Dandelion Salad

Spring is the time of year to get out and pick your own salad and connect to the natural world. The dandelion greens are best eaten early in the season when they are young and tender. Bursting with caratenoids (plant vitamin A), vitamin C, iron and fibre, they are a true spring tonic! Avoid picking greens from lawns, some roadsides and golf courses that use fertilizers and herbicides. Basically, do not pick from an area unless you know its history. If you can't pick your own dandelion greens you can buy them at most supermarkets.

Serve with the Maple Dijon Vinaigrette I posted earlier. Using a sweet dressing will help to cut the bitterness of the dandelion greens. I mixed half dandelion greens with half salad greens but you can use all dandelion if you wish.

Makes 10 x 100 g servings – about 500 ml each.

2 liters dandelion greens, raw, chopped 8 cups
2 liters salad, field greens 8 cups
250 ml sunflower seeds, dried, unsalted - 1 cup
Dandelion flowers and/or buds

Method:
Wash greens by soaking in plenty of cold water.  Remove dirt and debris. Cut into 5 cm (2 inch) lengths if desired.
Combine in large bowl with mixed field greens.
Divide salad among plates and top with a sprinkle of sunflower seeds and a tasty vinaigrette.
Optional additions: dandelion and pansy petals, sprigs of bergamot (bee balm), grated carrot, sliced cucumber etc.  I often cheese curds to increase the protein and staying power of my salad. Thornloe Cheese is a northern Ontario cheese maker just north of New Liskeard, Ontario and they make wonderful cheese curds.

NUTRITION FACTS (per 100 g – 500 ml serving): 100 calories, 7 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 50 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 4 g fibre, 3 g sugar, 5 g protein. % Daily Values: 160% vitamin A, 25% vitamin C, 10% calcium, 15% iron.

"the Eat Well Gourmet" Chickpea & Carrot Salad

I learned to make this salad in the early '80's when I was managing the Beaches location of the Eat Well Gourmet in Toronto.  The owner, Josephine Ingrao, was an administrative dietitian who created a successful take-out and catering business featuring healthy, gourmet foods.  I learned a lot from her as she was honest in her feedback and inspirational!  I got the job by combing the yellow pages for ads I liked and companies I might want to work for.  This is a recipe I go back to time and time again.

Chickpeas, or garbanzo beans, have gone mainstream in Canada largely since the spread hummus became popular.  I love hummus and often make it with peanut butter instead of tahini as I don't always have the latter around.  Here chickpeas are featured in a marinated salad which keeps well in the fridge up to a week.

The local foods used in my salad are fresh carrots, parsley I had frozen last summer and the mint in the vinegar.  I don't know if chickpeas are grown in Ontario or not?  My understanding is that they are mainly grown in the prairie provinces.  Eating vegetarian meals, like this salad, reduces your carbon footprint.

The rest of my ingredients are organic.  In my opinion, organic spices taste a lot better than conventional and if they are certified organic they are free of chemical pesticides and residue.  I am not an expert in organic food rules but there is opportunity to add non spice ingredients to spices.  Recently I heard of flour being added to a chili powder blend creating problems for people needing to follow a gluten free diet. Buying organic spices and other organic foods also allows you to avoid genetically modified crops.

Click this link to print recipe.

INGREDIENTS - all homegrown or organic
Makes 10 x 250 ml (1 cup) portions

6 cups (1.5 L) chickpeas, cooked
2 cups (500 ml) carrots, diced
1 cup (250 ml) parsley, fresh, minced
2 Tbsp (30 ml) paprika, sweet
1 Tbsp (150 ml) fennel seed
1/4 cup (60 ml) XV Olive Oil
1 cup (250 ml) herb or good vinegar*
1 tsp (5 ml) black pepper 

*Note: the vinegar I used was organic mint and white wine vinegar I had made back in August when the mint was fresh and plentiful in the garden.  Mint goes really well with this salad.  Other good choices are plain apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar..... something bold!  Black olives aren't part of the original recipe but they would go well.  The original Eat Well Gourmet recipe used diced canned artichoke hearts as well.

METHOD:

1.  Measure the cooked chickpeas into a good size salad bowl that you can store in the fridge.  If you are using canned rinse them under cold running water to remove some of the salt.  The equivalent is approximately 2-3 of the 598 ml cans drained.

