Chef Johan's Raw & Tasty

Archive for the ‘Salad’ Category

Tossed Crunchy Sweet and Sour Salad

I made this delicious salad  for quick dinner last night and it was just too good no to share.

Ingredients

1/3 head nappa cabbage, thinly sliced
1 bunch watercress , stemmed
1 bunch spinach leaves, stemmed and sliced
8 ounces mung bean sprouts
3 ounces snow peas, cut into strips lenghwise
4 red Thai or serrano chillies, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, pressed
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 tablespoons nama shoyu
4 tablespoons organic sucanat, (may substitute with other sweetener)
4 tablespoons canola oil

Garnish
4 green onions, cut into strips
1 handful fresh mint, cut into strips
1 handful fresh basil, cut into strips
1/4 cup jungle peanuts or your favorite nut, chopped coarsely

Method

Combine the first 11 ingredients in a large bowl and toss until ingredients are evenly mixed. Sprinkle with the herbs and nuts to garnish.
Servings: 6
Source: Adapted from World Food Cafe

Photo: Two Sisters, Two Suppers

I found this wonderfully delicious recipe for Sunflower Sprouts on Two Sisters, Two Suppers.  I leave out the cheese and use raw pecans to keep the recipe raw.  Click HERE to continue to the recipe.

This gorgeous salad from Whole Foods flourishes with an herbal boost from infused oil.

• 3 carrots grated (about 2 cups)
• 6 ounces sunflower sprouts (about 3 cups)
• 1 small head radicchio, chopped
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 to 3 tablespoons Basil and Green Peppercorn Oil

Ingredients

• 1 cup sunflower sprouts (or sprout mix)
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup macadamia cream*
• 1 tablespoons tomato powder
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dill weed (or other spice of choice)
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• salt
• pepper
• 1 tomato, diced

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Sprinkle diced tomato on top.
3. and serve.

*For macadamia cream: Put 1/2 cup of macadamia nuts, 1 cup of water, 1 tbsp lemon Juice, 1 tsp salt in a high speed blender such as the Vita-Mix, and blend until the consistency of cream.  Add water if needed, it will set thicker once it’s refrigerated.

Salad:

1/2 bunch kale

2 cups sunflower sprouts

1/4 c black olives, pitted

Dressing:

pinch thyme

1-2 T sunflower, flax, or olive oil

1-2 tsp ume vinegar* or lemon juice

fresh cracked pepper

Optional: garnish raw sunflower seeds

Directions:

1. Wash kale well.  Cut out the rib from each leaf, then coarsely chop leaves.  Place chopped kale in large bowl, add a pinch of salt and massage the kale until leaves are soft and bright green.
2. Cut sunflower sprouts from tray and wash.  If they are long, cut sprouts in half.
3. If desired, slice olives.
4. In small bowl, whisk together oil, ume vinegar/lemon juice, and thyme until well mixed.
5. Arrange kale, sprouts, and olives in 1 large serving bowl or in 2 smaller bowls.  Drizzle dressing over salad, and sprinkle on fresh cracked pepper.  Garnish with sunflower seeds, if desired.

Photo by Johan Everstijn

Sunflower sprouts are great!  Tasty and nutritious, Sunflower Sprouts can be grown anywhere, small patio, balcony, even your kitchen!  OK,  I planted way too many this week and they just keep on coming, so this week as I search for new and creative recipes so I can use my little sprouties, I will be posting them here!

To learn more about the nutritional properties of sprouts, click HERE.

How to Grow Sunflower Sprouts

Supplies- you will need a couple of nursery trays (with holes), organic dirt, raw sunflower seeds (available at health food, pet, and grocery stores near you).

To grow the sprouts- soak about a cup to 1 1/2 cup (depends on the size of  your tray) of the sunflower seeds overnight, spread about an inch of organic dirt inside of a nursery tray.  spread the soaked seeds evenly on top of the dirt.  Water twice a day.  Sprouts will be ready in 5 to 7 days (when they look like the picture on the right, they are ready).   Harvest the sprouts by cutting them close to the dirt.  Use the stems with the leaves only, not the roots.

Daikon and Sunflower Sprout Salad

The first recipe I found was from Savour for a Daikon and Sunflower Sprout Salad, doesn’t it sound great?

Click HERE to go to the recipe.

Here’s a tasty Kale Salad Recipe,– the cheese is optional.

Ingredients

1 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 celery stalk

1/8 medium onion

1/3 carrot

2 tbsp minced fresh parsley

seasonings as desired

Directions

Soak the sunflower seeds for at least 1 hour until soft.  In food processor combine onion, celery, and carrot, and chop until fine.  Add the soaked sunflower seed, salt,  parsley, and any desired seasonings.  Process till finely chopped (do not over-process or the end result will be a pate which makes a great dip).  Serve by itself,  stuffed into a tomato, bell pepper, mushroom, or rolled in a lettuce leaf.