Category Archives: Raw

Vicki’s Rockin’ Raw Broccoli Salad

Posted on August 2, 2013 | Leave a comment

photo (8)photo (12) photo (13) photo (11)

Hummingbirds swarming feeders

Hummingbirds swarming feeders

finished product with nuts and avocado

finished product with nuts and avocado

I am always so happy when a reader submits a recipe to me . If the recipe appeals to me  I will try and  make the recipes as soon as I can from when I receive them which isn’t always easy. I did make this one and lost some of my photos on my camera. and had to make it again and re-do the photos which ended up OK because this is such a delicious healthy salad choice I was happy to eat it again.  This one comes from Vicki and I want to thank her so very much for this delicious raw salad. Super healthy and tasty. While it might not be for everyone ( Joel ) I really enjoyed it. This was how I did it. And again thanks Vicki and keep Cooking with Candi. This also couldn’t be any easier,  I put the whole salad together in 15 minutes from start to finish. Now that’s a salad you can get behind.

Ingredients:

1 head of broccoli, chopped or thinly sliced ( I used my food processor but you can do by hand and just chop small thin pieces )

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. sherry vinegar

1 heaping tbsp. stone ground mustard

1 scooped out avocado , cut into chunks

1 handful chopped raw almonds ( Vicki leaves her almonds whole and just throws them into salad, whichever you prefer)

Directions:

I used about 3/4 of a head of broccoli this particular head of broccoli seemed super huge, I think ordinarily you would use 1 whole head .  I chopped it in my food processor. In a separate bowl I whisked together the oil, vinegar and mustard. Pour the dressing over the broccoli, and right before serving add the chunks of avocado and chopped nuts , mix and serve.

*this was very tasty when dressing sat on broccoli and had time to seep in . I would add dressing at least an hour before serving. Then right before serving add avocado . If time allows, if not it was just fine.

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Broccoli Slaw and Bowties — Vegan Style

Posted on June 26, 2013 | 5 comments

DSCN0239DSCN0243DSCN0247DSCN0241DSCN0261My new obsession seems to be this broccoli slaw. It is so easy to use, has a lot of crunch and tastes delicious in different ways with different dressings. This one is super easy to put together, and I used Vegenaise but you can clearly use Mayonnaise if you don’t care , either or. Ingredients are easy to obtain in almost any supermarket today. I used 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne and it had a bit of kick, if you don’t like the kick take it down a notch or omit it entirely and it will be just fine. This is a great raw summer slaw/pasta salad packing nutrients, crunch and sugar and spice. I used about 6 oz. of farfalle ( bowtie pasta) and again you could probably make this and leave out the pasta entirely if that’s the way you’d like it. I would then double the slaw. I bought the broccoli slaw in a 12oz. bag.

I love this salad. We ate it with my Lemon grilled chicken breasts for dinner

*easily serves 6 – 8 as a side dish and easily doubled

Ingredients:

6 – 8 oz. of farfalle noodles ( bowtie)

1 bag of broccoli slaw ( mine was 12 oz. use up to 16 oz.)

1 cup sunflower nuts ( roasted and unsalted) you don’t need extra salt or slivered almonds would be nice

1 cup dried craisins ( you can use raisins, cherries or whatever dried fruit you prefer)

1/2 cup 2% plain greek yogurt – Fage is perfect

1/4 cup Vegenaise or mayonnaise

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar ( you need to neutralize the acid in vinegar)

*1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper ( use at your own discretion) you know we love it spicy

app. 1/2 tsp. kosher salt and a few grinds of the black pepper mill — use a little at a time, and taste.

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions for al dente. Cool.

I put broccoli slaw, nuts and dried craisins in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, I whisked together the yogurt, vegenaise, cider vinegar, sugar, cayenne pepper and salt and pepper. I tasted dressing for salt and pepper, adjusted accordingly and ended up adding a little more salt, bringing the salt to the 1/2 tsp. I started with 1/4 teaspoon. Remember you can always add salt but you really cannot take it away, so be mindful.

Add bowties to slaw, and add the dressing and stir to combine. Taste for salt and pepper again. I didn’t add any this time around.

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Michele’s Ramon Noodle Salad – Perfect Summer Salad

Posted on June 15, 2013 | 1 comment

photoI have already posted my version of a Napa Noodle Salad, which we all love and totally enjoy all summer long. Here is a new spin on it. We went to our friend’s house for dinner and Michele served this delicious noodle salad with just a little bit of a difference from mine but different and delicious enough that it’s worth the post for sure. So whether you love the other one or never even tried it this one is definitely worthy and will be a part of my Summer Salad Repertoire.  Michele is a wonderful entertainer and she did an amazing job that night and my parting gift was this recipe. Thanks again Michele! And by the way Joel loved it, and it contains Broccoli Slaw!!!! this was a major shock for sure. Maybe the tide is turning? This is not vegetarian but my Napa Noodle Salad is so just substitute that dressing. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 cup of olive oil ( you can use a little less)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 – 3 packages slaw of any style or mix. Michele used 2 12 oz. bags broccoli slaw and one bag regular cole slaw (these bags of slaw are available in almost every supermarket now in the lettuce section) 3 bags will serve 12 nicely and there is enough dressing for 3 .