2.  Cut carrots into quarters and slice across.  Lightly steam carrot chunks.

3.  Toss all together and garnish with minced parsley and a good sprinkle of paprika.  I used organic paprika and you might have noticed that it is not garrish red.  I suspect much of the mainstream paprika has added red dye.  This seems like a lot of vinegar but it gets soaked into the beans.  Using more vinegar also allows you to cut back on the higher fat and pricey olive oil.  You can adjust it to your taste. 

The photo below is of some local parsley I bought at the farmer's market.  I freeze it in zip-lock freezer bags.  Frozen parsley is a snap to slice and you can take what you want and put the rest back in the freezer for another recipe. 

 
Leave salad to marinate in the fridge for 2-3 hours before serving.

This salad is lower in fat than what is shown below as you wouldn't typically eat all of the dressing.

NUTRITION FACTS (per 158 gram or approx 1 cup - 250 ml serving): 230 calories, 9 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 25 mg sodium, 31 g carbohydrate, 6 g fibre, 6 g sugar, 9 g protein.  % Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet are 100% vitamin A, 20% vitamin C, 8% calcium and 20% iron.

Beet Salad Morrocan Style

I dabble in Moroccan cooking and notice the recipes include a lot of my favourite foods like beets, pumpkin and squash. These foods are easy to grow and keep well which fits in with me being more self-sufficient. 

I have also been trying to get young people to eat beets and I am surprised how few of them like beets. Ian said they taste like dirt! Most of them were never served beets at home. And yes, they do taste a bit like dirt! I am attributing this to their high mineral content. I did a bit of research and did in fact learn that the taste of the beet reflects the elements in the soil where they are grown. Makes sense.

Print a copy of this recipe.

Makes 8 or more 1/ 2 cup - 125 ml servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb beets or approximately 4 cups/1 liter peeled and cubed) 
1 fresh lemon, juiced - about 1/4 cup (60 ml) 
1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
1/8 tsp (.6 ml) cinnamon, ground
1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh parsley, chopped
Optional additions: chopped red onion, tbsp of honey, zest of the lemon, 1/4 tsp ground cumin and/or paprika.

METHOD: 

1.  Cut the green tops off leaving an inch (2.5 cm) or so. Leave the tap root intact as well.  These steps reduce "bleeding" of the beet juice into the cooking water.  Wash beets and boil in a covered saucepan until tender.  This can take longer than you think!  Let them cool in the cooking water.

2.  Use your hands to slip off the skins.  Chop them into cubes and place in bowl.

3. Combine rest of ingredients and pour over beets.  Toss to coat.  Let marinate for an hour or so before serving.

NUTRITION FACTS (per 125 ml serving): 50 calories, 2 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 55 mg sodium, 7 g carbohydrate, 1 g fibre, 5 g sugar and 1 g protein. % Daily Values (based on 2,000 calorie diet are 2% vitamin A, 15% vitamin C, 2% calcium and 4% iron.

Yours in good taste, © Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc.  http://nancyguppy.com/

Fun Fruit & Herb Vinegars

Over the years I have come up with numerous herb, fruit and flower combinations that I use when making flavoured vinegars.   I like to give these beautiful bottles as hostess and Christmas gifts.  It is ideal if you make these throughout the summer from your garden herbs and local berries.  I will mention a few that you can create during the winter months with fresh or frozen fruits and fresh herbs you can get from the store. 

Below is a photo of some of the summer vinegars I made (left to right): strawberry balasamic vinegar, apple cider with sage and cranberry and raspberry white wine vinegar.  I use them to add inspiration to my winter salads!  Follow this link to get a print copy of this blog post.

Vinegar is fermented wine derived from the French word vin aigre.  It contributes a bright, sharp flavour to food and can seriously reduce the amount of salt needed in recipes.  Vinegar, and other acidic foods such as tomatoes and lemon juice, have been shown to lower the glycemic index of the dish they are used in.  This means food is more slowly digested and leads to a slower rise in blood sugar.  Vinegar has next to no calories and is a friend of those watching their weight or those changing their food ways to manage heart disease, hypertension and diabetes.

