Roasted Asparagus On Romaine Topped With Corn, Radishes, Avocado & Sunflower Seeds

Roasted asparagus topped with chopped veggies and seeds.

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Asparagus for Lunch?

Doug and I ate an entire bunch of asparagus yesterday for lunch. Once those tender roasted spears came out of the oven, we decided to make a meal out of them. Besides, you can't just let these jewels sit around since they are more perishable than most other vegetables.

Feed your Microbes Too!

I'm sure you all know how very important microbes are for our health. Well these little guys have to eat too. They depend on "prebiotics" which are supplied by the compound "inulin." This carbohydrate makes it all the way through to our large intestine where it becomes an important food source for our intestinal bacteria such as Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli. Asparagus is a very good source of inulin. 

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Roasted Asparagus Salad

Vegan, Dairy Free, Gluten Free

[makes 4 servings]

Ingredients

1 pound asparagus, washed

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 ear of corn, cleaned, kernels removed

4 small radishes, diced

1 green onion, cleaned and thinly sliced

1/2 avocado, diced

1/2 lemon

1 head Romaine lettuce, washed and chopped

2 tablespoons raw sunflower seeds (or hemp seeds)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Trim off the bottoms of the asparagus with a knife or bend the bottoms until they snap off. Place in a large, shallow baking pan and arrange in a single layer. 

Drizzle the olive oil over the asparagus and sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. If you have a Silpat sheet, you can reduce the olive oil to 2 teaspoons. Shake the pan back and forth until the spears are well coated.

Place the pan in the oven and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through, until the asparagus spears are lightly browned and fork-tender but still crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Place the corn kernels, radishes, green onion, and avocado in a small bowl. Toss with the juice of 1/2 a lemon and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. 

To build the salad, place the chopped Romaine lettuce on a platter or divide among four individual plates. (Doug and I divided it onto two big plates and made an entire meal out of it.)

Place the warm asparagus on top of the lettuce and then top the asparagus with the corn mixture. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds and serve immediately.

Nutrition

Per serving: 168 calories, 10 g total fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 249 mg omega-3 and 2,006 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 6 g protein, 18 g carbohydrates, 8 g dietary fiber, 20 mg sodium (plus salt to taste).

For a better omega-3 to omega-6 balance, use hemp seeds instead of sunflower seeds.

 

Quick And Easy White Bean Salad With Radishes - Vegan And Gluten Free

Use Cannellini, Great Northern or White Kidney for this
simple-to-make White Bean Salad with Radishes.

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Beans - the Perfect Meat Substitute
I attended a beautiful luncheon this weekend at Hafner Vineyard in Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California. They are a family owned and operated vineyard and winery. And when I say family owned and operated, I mean it. We were wined and dined by the 87 year old patriarch who founded the winery. Every key job is filled by a family member including the winemaker and head of sales. Even their granddaughter, who recently joined the staff, was pouring wine.  The entire family is so passionate about their business that each of them choked up as they gave their welcome speeches.  They truly love growing and making wine and really show their customers their gratitude. Something that is quite rare these days.

Besides their incredible hospitality, I was very impressed with their menu. When you go to lunch in wine country, you can pretty much expect it to be meat and cheese heavy but I was shocked and delighted that their was so much on the menu that I could enjoy. Yes, there was meat and cheese, but they also served a delicious green salad, grilled asparagus and a large platter of white beans! This white bean salad inspired me to create a recipe as soon as I got home. I thought it would be a wonderful dish for anyone to serve, especially if they happen to be entertaining vegans for lunch. White beans are a wonderful source of protein and are a great substitution for meat. Today I will share my quick and easy version of white bean salad that gets some extra crunch and spice from fresh radishes.

Canned Beans and BPA
I often use canned beans when I'm in a hurry. They are a great convenience. Not many of us have the extra hours in the day to cook beans. But besides being careful to select canned beans with low sodium, there is another thing to look for - BPA.

BPA, or bisphenol-A, is an industrial chemical used in food and drink containers.  It mimics estrogen and is an endocrine disruptor because it can act like the body's hormones. It is linked to an increased risk of infertility, obesity, breast and reproductive system cancer and more.  Much of the focus has been on BPA in plastic bottles and, in fact, it is now banned in baby bottles and children's cups. But the FDA still allows its use in cans and their testing indicates that 90% of popular canned foods show the presence of BPA.

Surveys by the CDC found BPA in the bodies of every person over 6 years of age - and in 90% of babies in the womb!

