion, minced
1 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup fresh mint, chopped
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh lemon zest
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt, (more or less to taste)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper (more or less to taste)

Dice the heirloom tomatoes and put in a colander to drain. Place jicama and pine nuts in a food processor and process briefly until it resembles large grain. Place mixture on paper towels to remove some of the moisture and then place in a large bowl. Add red onion, cucumber, parsley, mint and the drained tomatoes. Combine lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper. Gently mix this dressing into the salad and serve.

Per serving: 132 calories, 10 g fat, 1.1 g saturated fat, 0 g cholesterol, 2.1 g protein, 9.7 g carbohydrates and 3.9 g of fiber.

Menu for Day 21
Breakfast is a bowl of watermelon, cantaloupe and strawberries. Lunch is tabouli salad with raw crackers and guacamole. I will make faux “tuna fish salad” stuffed heirloom tomatoes for dinner (see April 25, 2009 post) and some tropical chocolate truffles for dessert (see February 12, 2009 post). I feel like juicing today so I’ll make a big pitcher of fresh vegetable juice and snack on it during the day.