The type of vinegar you use to make your flavoured vinegars depends on your preference, what you like to cook and your pocket book.  Higher prices are attached to the best vinegars.  I don't use everyday white distilled vinegar for much other than cleaning my toilet (did I say that?).  Vinegar lasts quite a while and gets used slowly so I buy the good ones and enjoy them.  The photo below shows the types of organic vinegar I have been using.

Apple Cider Vinegar is my everyday all purpose vinegar.  I buy a raw, unpasteurized, wood aged and organic apple cider vinegar from Eden organics.  It has the live "mother" or vinegar culture which appears as a cloudiness in the bottle.  This type of vinegar pairs well with fruits like apple, cranberry and pear.  It also goes well with strong herbs like tarragon, thyme, sage and rosemary.

Balsamic vinegar is traditionally made from Trebbiano grapes and aged in oak barrels.  It has a sweetish after-taste.  I have a Silver Leaf traditional Balsamico organic vinegar from Greece.  The real balsamic is aged 12 years for "vecchio" and 25 years for "extra vecchio."  Much of what we buy in the store is actually a wine vinegar with added caramel for colour and flavour. 

Rice vinegar is made from fermented rice or rice wine alcohol.  It has a subtle, sweet flavour.  Buy the unseasoned one without added sugar or salt.

Wine vinegars - white or red wine grapes are fermented in oak.  They range in flavour from mellow to sharp.  The white wine vinegar I am using is from Spectrum Natural and it is organic and a product of Modena, Italy.  They say it is a blend of Italian white wines that has been slowly fermented and aged.  The Inari red wine vinegar I am using is also organic and contains mother.  It is from Italy as well.

BERRY and HERB VINEGAR

Use on green salads, fruit salads or as part of a marinade for meat or poultry.  The vinegar will tenderize tougher cuts of meat and the taste will cook off (trust me)!  The benefit of using frozen berries is that they are cleaned and ready to go. 

1 cups (250 ml) fresh or frozen berries (e.g., cranberries, raspberries, blueberries)

Sprigs of fresh herbs, cleaned and dry

3 cups (750 ml) cider or other vinegar

Experiment!  Try:

- fresh apple slices, thyme and apple cider vinegar

- cranberry, sage and apple cider

- cranberry and rosemary with any vinegar is particularly festive for Christmas

- blueberry thyme and balsamic vinegar

- strawberries in balsamic vinegar

- raspberry, mint and white wine vinegar 

METHOD:

1.  Stuff berries and herbs into clean and sterilized bottles.   You can wiggle things around with a chop stick or skewer to get an artful arrangement.  The quantities above for berries and vinegar are approximate. 

2.  Pour vinegar of your choice over.  I like to use a funnel when I do this.  Make sure the herbs are completely covered as they can grow mold if they are not.  Add a bit extra if possible as the fruit and herbs will absorb a bit of the vinegar as they sit.  

3.  Seal, label and date.  Store in a cool place or refrigerator as berries have a tendency to ferment.  Read further down for more tips on the process.

HERBS:

You will need fresh herbs to go with the berries.  They are a bit pricey but there is a good selection in most grocery stores.  You can also add dried herbs to the vinegar if you prefer.  The flavour will be good but they are not as pretty.  When you begin using the vinegar be sure to remove any exposed herbs as the bottle empties.  If you don't take this precaution molds can grow on the exposed herbs.

BOTTLES TO USE:

Reduce, reuse, recycle.  This is your opportunity to clean and sterilize some bottles and jars that you like.  The first photo in this post shows (left to right) recovered whiskey bottle, tamari bottle and juice bottle.   Use bottles or glass jars that are free of chips or cracks.  Good choices are clear wine and liquor bottles.  You can pick up decorative bottles at many dollar stores but I prefer to recycle when I can.

HOW TO CLEAN AND STERILIZE BOTTLES:

Thoroughly soak and wash the bottles.   Remove old labels.  A baby bottle brush is handy for this task.  Sterilize them by immersing in a pan of water and simmering for 10 minutes.  Once sterilized, remove from water and invert on kitchen towel to dry.  Use while warm.