2 packages beef flavored Ramon noodle soup mix ( I know this is a bummer for the vegetarians out there)

1/2 cup sunflower seed kernels

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 tbsp. soy sauce

Directions:

Prepare dressing by combining oil, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and two flavor packets from soup mix. Whisk well and chill. Make the dressing early in the day and whisk it a few times throughout the day.

Before you’re ready to serve , crush the ramen noodles. Then combine slaws, seeds, almonds, and noodles.

Dress salad 10 minutes before serving. Put together the salad right before serving so everything stays crunchy.   Enjoy!

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Avocado Salad with Corn and Tomatoes and Lots of Good Stuff – Vegan

Posted on June 13, 2013 | 3 comments

DSCN0190 DSCN0195 DSCN0194 DSCN0199Most perfect summer salad and it is a vegetarian delight. totally vegan. I am not a vegan so I was grilling steaks for dinner and wanted to do a cold salad on the side. I had 2 beautiful ripe avocados on hand and all the ingredients for this yummy salad.  I had some fresh corn so I just brought the water to a boil threw it in and when it turned yellow took it out and threw it in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.   Of course I love  jalapenos , use your own discretion and this would be amazing without as well but it was kick ass with them.  You can make the salad ahead and let juices meld but don’t add the avocados till you’re ready to serve.  You can give them a little squeeze of fresh lime juice so they won’t turn brown so fast.  I like to serve salad at room temperature, you just don’t get the flavors when it’s too cold. It will keep in fridge for a few days, but you’ll have to take out the leftover avocado since it will turn brown. I cut this salad in 1/2 for the 2 of us. This easily will serve 6 as a side. By the way Joel took a bite but too much healthy stuff going on in here for his liking, although he’s gotten better he’s not quite up to this yet, it’s OK because there was more for me with leftovers.

I was inspired for this recipe from the Barefoot Contessa recipe for Guacamole Salad. The corn was my idea.

Ingredients:

2 cobs of fresh corn ( cook and then shuck corn off the cob) if no fresh corn available use frozen . I use frozen when I have to and 1 small bag is usually sufficient. The frozen corn will defrost very quickly so just take it out and when you mix in with other ingredients it will start to completely thaw by the time you’re ready to serve. You want to serve at room temperature anyway.

1 pint grape tomatoes , halved

1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced into small pieces ( app. 1/2 “)

1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup small diced red onion

2 tablespoons minced fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded ( app. 2 small jalapenos) use at your own discretion . Remove Seeds

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice ( 2 limes)

1/4 cup good olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled and cut into small cubes.

Directions:

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, garlic and cayenne pepper. Pour over the vegetables. Toss well. In the meanwhile cook the corn , bring water to a boil throw in for a few minutes to turn bright yellow, then I throw in a bowl of ice water for a few minutes to stop the cooking and lock in flavor and color. Then remove corn from cob. I let the salad sit for about an hour before adding avocados into the salad. Just fold avocados into the salad when you’re ready to serve. Check for seasoning and serve at room temperature.

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Posted in Healthy Cooking with Candi, Raw, Salad, salad dressing, sides, vegan, vegetables, vegetarian

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Roasted Asparagus with Simple Lemon Vinaigrette- Springtime is here

Posted on April 8, 2013 | 2 comments

photoI wish it were warmer but I can feel it coming, any day now . If you read my blog you know how very much I love asparagus and I am always looking for new things to do with it. Love the woody fresh flavor they bring with them. Asparagus may be a year round presence these days, but the “real” deal appears each and every spring. It’s only for a few months that we’ll have these beautiful spears. I love them barely cooked with a simple delicious vinaigrette, love them in an omelette, salads, pastas and just plain roasted . Just don’t overcook them, that’s sad , they go limp and stringy and just plain old bad. I love them just cooked and thrown into my Quinoa Salad. Just throw them into a pot of boiling salted water for a minute till they turn bright green, remove and cool down and mix in with the quinoa for a delicious addition.  This recipe below is to roast asparagus in the oven and top it with this simple lemon vinaigrette. It stands on its own as a side dish or you can add it to any salad.

