Tarragon Chickpea Salad with Riced Broccoli and Cauliflower

Tarragon Chickpea Salad with Riced Broccoli and Cauliflower

A few years ago, I was fortunate enough to meet Dr. Michael Greger, MD, at a conference here in St. Louis. I had read his book, “How Not to Die,” and was delighted to hear him speak. One of the biggest takeaways was learning about a sulfur-rich compound called sulforaphane. Found in certain cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage, sulforaphane is a powerful antioxidant that cancels out free radicals in the body and protects your DNA. 

Plant-based Summit 2018

It has also been shown to reduce certain toxins, reduce inflammation, and provide protection from cancer, specifically breast cancer stem cells. It also protects against blood vessel damage in people with diabetes and lowers the levels of fat found in our blood. 

The thing about sulforaphane is that it must be developed before being eaten. The easiest way to do that is to cut up your broccoli and let it sit for at least a half-hour before eating.

Chopping and exposing broccoli to the air allows it to activate the enzyme to promote sulforaphane. And if you’re not used to getting a lot of fiber in your diet, cutting up the broccoli and cauliflower makes it a bit easier to digest!

This dish is best served cold. It can easily be made the day before and it holds up quite well!  It would also be a perfect dish for your Memorial Day weekend! As always tag me and let me know how you liked it!

XO,

Steph

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Tarragon Chickpea Salad with Riced Broccoli and Cauliflower

  • Author: Stephanie Bosch
  • Prep Time: 30
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings 1x

Description

Rich in antioxidants, fiber, and flavor, this salad is a delicious way to get all of your nutrients and would be the perfect item to bring to a summer gathering!


Ingredients

Scale

Ingredients

Salad:

  • 12 ounces small broccoli florets (about 5 cups)
  • 6 ounces cauliflower florets
  • 2 (14 oz.) cans chickpeas, drained & rinsed
  • 1/2 cup soaked cashews, drained or rinsed (or boiled for 10 minutes and rinsed) See Note
  • 1 large yellow bell pepper, diced
  • 1 large tomato, seeded and diced
  • 1 zucchini, diced
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 ripe avocado, diced
  • 3 tablespoons hemp seeds
  • 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
  • 3 large fresh tarragon leaves, minced 
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, minced

Dressing

  • 1 ripe avocado, seeded and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
  • 1/2 zucchini, diced
  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
  • 1/2 tsp dried tarragon (optional, but recommended)
  • 1 tsp salt and pepper 

Instructions

Dressing:

  1. Make the dressing first and refrigerate. 
  2. Soak cashews overnight or boil for 10 minutes to soften. Drain and rinse.
  3. Add all ingredients, including cashews, to a blender and mix well. If the dressing is too thick, you can add about 2 tablespoons of water at a time until it thins to your preference.   Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.

Salad:

  1. Divide broccoli in half, and pulse each half until broccoli resembles small rice grains. Note –  you do not want to pulse it all at once because you risk turning some of your broccoli into a paste.
  2. Repeat with cauliflower.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, add broccoli, cauliflower, and tarragon.  Mix well. Add remaining ingredients and stir well.   Add dressing, mixing well—taste for seasoning. Adjust if necessary.   

This dish is best served cold. The dressing or the entire salad can easily be made the day before.  Don’t worry about the vegetables softening. It holds up quite nicely!  


Notes

Cashews need to be softened.  You can either soak them overnight or boil them on the stovetop for about 10 minutes or until cashews float to the top of the water.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 cup

 

 

Coriander Sweet Potato Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette and Pomegranate

Coriander Sweet Potato Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette and Pomegranate

A few weeks ago, I was on the hunt for a pretty serving bowl. I wanted something classic. Something that looked old but didn’t have to be old, with good color and lines. I found one at Williams Sonoma and immediately went to work on creating a colorful salad to put in it!

I don’t know about you, but I love a good salad. I also have a thing for sweet potatoes. Truthfully, I have a “thing” for all potatoes, but sweet potatoes are my favorite. Baked, roasted, mashed, or fried, the potato is a quintessential vegetable.

I wanted to make the salad part savory, party sweet, partly cooked, and part raw. This Coriander Sweet Potato Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette and Pomegranate is all that! It’s loaded with nutrients, flavor, and texture. It’s also beautiful and ready to serve in just 30 minutes!  Let me know how you like it!

P.s. I also doubled the vinaigrette dressing to use for a later date.

Stay Warm.

XO,
Steph

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Coriander Sweet Potato Salad with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette and Pomegranate

  • Author: Stephanie Bosch
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Cook Time: 30
  • Total Time: 30
  • Yield: 4 Servings 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Easy and delicious this salad is almost too pretty to eat!