HOW TO SEAL YOUR BOTTLES:

You can buy stoppers at a wine making store.  They usually have cork or plastic stoppers.  I buy the plastic as they are easy to put through the dishwasher and keep clean.  I also buy the heat shrink covers they put over wine bottles.  They shrink around the bottle when immersed in boiling water.  You can also use steam from a kettle to shrink the wraps.

Yours in good taste, © Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc.  http://nancyguppy.com/

Red Quinoa with Pumpkin, Cranberries and Sunflower Seeds

Have you tried red quinoa (say KEEN-WAH)?  I love quinoa but when I first made this salad I hadn't seen this beautiful red variety before.  Since then I found out there are white, black and red varieties.

Red quinoa "is similar to the other quinoa varieties: high in protein, gluten-free, easy to digest and quick to cook. Red quinoa is predominately grown in Bolivia; other quinoas come mostly from Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador (and more recently, the United States). Rinse and cook red quinoa as you would other varieties: for breakfast, in salads, and mixed in with other grains for polenta and pilaf-like side dishes."  Click link to access a very concise whole grain glossary.

In this recipe I have combined red quinoa with toasted sunflower seeds, bog cranberries and more pumpkin.  You can use diced pears or apples if you don't want the pumpkin!  I have been on a bit of a pumpkin fest as I use up my winter supply and dry seeds for the garden.  My favourite way to cook quinoa is to use my rice cooker.  Follow the package directions for quinoa to water ratio and the rice cooker will take care of the rest

Click on this link to get a printable recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
Makes 4 servings.

1 cup (250 ml) red quinoa
2 cups (500 ml) water

2 cups (500 ml) pumpkin or firm winter squash like kabocha or butternut (peeled and diced)

1 cup (250 ml) fresh or frozen cranberries, halved or chopped as you prefer
1/2 cup (125 ml) red onion, diced fine
1 clove of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp (15 ml) ginger, fresh, grated
1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, extra virgin
1/2 cup (125 ml) sunflower seeds, raw (or pecans, walnuts)

2 Tbsp (30 ml) fresh parsley, minced

1 tsp (5 ml) cumin, ground
1 tsp (5 ml) curry power
1 tsp (5 ml) turmeric, ground
2 Tbsp (30 ml) maple syrup - I used Schloesser's, Trout Creek
2 Tbsp (30 ml) apple cider vinegar (like Eden organic)

1/4 tsp (1.25 ml) Sea salt

METHOD:
1.  Toast quinoa over medium-high heat in a non-stick pan for 2 minutes.  Shake it and move it around with a wooden spoon so it doesn't burn.  Toasting quinoa burns off the surface saponins and gives it a nuttier flavour.
2.  Then toast sunflower seeds in a large dry skillet. Heat until fragrant while shaking to prevent burning.  Pecans and walnuts are also favourites of mine in this salad.
3.  Bring 2 cups (500 ml) of water to a boil and add quinoa; reduce heat to low and cover.  Use a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water.   Cook for 15 minutes or according to package directions until grain is tender and liquid is absorbed.  Add frozen cranberries during the last 5 minutes of cooking.  Turn off heat and set aside to cool.

4.  Cut the pumpkin or squash in chunks and steam until tender (not mushy).  I noticed they sell cut up squash at the store so you could use that if you want a quick solution.

5.  Heat oil in a non-stick pan and saute onion, garlic and ginger with the cumin, curry and tumeric over medium high heat for 3 minutes or until softened.  Remove from heat.

6.  Toss with the cooked quinoa, steamed pumpkin, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar and minced fresh parsley.

NUTRITION FACTS (per 1 cup/250 ml): 190 calories, 4.5 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 35 g carbohydrate, 4 g fibre, 10 g sugar, 6 g sugar, 8 g protein.  % Daily Values (based on a 2,000 calorie diet) are 30% vitamin A, 40% vitamin C, 8% calcium, 35% iron.

Cranberry Poppyseed Vinaigrette

This is one of my favourite winter salad dressings. I keep frozen cranberries on hand and it whips up fast in the blender. The ingredients are simple and also rely on a good olive oil and local honey. I have seem my daughter mop up this tasty vinaigrette with her bread! It is good over all types of greens and also in a winter salad with shredded cabbage and grated beets. Top with your favourite nuts for extra fibre and healthy fats.