So if you are buying canned beans and want to avoid BPA, look for "BPA-Free" on the label. Eden Foods has been the trail blazer with respect to providing BPA-free cans. 

Look for BPA Free Lining when buying canned food.

Eden Foods has been a pioneer in this area.

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White Bean Salad with Radishes
Vegan, Gluten Free
[makes 6 servings]

2 (15 oz) cans Eden Cannellini beans, drained
1/4 cup diced red onion
6 radishes, cut in half, thinly sliced
2 packed teaspoons fresh thyme (see Note)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon cold-pressed hemp oil
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
Greens (optional)

Mix beans, onion, radishes and fresh thyme in a bowl.

Mix lemon juice and oil in a cup and stir to combine. Pour over the bean mixture.

Salt and pepper to taste. Serve over greens.

Per serving: 162 calories, 6 g total fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 423 mg omega-3 and 1,646 mg omega-6 fatty acids, 0 mg cholesterol, 7 g protein, 31 g carbohydrates, 6 g dietary fiber and 243 mg sodium.

Note: Fresh thyme is far better than dried thyme in this recipe. But if you have to use dried thyme, use it very sparingly (maybe 1/4 teaspoon to start) and rehydrate it in the dressing before putting it on the salad.

Raw Vegan Beet And Radish Salad With Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Raw Beets are Wonderful!
Most people are familiar with roasted beets but if you've never tried eating them raw, you're in for a real treat. My husband won't touch a cooked beet with a ten foot pole but he absolutely loves them raw. Since radishes are one of his favorite foods, I thought I'd delight him by combining them with raw beets and a lovely vinaigrette made with Meyer lemons. I've got a garden full of beets right now and someone gave me some Meyer lemons from their tree the other day so this is a great way to use up these wonderful, fresh ingredients!
Health Benefits
The health benefits of beets are numerous. Their high content of carotenoids and flavonoids give them powerful antioxidant properties allowing them to help prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease. They have been long known as blood purifiers, for having anti-inflammatory properties and for helping gastrointestinal disorders.
Beets are high in dietary fiber and are a very good source of folate making them a great food to eat if you are pregnant! They also contain a good amount of potassium and manganese. One think to watch for, however, is their oxalate content. Mostly found in their edible greens, oxalate could interfere with your calcium intake so if you are taking calcium supplements, take them between meals.

Hold beets by stem and wear plastic gloves when peeling.

Cut beets into small matchstick sized pieces

Low Calorie Salad
Here's a good recipe to use on your Weight Loss Program. 


Raw Beet and Radish Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

[makes 2 servings]

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

1 tablespoon raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 medium sized beets, peeled and sliced into matchstick sized pieces, (1 1/2 cups)
6 radishes, cut into matchstick sized pieces, (3/4 cups)
2 pieces butter or red leaf lettuce, cleaned and dried

To make the vinaigrette, mix the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Place the sliced beets and radishes in a bowl and toss together with the vinaigrette.
Place the lettuce on two small plates.
Spoon the beets and radishes over each lettuce leaf.
Serve immediately or if you want to make ahead, mix the beets and radishes with the vinaigrette, cover and refrigerate.


Per serving: 122.2 calories, 7.0 g fat, 1.0 g saturated fat. 0 mg cholesterol, 2.3 g protein, 13.4 g carbohydrates and 4.5 g dietary fiber.


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Raw Cucumber And Radish Salad With Lemon Dill Dressing

A Quick and Beautiful Raw Salad

My daughter Linda sent me this lovely picture and recipe the other day so I'm passing it along. It's a good way to use up those final cucumbers from your summer garden and the new radishes from your fall garden. Cucumbers are more of a summer dish because of their "cooling" properties, however, those of you on the west coast who are experiencing our fall heat wave can still appreciate this.

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Linda's Cucumber and Radish Salad with Lemon Dill Dressing

[serves 2]

1 medium cucumber, peeled and cut into cubes

5 small radishes, sliced

1 tiny handful of fresh dill, minced or 1/2 teaspoon dried

2 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place cucumbers and radishes in a bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper then slowly whisk in olive oil. Toss dressing with the cucumbers and radishes and serve.

Per serving: 78.8 calories, 7.0 g fat, 1.0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0.5 g protein, 2.3 g carbohydrates and 0.5 g fiber.

Add tomatoes for more of a Greek vibe or make the salad with cucumbers alone.