Ingredients

Scale

Salad:

  • 2 sweet potatoes, cleaned and quartered lengthwise (don’t worry about peeling)
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon dried coriander
  • 10 oz mixed greens (I used spring mix)
  • 1 pomegranate, cut and arils removed; as set aside
  • 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds (can use roasted/salted, if need be)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, stemmed
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, minced
  • Vegan feta (I like Violife), crumbled

Dressing:

  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh minced thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 1 teaspoon dried coriander
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Toss potatoes in olive oil and sprinkle with coriander.
  3. Add potatoes to a parchment-lined baking sheet, roast for 30 minutes, turning potatoes once after 15 minutes.
  4. While potatoes are roasting, whisk maple syrup, mustard, cider vinegar, shallot, garlic, herbs, and spices in a large bowl. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until the vinaigrette emulsifies and thickens.
  5. When potatoes are done, remove them from the oven and set them aside to cool. Cut each potato quarter in half when they have cooled enough to touch.
  6. In a medium-size serving bowl, layer the salad. Add a handful of mixed greens and 1/4th of potatoes. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons vinaigrette, 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds, 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, 2 tablespoons feta, 2 tablespoons arils, 1 tablespoon cilantro. Continue to layer this way until all potatoes have been used.
  7. Divide equally among 4 bowls.
  8. Enjoy!

Notes

Look for a firm pomegranate. I like to cut my pomegranates in half, and in a bowl half full of water, pull the pomegranate apart by hand, removing all of the arils. Once I have them removed, I dispose of any large pieces of the pith (the spongy white tissue lining) and rapidly stir the arils by hand to remove any additional pieces of pith that may still be attached.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 4

Keywords: Vegan Salad, Sweet Potato Salad

A

Shaved Fennel Salad with Asian Pear and Pomegranate

The salad is almost too pretty to eat. Every time I make it, I just want to stare at it or take pictures of it.

Not only does it come together quickly, but it is also very hearty and satisfying. The creamy plant-based goat cheese alone is to die for! Trust me. This salad could be a meal in itself. As for the pomegranate, I prefer to clean my own. It’s a task that my youngest daughter has taken over. She finds it deeply satisfying to pull out every last aril!

I like the arugula and pomegranate for color, but you can use various fruits and greens to achieve your Christmas colors. My favorite addition to the salad, and one that I would not skip, is the fresh dill weed. No matter the toppings used, the dill brings it together!

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Shaved Fennel Salad with Asian Pear and Pomegranate

  • Author: Stephanie Bosch

Description

Easy to assemble, this salad will not only be a delectable accompaniment to your holiday meal; it will also serve as a perfect floral centerpiece!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 cups arugula
  • 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced (fronds may be saved for salad garnish)
  • 2 small Asian pears, or 1 large pear, sliced length-wise
  • 1/2 cup herbed vegan goat cheese
  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • Arils (seeds)  from 1 pomegranate
  • 6 fronds of dill, stemmed
  • 1 Tablespoons pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 small red onion, sliced thin, halved

Dressing:

  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon ginger, minced
  • 1 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon coconut nectar (can also use maple syrup)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

 

  1. For the dressing: Gently whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until combined.  Season to taste, and add extra sweetener, vinegar or lemon juice as needed.
  2. Arrange the arugula, on a medium sized platter or large flat bottomed bowl.  Add the fennel, red onion, and pears.  Sprinkle with pecans, pumpkin seeds, and arils.  
  3. Top salad with dill fronds.  
  4. When ready to serve, drizzle with ginger dressing.  
  5. Serve and enjoy! 

Continue reading “Shaved Fennel Salad with Asian Pear and Pomegranate”

Beetroot Salad with Cilantro & Cumin

Beetroot Salad with Cilantro & Cumin

When I was a kid, I wouldn’t say I liked beets. As an adult, I was determined to make nice. And I’m so glad I did. They are not only delicious, but they are also super healthy. Rich in folate (Vitamin B9), they help the body make red blood cells. Like Anthocyanins in red grapes and Beta Carotene in carrots, beets contain Betalains which are unique nitrogen-containing pigments and are cancer and heart protective.

This recipe makes a great salad year-round! It makes a lovely addition to a holiday table, and it’s a delicious and easy salad to make in the summer. I PROCESS MY BEETS IN THE PRESSURE COOKER because I’m not particularly eager to turn on the oven in the summer. But you can use an oven just the same. Typically, I don’t boil them because they lose their deep red color. If you choose to boil them, leave about one inch of stem intact to help minimize color loss while cooking,

If you want to really jazz it up you can use half red and half golden beets.  It is also yummy with chopped pistachios and vegan feta!