Vinaigrettes are versatile and you can us them as marinades as well as salad dressings. This is a good marinade for chicken and mild, white fleshed fish.

I like to encourage people to make their own salad dressings.  It is fun to be creative and you end up with better quality and reduced fat, sugar and salt. This concoction is additive and sodium free! Traditional vinaigrettes are 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Play with this…. I mostly use 1 part oil to 1 part vinegar. Another good combination is 1 part oil: 1 part vinegar and 1 part wine, stock, juice or water.  

Also, remember not to overdress your salad - ¼ to 1/3 c (50-75 ml) of vinaigrette should dress 8 cups (2 liters) of salad greens.


Click this link for a printable recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup cranberries, fresh or frozen - 125 ml
1/2 cup red wine vinegar - 125 ml
1/2 cup olive oil - 125 ml - I used an extra virgin cold pressed
1/2 cup honey, local - 125 ml
1/4 tsp cumin seeds - 1.25 ml
2 Tbsp poppy seeds, whole - 30 ml

METHOD:
Simply combine all ingredients, except poppy seeds, in a container like a glass jar with a lid.  Cover tightly and shake until blended. For a more stable emulsion and a creamier texture, blend in blender one minute. A food processor, traditional blender and immersion (stick) blender also work well.

Stir in poppy seeds. Store any unused portions in the fridge.  Below I am using poppyseeds I saved from my summer garden.

Nutrition Facts (per 2 Tbsp – 30 ml): 60 calories, 4 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 0 mg sodium, 5 g carbohydrate, 0 mg sodium, 0 g fibre, 5 g sugar, 0 g protein. % Daily Values are all 0 for calcium, iron, vitamin A and vitamin C as the serving size is small.

Yours in good taste,
© Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc
http://nancyguppy.com/

Fruity and Nutty Quinoa Salad with Maple Vinaigrette

This is one of my most popular quinoa salads. It is a great dish for pot lucks and get togethers.  I also like it packed on the bottom of clear containers, pint or quart size canning jars and topped with your choice of salad greens and vegetables for grab and go salads and lunches.  When you are ready to eat simply dump on a plate and the grain salad with the dressing will fall over the greens.  The salad jars keep in the fridge for at least three days.

Click here for a Printable recipe 

Makes 6 x 1 cup (250 ml) servings

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup dry quinoa - 250 ml

2 cup water - 250 ml

½ cup almonds - 125 ml

1 apple, cored and chopped

½ cup dried apricots, sliced - 125 ml

¼ cup sunflower seeds -60 ml

¼ cup dried cranberries - 60 ml

¼ cup raisins - 125 ml

2 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped - 30 ml

¼ cup maple syrup - 60 ml

¼ cup balsamic vinegar - 60 ml

2 Tbsp olive oil - 30 ml

2 Tbsp water - 30 ml

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard - 15 ml

METHOD:

1. Combine the quinoa and 2 cups (500 mL) of cold water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

2. Transfer quinoa to a large bowl. Add almonds, diced apple, slivers of dried apricots, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, raisins and chopped mint; toss to combine. 

3. In a jar, combine maple syrup, vinegar, mustard, oil and water. Seal and shake until well blended.

4. Pour in vinaigrette and toss gently to coat. Garnish with a few sprigs of fresh mint. Serve warm or cold.

Note: You can store the vinaigrette in the refrigerator for up to 1 week; shake well before use. Makes I cup (250 ml) dressing  and is so good on many things!

Nutrition Facts (per 1 cup or 150 g quinoa salad without the green salad): 260 calories, 10 g fat, 55 mg sodium, 40 g carbohydrate, 4 g fibre, 16 g sugar, 6 g protein.  % Daily Values are 20% vitamin A, 4 vitamin C, 6% calcium and 20% iron.

Yours in good taste,
© Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc
http://nancyguppy.com/

Pumpkin Vinaigrette

Here's a simple and tasty vinaigrette that comes together quickly.  Maple and  balsamic are always a winning combination and adding the pumpkin puree gives it an autumn kick. The vinaigrette also makes a good marinade for pike, pickerel, chicken etc.  The recipe made approximately one cup (250 ml).