Ingredients:

3/4 – 1 lb. fresh asparagus, remove woody stems and if they’re very thick take a vegetable peeler to them. I usually just break off the bottoms where they will just snap off when you bend them, or use a knife.

olive oil ( a good glug)

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Vinaigrette:

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

*this can easily be doubled

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

Break off the ends of the asparagus and if they’re very thick, peel them a little bit with a vegetable peeler. Place the asparagus on a baking sheet, drizzle with a good glug of good olive oil, then toss to coat the asparagus completely. Spread the asparagus in a single layer and sprinkle liberally with Salt and Pepper. Roast the asparagus until tender but still firm and moist. About 20 – 25 minutes.

Make the vinaigrette: in a small bowl, vigorously whisk together the mustard and lemon juice. Slowly drizzle the olive oil in, whisking quickly so olive oil will emulsify into the juice mixture. Season with Salt and Pepper. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold. If you refrigerate, take out for about an hour so it’s not super cold when you serve.

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Tomato, Corn and Avocado Salsa

Posted on August 12, 2012 | 1 comment

Three of my favorite things in the world in one bowl! Tomato, corn and avocado! All I do is chop up some very ripe tomatoes, and combine with raw corn kernels, and diced avocado, some chopped up fresh cilantro , and fresh lime juice .(about juice of 1 lime)  I like to add a little heat so I put in some minced fresh jalapeno or minced serrano chile. Season with salt and pepper, and there you go a delicious fresh salsa perfect alongside any piece of fish, chicken or just for snacking with chips! Let it sit in lime juice for a bit before serving. Use as much or as little of any of the ingredients. What a perfect side dish, what a perfect fresh raw salsa to serve on chips!  The possibilities are endless here. It’s all fresh and raw and wonderful. Did I mention super easy?

*also a little trick to take corn off the cob is to use your bundt pan, put corn right in the center hole and using your knife cut down from the top, this will prevent corn from flying all over the place and all kernels will just fall directly into the bundt pan. Don’t waste your money on those other corn removal gadgets, they don’t work as well as this.

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Balsamic Syrup – Tomato Time

Posted on July 31, 2012 | 1 comment

The tomatoes are here,  I was at the farmer’s market in Basalt today and the heirlooms and beefsteaks are just starting to show up. I love love these tomatoes.  I bought these beauties today and am going to make a balsamic syrup (reduction) from just ordinary balsamic and drizzle it on my tomatoes .  This is the recipe ( super easy ) for balsamic syrup, I am well aware that you can buy this syrup, however there is no need to if you have a spare 1/2 hour and a bottle of balsamic vinegar. No excuse not to do it, I’m sure you all have some balsamic vinegar in the house, in the time it takes to slice a few tomatoes and cut up some basil you can have homemade balsamic syrup.  Hit the farmer’s market and grab some of these tomatoes . I am going to garnish with some of my home grown basil, and if you like feta or fresh mozzarella it would be amazing on this as well. I actually did sprinkle just a touch of crumbled feta cheese tonite. The balsamic was sweet and delicious, and gave a very sweet flavor to tomatoes and feta cheese and basil. Here’s the bonus, this delicious balsamic syrup will last indefinitely in an airtight container ( I use a mason jar), keep it in fridge and take out when you want to use it.

Balsamic Syrup:

1 1/2 cups balsamic vinegar

Bring the vinegar to a boil in a medium heavy saucepan over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until vinegar reduces by nearly 3/4 of its original volume and starts to thicken like a syrup, this should take anywhere between 20 – 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool completely before using.  This delicious syrup is great on crusty bread as well. Makes for an amazing dipping sauce.

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Kale and Quinoa Salad – Summer Salad Perfection

Posted on June 27, 2012 | 3 comments

I love Quinoa and I love Kale. I saw this recipe on Dana Slatkin’s Beverly Hills Farm Girl site,  it is a delicious healthy recipe which I highly recommend . I made a few changes in some of the ingredients I added. You can add or substitute to your heart’s content. I used her recipe for salad dressing, as I am always looking for new ways to re-invent the “wheel”. This dressing is very tasty and I highly recommend but any of the vinaigrettes that I have posted on here will do just fine. It is the summer , time to kick back and enjoy life. Part of enjoying life is eating, and eating well. I made this for dinner last night and even Joel took a taste, which is shocking. I don’t think it’s his favorite but it certainly is one of mine. It’s worth the effort and I plan on eating the leftovers today for lunch. So healthy! try it. Thanks Dana .

Ingredients:

Salad Ingredients:

1 bunch kale, chopped in food processor ( see picture) remove stems and I remove the ribs and just use the leaves. I used 2 bunches because I had 2 in the house. It was a lot of kale and increased the size of the salad by a lot.

chopped kale for salad

1 cucumber , I scoop out the seeds and dice it. You can use Kirby cukes  or Persians which have very few seeds.

1/2 container of Grape Tomatoes , cut up

1/2 – 1 cup Shaved Parmesan, if you don’t have shaved , grated will do just fine

1/2 cup toasted Pine Nuts , place in oven at 350 degrees for about 3 – 4 minutes.

