Simple and Fresh - Spinach, Orange and Strawberry Salad

Now that we have been blessed with warmer weather, I find myself spending more time outside in my garden, which leaves me less time to spend in the kitchen.  So finding simple recipes that require only a few ingredients and that I can throw together in less then 30  minutes is essential.  Throughout the warm season I will try and give you as many recipes labeled Simple and Fresh that fall into that category.

Arugula is one of my favorite greens because it adds freshness to any recipe.  Either paired with pasta (here) or as the star of a salad (below) it never fails to impress me.  So how is it good for you?  Well, it contains a group of anticancer compounds called glucosinolates.  These compounds trigger antioxidant activity and are good stimulators of our body's natural detoxifying enzymes.  Arugula is also a good source of calcium.

Simple and Fresh - Spinach, Orange and Strawberry Salad



Ingredients

Salad

4 cups strawberries, hulled and cut in quarters
3 navel oranges
2 avocadoes
6 cups baby spinach
2 cups arugula
2 green onions
1 cup pine nuts

Dressing

Juice from the orange peels, should yield approximately 1/8 cup
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp.. red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Method

Hull strawberries and cut in quarters.  Using a sharp knife, peel the skin off the oranges making sure there is no membrane left.  DO NOT DISCARD the membranes as you will need them later.  Cut the oranges in wedges, and then in half.  Peel the avocado and cut in 1/2 inch pieces. 

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl, squeeze the juice from the membranes.  This should give you approximately 1/8 cup.  Add balsamic and red wine vinegar as well as the dry mustard.  Whisk together and add to the salad.

Mix the salad and vinaigrette together and serve.

Have a great day!
Amelie

 

Green Smoothie with Celery

I know people are getting more and more curious about green smoothies, so I figured I would give you another one of my recipes.  I usually prefer my smoothies to taste sweeter, so when I try recipes that use lemon, ginger and more "advanced" ingredients I find myself having a real hard time enjoying them.  The following recipe was an exception. I really enjoyed it, although I wouldn't recommend starting your new green smoothie morning routine with this recipe, as the strong celery taste somewhat overpowers the other fruits.  When making smoothies, you should aim to get as close as you can to the 60/40 ratio (60% fruit, 40% leafy greens).  Why? Simply so the sweetness of the fruits will dominate and the leafy greens' somewhat bitter taste will tone down the sweetness of the fruit.  It is also recommended to vary the greens you use in order to get a variety of nutrients.  Great leafy greens would include beet greens, chard, spinach, kale and dandelion greens. 

 

What about celery?  We've all been taught that the more vibrant the color of  a vegetable, the better it is for you.  As true as this can be, it doesn't mean that paler vegetables like celery are empty of important nutrients.  Here are some of the health benefits of celery:

  

• It is considered to be a superfood for people with high blood pressure mostly because of its high potassium level that helps regulate it. 
• It contains coumarin compounds that are effective in cancer prevention and have the capability of enhancing the activity of certain white blood cells.

 

Green Smoothie with Celery 

 



Yields 1 serving

 

Ingredients

 

1 cup water

1 banana or avocado (this serves as an emulsifier)

1 pear

1 orange

1 celery stalk

1 cup baby spinach

3 ice cubes

 

Method

 

Place all ingredients in blender and mix until you get a smooth texture.

 

 

Have a great day!

Amelie

 

 Source:

 

www.everynutrient.com/healthbenefitsofcelery.html