Click this link to go to a printable recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup Pumpkin, puree (from fresh or canned) - 60 ml
¼ cup Balsamic vinegar - 60 ml
1 Garlic, clove, minced finely
1 Tbsp Maple syrup - 15 ml
¼ tsp Sea salt - 1.25 ml
¼ tsp Black pepper, freshly ground -1.25 ml
1/3 cup Olive oil, extra virgin, cold pressed - 75 ml

METHOD:
1.  Mince garlic finely.  

2.  Add garlic and rest of ingredients  to a glass jar.  Cover with lid and shake.

To make your own pumpkin puree you can peel it and cut it in cubes and boil until tender.

OR you can bake your pumpkin or squash until very soft.  Either way you will have to use a blender or food processor to create the puree.  Mashing might work but it may not create a fine enough texture.

Dry some of the seed to plant in next year's garden.

Nutrition Facts (per 1 Tbsp/15 ml): 50 calories, 5 g fat, .5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 40 mg sodium, 2 g carbohydrate, 0 g fibre, 2 g sugar, 0 g protein. % Daily Values: 0% calcium and iron, 20% vitamin A, 0% vitamin C.

		2000 Calories	2500 Calories
Total Fat (g)	Less than	65 g	80 g
Saturated fat (g)	Less than	20 g	25 g
Cholesterol	Less than	300 mg	300 mg
Sodium	Less than	2400 mg Preferably 1500	2400 mg Preferably 1500
Total carbohydrate (g)		300 g	375 g
Fibre	At least	25 g	30 g

%Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.  Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.  Calories per gram:  Fat 9, carbohydrate 4 and protein 4

Yours in good taste,
© Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc
http://nancyguppy.com/

Warm Pumpkin Salad

I first made this side dish - warm salad at a cooking class I hosted years ago when I lived at the farm at Chapman's Landing (Nipissing). Simple and delicious. I am always on the lookout for new ways to use pumpkin and squash.



It was a bumper crop of pumpkins and squash that year.  Must have been around 2010.



Click this link to go to a printable recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
6 cups Pumpkin, ½ inch cubes - 1.5 liters
½ cup Raisins - 125 ml
¼ cup Lemon juice, fresh (if bottle use less) - 60 ml
2 tbsp Olive oil, extra virgin, cold pressed - 30 ml
2 Garlic, cloves, minced
2 tsp Honey - 10 ml
1 tsp Cumin, ground - 5 ml
½ tsp Cinnamon, ground - 2.5 ml
¼ Cayenne, ground - 1.25 ml
¼ tsp Salt, sea - 1.25 ml
¼ cup Onion, green, finely sliced - 60 ml
¼ cup Parsley, fresh, minced - 60 ml
¼ cup Almonds, sliced, toasted - 60 ml

METHOD:

1. Cut a slice off the side of the pumpkin then rest on this side to create a stable, flat surface. Split in half and scoop out seeds. Set seeds aside. Slice into smaller strips, peel and chop into 1/2 inch cubes.




2. Cook the squash in the boiling water until knife tender, roughly 6-10 minutes. Add in the raisins for the last minute of cooking. Take a piece out and test for doneness. You can cook it mushy or firm according to your preference. Drain and add to serving bowl.

3. Add fresh squeezed lemon juice, olive oil, minced garlic, honey, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne to bowl and toss to combine.



4. Add finely chopped onion (optional), parsley and almonds and toss again. Serve at room temperature.

Note: I like to use little sugar or "pie" pumpkins for this recipe but any dense yellow/orange winter squash like butternut will work well. Above I used a large yellow orange pumpkin. Cashews or pine nuts also go well in this recipe. For extra flavour, toast the nuts in a dry skillet before adding to salad. Don't forget to toast your seeds in the oven for a tasty snack.



Nutrition Facts (per 1/2 cup - 125 ml serving): 140 calories, 5 g fat, .5 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 80 mg sodium, 23 g carbohydrate, 3 g fibre, 10 g sugar, 2 g protein. % Daily Values: 8% calcium and iron, 170% vitamin and 50% vitamin C.