1/2 – 1 cup dried cranberries, or dried cherries ( which I had and used) or just plain old raisins, I just like the color of the cranberries and cherries

2 cups Quinoa. While preparing Quinoa use equal amounts quinoa and water. I disregard box directions. I used 2 cups liquid ( water or broth) to 2 cups quinoa. It comes out dryer and not mushy at all.

Champgne Vinaigrette ( from the Beverly Hills Farmgirl)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon whole grain mustard

1/3 cup Champagne Vinegar

1 tablespoon Rice Wine Vinegar

1 teaspoon Honey

3/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Kosher Salt ( app. 1/4 teaspoon) taste for salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper, a few grinds to taste

I used a blender and threw all ingredients in and streamed the olive oil in until dressing was emulsified. Taste for Salt and Pepper.

In a large salad bowl toss the kale, quinoa, cheese, tomatoes , cukes, pine nuts and dried fruit of your choice. I made a few hours before serving, and used 1/2 of the vinaigrette and dressed at the table for those who preferred more or less dressing. Can definitley be made a few hours before serving, and I left it out at room temperature for about 2 hours.

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Asparagus with Arugula and Parmesan – Done Simply Raw

Posted on June 10, 2012 | Leave a comment

As you know, I am slightly in love with asparagus. Before the asparagus season ends, I highly recommend this salad. Once the early season goes, you can grill it, you can roast it,  you can douse it in dressings. But in this salad it’s used raw which is really ideal when the asparagus is sweet and fresh. Check out your local green market, and ask where the asparagus is from. I was able to obtain this asparagus at a local market which carried Long Island asparagus, and it was delicious.  Through most of the winter, asparagus comes from Peru; and there’s a lot of early spring asparagus from Mexico and Southern California. The green markets will have regional produce and it’s worth the trip. Just saying… If you don’t buy it at the market, that’s alright too–all asparagus is pretty decent now.  Enjoy this recipe. It couldn’t be simpler.

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. medium or large asparagus

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

nice sized bunch of arugula ( 6 – 8 oz) use as much or as little as you like

Chunk of parmesan cheese for shaving (with a vegetable peeler)

Directions:

Snap off and discard the tough ends of the asparagus. If you have a mandolin, a sharp vegetable peeler or thin bladed knife, use one of those tools to slice the asparagus as thinly as possible, like paper-thin ribbons. If you prefer, you can slice diagonally; just try to get the pieces as thin as possible, because you are not cooking them. So it’s all about thin slices. I used a vegetable peeler.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil to make a dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place the asparagus ribbons in a shallow salad bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper and coat with some of the dressing. Add the arugula, tossing gently to distribute the asparagus. Drizzle with the remaining dressing.

With a vegetable peeler, shave thin curls of Parmesan over the salad.

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Tomato Feta Salad

Posted on May 27, 2012 | 3 comments

I call this “summer salad” but it’s really a wonderful salad any time of year. I love the salty taste of feta with tomatoes, and a wonderful combination of Middle Eastern spices called Zahtar .DSCN3272

Try and find this wonderful blend of spices–it will add wonderful flavor to a very simple meal. I like this salad with avocado because I like everything with avocado. It’s optional, as are the olives. This is a beautiful salad served all year but there is something about it that shouts summer, BBQ, and warm nights. The tomatoes are so beautiful right now, especially the heirlooms in all those beautiful colors go and grab some from your local farmers market or road stand. Excuse the picture, it’s fuzzy but you get the picture. It’s a greek salad without the lettuce. A perfect side dish salad to go with any meal. Beautiful with a piece of grilled fish. Enjoy!

4 large tomatoes , try and go for those beautiful heirloom tomatoes or just some beautiful local ones. (about 1 1/4 lb.)

Za'atar Spice

Za’atar Spice

1/2 red onion

4 ounces (give or take) feta cheese (try to get as good a cheese as possible. I just crumble it up over the salad, but if you prefer cubes you can go that way)

Extra virgin olive oil

freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1/2 lemon should do it)

1 tablespoon Zahtar

slices of cucumber (I love the seedless persian ones but any kind will do)

1 avocado, sliced

fresh basil

black olives, pitted

Slice the tomatoes as thinly as you can and arrange on a large round serving platter in overlapping circles.

Put cheese over the tomatoes (this is why I crumble it or use a grater). I then drizzle olive oil over tomatoes generously but not too generously–probably about 1/2 tablespoon. I then place the avocado and cucumbers around the platter and add the black olives. Just make sure you get a drop of olive oil on all the tomatoes. Now, sprinkle the 1/2 lemon juice all over the salad. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Dust the tablespoon of Zahtar over the salad. You’re good to go. Have a wonderful weekend.

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