If you make the salad, tag me let me know how you liked it!

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Beetroot Salad with Cumin & Cilantro

  • Author: Stephanie Bosch

Description

Easy year-round salad, everyone is sure to love!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 5 medium red beets
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Juice of 1 orange
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup fresh minced cilantro

Instructions

If using an oven:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet parchment paper.
  2. Clean the trimmed beets and place on the baking sheet. Roast for one hour, or until fork tender. Cool, peel, and cut into small diced pieces.

If using a pressure cooker:

  1. Add 2 cups water and cleaned, stemmed beets to pressure cooker.  Cook on high for 7 minutes.
  2. Cool, peel, and cut into small diced pieces.
  3. To make the vinaigrette, puree one of the cooked beets in a blender or food processor with all remaining ingredients, except the cilantro.
  4. Before serving, toss the beets with vinaigrette. Adjust seasonings to taste and garnish with cilantro.
  5. Serve warm or cold.

 

Creamy Agave Poppyseed Dressing

Creamy Agave Poppyseed Dressing

The other night I took my eight-year-old daughter out to dinner at a famous sit-down restaurant. We were super hungry and thought about getting an appetizer, but there was nothing under 900 calories! So we opted to have a side salad. We got it with no cheese (for the love of Pete, stopping putting cheddar cheese on a salad), but the dressing she chose had honey and eggs. She loved it and asked if we could make some at home. To please my veggie-loving baby, I got straight to work.

I found a copycat recipe and worked off of that. WOW, there was a lot of sugar and oil in that bad boy! I mean, aren’t salads supposed to be healthy? I kicked out four tablespoons of sugar and two tablespoons of unnecessary vegetable oil. This recipe is yummy. If you’re oil-free, you will want to skip this one, but you could easily sub a plain vegan yogurt. If you do this, cut the milk. Otherwise, your dressing will be too runny.

Agave nectar was an excellent choice to replace sugar and honey. It is four times sweeter than regular table sugar, but it is low on the glycemic index. Frankly, you could even start with two tablespoons of nectar and add more to suit your taste. Coming in at 100 calories per serving, this dressing is a keeper!  I used it in a kale salad with strawberries and caramelized rhubarb, and it was divine!

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Creamy Agave Poppyseed Dressing

  • Author: Stephanie Bosch
  • Prep Time: 5
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 10 1x
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Sweet and tangy, this creamy dressing comes together quickly and easily!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/3 cups vegan mayonnaise
  • 1/3 cup agave nectar
  • 3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons plant-based milk 
  • 1 1tablespoons poppy seeds

Instructions

  1. In a medium bowl combine mayo and agave nectar.
  2. Add mustard, vinegar, and poppyseeds.
  3. Add milk and stir.
  4. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.  Keeps for 7 days.

Keywords: Vegan Poppyseed Dressing

 

Kale Quinoa Bowl with Maple Sriracha Tofu

Kale Quinoa Bowl with Maple Sriracha Tofu

This bowl is easy and delicious! And as with most bowls, You can make it in a variety of ways. I loved the tofu in this one and made a little extra to nosh on later! This recipe is an adaptation of a New York Times recipe, and the only thing I swapped was the honey for the agave nectar. I know some vegans who still eat honey, but I prefer to leave my bee friends alone! I also cut the oil by 2/3, mixed the sriracha and honey to make a glaze, and then tossed in the tofu.

This flavor bomb that can be ready in under 20 minutes! Great for a quick and hearty meal! Enjoy!

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Kale Quinoa Bowl with Maple Sriracha Tofu

  • Author: Adapted from the New York Times by Stephanie Bosch

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 ½ tablespoons white miso
  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
  • 1 tablespoon sriracha, plus more for drizzling
  • 1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely julienned or grated
  • 1 small bunch curly kale, ribs removed, leaves chopped (about 4 packed cups)
  • 1 (14-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons Agave nectar, or maple syrup, for serving

Instructions

  1. In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa with 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and cook over medium-low until the water is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff it with a fork.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, miso, mirin, sesame oil, 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil and 1/2 teaspoon sriracha. Stir in the ginger.
  3. Add the kale, massage it with the dressing and set aside to marinate. Spoon the cooked quinoa onto the kale and toss to coat.
  4. In a nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil over medium. When the oil shimmers, cook the tofu, turning occasionally, until crisp on all sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess oil.
  5. In a medium-size bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of agave nectar and 1 tablespoon of sriracha together until combine.   Add tofu and coat well.  
  6. Toss tofu over the kale salad.