Yours in good taste,
© Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc
http://nancyguppy.com/

Two Cucumber Salads - Thai Basil and Hungarian Sour Cream

Nothing beats a garden cucumber. I prowl around the garden looking for them like they are gold! They are good at hiding. I find them so much sweeter than the ones we get at the store. A lot of nutrients are situated in and under the skin so eat the peel if you can.

THAI BASIL CUCUMBER SALAD


The recipe is intentionally simple. Optional additions include a bit of soy sauce, hot chile pepper flakes or grated fresh ginger.

Makes 4 x 125 ml servings
1 large cucumber (or 3 smaller garden cucumbers), sliced finely across .. on an angle looks nice
2 Tbsp fresh Thai basil, chopped (or dill or other basil) - 30 ml
3 Tbsp rice vinegar (sugar and sodium free/natural) - 30 ml

Method:
1.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss. Serve immediately, or make ahead (up to a couple of hours) and chill.

NUTRITION FACTS (per half cup/125 ml serving - 80 g): 10 calories, 0 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 1 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein.  %Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet are 2% vitamin A, 4% vitamin C and 2% each calcium and iron.


HUNGARIAN CUCUMBER SALAD
This is a family recipe originally from Mary Szabo, an adopted aunt. My only revision has been to reduce the salt as the original recipe called for a teaspoon and most of us need to hold the salt.

Makes 8 servings x 125 ml each
1 cucumber, medium size, with skin, sliced very thin
1/4 tsp sea salt - 1.25 ml
1 cup each of white wine vinegar and water - 250 ml
1 cup sour cream, 14% MF/full fat - 250 ml
1 tsp Hungarian paprika, sweet, ground - 5 ml
3 green onions, sliced fine - about 1 cup/250 ml

METHOD:
1. This salad is best made with field cucumbers but the English cucs work too. Slice very thinly and add to medium size bowl.
2. Sprinkle with salt and cover with vinegar and water. Wine vinegar is nice but plain old everyday white vinegar works too. Soak for at least 2 hours at room temperature. Drain and discard brine.
3. Mix in sour cream. Sprinkle generously with paprika and garnish with finely sliced green onions or chives.

NUTRITION FACTS (per 125 ml serving): 50 calories, 4 grams of fat, 2.5 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, 90 mg sodium, 3 g carbohydrate, 1 g fibre, 1 g protein. % Daily Values are 6% each vitamin A and C, 4% calcium 2% iron.

© Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc
http://nancyguppy.com/

Egyptian Mint Potato Salad

I love all kinds of potato salad but this is one of my favourites. It uses garden mint that is so plentiful in spring.

This is a simple recipe and good hot, warm or cold! I first had this at a dinner party at Donna Gray's in Callander. It was years ago now but she had hosted an Egyptian dinner theme as part of our gourmet girls cooking club. This dish goes well with vegetable or chicken kabobs.

INGREDIENTS:
6 each red potatoes - I used organic
1/4 cup (60 ml) mint, fresh - I used spearmint
2 each garlic, cloves, crushed
1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil, XV, cold pressed
1/4 cup (60 ml) apple cider vinegar

METHOD:

1. Cut potatoes into bite-size pieces. Boil until fork tender and add to serving bowl. I tend to cook them slightly mushy and until the skins are splitting so that the sauce absorbs into the potatoes better.  I leave the peels on for extra nutrition and fibre.

2. Mince fresh mint and add to bowl.  I also used some sliced garlic chive tops and sorrel leaves.

3. Crush garlic with salt using mortar and pestle and add to potatoes. Add good olive oil, vinegar and fresh ground black pepper. Toss well to coat. Garnish with sprigs of fresh mint.  Enjoy!

Optional additions include chives, sorrel kale etc. Slice kale into ribbons and quick blanch with potatoes when they are almost done cooking. I don't peel the potatoes unless they really need it as a lot of the fibre and nutrients are in the skin. All vinegars works nicely in this dish. Organic apple cider vinegar (Eden) tends to be my everyday vinegar but you can also use red or white wine vinegar.

NUTRITION FACTS (per 1 generous cup – 250 ml): 180 calories, 7 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 25 g carbohydrate, 3 g fibre, 2 g sugar, 3 g protein.  %Daily Values: 2% vitamin A, 8% iron, 2% calcium, 30% vitamin C

Tastefully yours,

© Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc