Waldorf Salad with Greek Yogurt Dressing
Makes 2 servings

¼ cup 2% Greek yogurt
2 tsp honey
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ tsp salt
1 large apple, cored and diced into small cubes
½ cup red grapes, sliced in half lengthwise
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced crosswise
½ head radicchio, cored and thinly sliced
¼ cup walnut pieces

In a small bowl combine the yogurt, honey and lemon juice. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl. Add the yogurt dressing and toss. Serve immediately or refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Nutrition Information per Serving:
Calories: 140kcal
Fat: 7g
Saturated fat: 1g
Sodium: 310mg
Carbs: 17g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 3g

Forbidden Rice Noodles with Scallions and Shiitakes

makes about 4 servings

8 oz package of Forbidden Rice Pad Thai Noodles
5 oz package sliced shiitake mushrooms (about 2 cups raw)
¾ cup sliced scallions
½ cup dressing (see full recipe from below)
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
2 tsp sliced fresno chili pepper

Dressing:
3 tbsp Coconut Aminos
2 tbsp unseasoned brown rice vinegar
1.5 tbsp sesame oil
0.75 tsp ground ginger
1.5 tbsp fresh lime juice (1 lime)

Nutrition Information per Serving:
Calories: 300kcal
Fat: 8g
Saturated fat: 1g
Sodium: 260mg
Carbs: 53g
Fiber: 5g
Protein: 5g

Ramps are wild leeks; their flavors are reminiscent of onion and garlic. Not only will these guys provide you with a burst of flavor, these leaves pack a nutritional punch.  They are loaded with Vitamin A, Vitamin C, selenium and chromium. Here are some recipes that use the leaves from these super-seasonal greens. At farmer’s markets, you may also find the bulbs which are amazing when sautéed and it can be used like garlic or scallions.  Next time you are in your neighborhood farmers market give ramp a try!

Ramp Pesto with Roasted Cauliflower

makes about 4 servings

Roasted Cauliflower
1 small head of cauliflower 
1 tbsp olive oil
⅛ tsp of salt

Ramp Pesto 
½ lb ramp leaves
¾ cup nutritional yeast
⅓ cup pine nuts
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
½ cup olive oil
¼ tsp of salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Chop up cauliflower into small florets.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Once oven is preheated, add cauliflower florets onto sheet pan lined with parchment paper and cook for 30 minutes, flipping the florets midway.

Meanwhile, in a food processor, add the ramp leaves, nutritional yeast, pine nuts, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Pulse mixture until it forms a puree.  Slowly pulse in olive oil, until it fully combine.

**** If you have ramp bulbs, you can chopped them up and sauteed in a skillet for 5-10 minutes and then added into your food processor.  They will add additional flavor. ****

To serve:

Add 1 cup roasted cauliflower with 1 tbsp of ramp pesto in skillet and mix until cauliflower florets are all coated. Optional: garnish with broccoli rabe flowers.

The leftover ramp pesto is extremely versatile and can be used like a sauce, spread, or even a dip.  You can spread it on a piece of toast, sauté it with your vegetables, add it to pasta...the possibilities are endless.

Nutritional Information per serving of Cauliflower with Pesto:
Calories: 110kcal
Fat: 8g
Saturated fat: 1g
Sodium: 100mg
Potassium: 430mg
Carbs: 8g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 4g

Nutritional Information per serving of 1 tbsp Ramp Pesto:
Calories: 45kcal
Fat: 4g
Saturated fat: 0g
Sodium: 20mg
Potassium: 30mg
Carbs: 2g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 1g

Farro Freekeh Chickpea Salad with Asparagus and Pickled Strawberries
Makes about 8 1-cup servings

Pickled strawberries
1 cup halved strawberries (150g)
½ cup white balsamic or champagne vinegar
¼ cup water
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp kosher salt

Combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a small pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. When sugar and salt are dissolved, remove from heat and pour over strawberries in heat proof bowl. Refrigerate uncovered until cool and then cover once cool.

Strawberry Vinaigrette
2 Tbsp strawberry pickling liquid
2 Tbsp white balsamic or champagne vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon (2 Tbsp)

Farro Freekeh Grain Salad
2 cups cooked farro
2 cups cooked freekeh
1 cup cooked chickpeas, no salt added
1 ½ cups blanched asparagus, cut into 1” pieces.
1 cup radish, sliced into matchsticks
½ cup basil chiffonade
½ cup diced drained pickled strawberries (from recipe above)
¾ cup shelled pistachios, unsalted, optional
¼ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp fine sea salt
Zest from 1 lemon
Vinaigrette (full recipe from above)
¾ cup crumbled feta

Add all ingredients to mixing bowl except for feta cheese and stir to combine. Top with crumbled feta cheese. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Nutritional Information per cup (with pistachios / without pistachios):
Calories: 260kcal / 330kcal
Fat: 11g / 17g
Saturated fat: 3g / 4g
Sodium: 260mg / 330mg
Potassium: 220mg / 260mg
Carbs: 33g / 36g
Fiber: 7g / 8g
Protein: 8g / 11g

This month, Kristy shares her take on Cauliflower Tabouleh, which features the flavors of a traditional tabouleh, with cauliflower in place of bulgur and dried apricots and raisins for an added surprise.

Cauliflower Tabouleh

Makes 4 servings (about 1 cup loosely packed per serving)

2 cups shaved raw cauliflower (AKA cauliflower “rice”)
¼ cup chopped dried apricots
¼ cup strained tea-soaked golden raisins (see recipe below)
¼ cup small diced red bell pepper
¼ cup minced red onion
¼ cup chopped mint
¼ cup chopped parsley
2 tbsp sliced kalamata olives
¼ cup toasted almonds  
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ tsp salt
1 tbsp lemon zest
Ground black pepper

Tea-Soaked Golden Raisins
½ cup brewed mint tea
¼ cup golden raisins

Brew tea and pour over raisins while hot. Let steep until raisins are plump and rehydrated (about 15 minutes).

For Tabouleh: Combine all ingredients above in large bowl.

Nutritional Information per serving:
Calories: 190kcal
Fat: 12g
Saturated fat: 1.5g
Sodium: 220mg
Potassium: 410mg
Carbs: 20g
Fiber: 4g
Protein: 4g

Tuna Salad with Chickpea “Mayo” 

Serves 4

Chickpea “Mayo”

1 15-oz can low sodium chickpeas, drain and reserve 1/3 cup of the liquid
1/3 cup reserved liquid from chickpeas
3 ½ tbsp lemon juice (approximately 1 small lemon)
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend on high speed into smooth puree.

Yields 1 ¾ cup

Note: you will not need all of this for the tuna salad so use leftover chickpea puree to make hummus! Just add some tahini, minced garlic, pinch of salt and additional lemon juice and olive oil to taste.

Tuna Salad with Chickpea “Mayo”

2 6-oz cans albacore tuna, no salt added, drained
¾ cup Chickpea “Mayo”
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp minced shallot
¼ cup chopped parsley
½ cup finely chopped celery
1/3 cup finely chopped radish
1/3 cup finely chopped carrot

Add tuna to large bowl and flake apart with fork. Add chickpea “mayo”, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, oregano, salt and pepper and mix well. Gently mix in remaining ingredients (shallot, parsley, celery, radish, and carrot) and stir until combined.

Nutritional Information per ¾ cup of tuna salad:
Calories: 230kcal
Fat: 10g
Saturated fat: 1.5g
Sodium: 300mg
Potassium: 290mg
Carbs: 9g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 3g
Protein: 24g

Makes 6 servings

Sautéed Brussels sprouts:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 pints Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced by hand or sliced in food processor
¼ tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 heaping cup breadcrumb mixture (full recipe from below)

Add oil to large saute pan and heat on high. When oil starts to shimmer (but before it smokes), add Brussels sprouts and season with salt.  Saute, stirring occasionally, until Brussels sprouts are cooked through and begin to caramelize. Transfer to serving dish and toss with lemon juice and breadcrumb mixture. Note: toss with breadcrumbs immediately before serving so that they do not become soggy.

Breadcrumb Mixture:
2 ½ tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup panko
¼ tsp kosher salt
½ cup chopped toasted pecans
Zest from ½ lemon (approximately 2 tsp)

Add oil to small saute pan and turn heat to medium. Add breadcrumbs and toast, stirring frequently to prevent from burning, until golden brown (should take about 5-10 minutes). Remove from heat and add salt, toasted pecans and lemon zest. Mix gently to combine and set aside.
 

Nutrition Information Per Serving:

Calories: 200kcal
Fat: 17g
Saturated Fat: 2g
Carbohydrates: 12g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 2g
Protein: 4g
Sodium: 130mg
Potassium: 270mg

Spaghetti Cuarzonara
Makes about 5 cups

Ingredients:
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ cups white onion, diced
1 - 2 tsp olive oil
5 whole cuarzo or zucchini squash, spiralized
6 oz chicken sausage links
4-6 oz 2% plain Greek yogurt
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, depending on desired spice level
6 basil leaves, chiffonade
Juice from 1 lemon (about 2 tbsp)

Directions:

1. Spiralize the squash. Pat dry and set aside.
2. Heat a grill top, cast iron skillet or sauté pan. Cut sausage in half horizontally. Cook about 4 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside.
3. Sauté garlic and onions in olive oil in a sauté pan until translucent and light brown. Cut each sausage half again horizontally and dice. Add sausage to garlic and onions. Add lemon, red pepper flake and black pepper. Toss to combine and cook for just a minute or two.
4. Add squash to pan and toss together, cook for about 6 minutes. Be careful not to add salt as it will become too wet.
5. Remove from heat; allow to cool a little bit. Drain, if needed.
6. Add Greek yogurt, nutritional yeast and basil. Toss together. Season with salt, if needed.
7. For best product, eat right away. The longer the squash sits, the more water will be released.

This dish is versatil and can be modifed with optional additions such as:

• Sun-dried tomatoes
• Sautéed mushrooms
• Blend with spiralized carrot

Nutritional Information (per cup):
Calories: 140kcal
Fat: 4g
Saturated fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 25mg
Sodium: 380mg
Potassium: 610mg
Carbs: 15g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 8g
Protein: 13g

Many of you may have these spices already in your pantry but for those of you who may not want to buy a lot at once, there are now companies out there selling smaller amounts and even offering monthly subscription services to try different spice blends. One that we think is pretty cool that actually inspired us to create this recipe is Raw Spice Bar and there are others as well, such as Spice Madam and The Spicery.

Winter Salad with Roasted Cauliflower, Pomegranate and Fennel

Makes 4 servings

Spice Roasted Cauliflower
5 cups bite-size cauliflower florets
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ tsp salt
1 tsp coarsely ground caraway
1 tsp coarsely ground fennel seed
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400F. Toss cauliflower florets with olive oil, salt and spices and spread into an even layer on a rack on a baking sheet. Roast at 400F for 20 minutes or until cauliflower browns. Set aside.

Lemon Vinaigrette
1 Tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp whole grain mustard
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground coriander
¼ tsp ground cumin

Whisk together all of the ingredients above until emulsified.

Winter Salad
4 cups baby arugula
1/3 cup picked parsley leaves
1 packed cup thinly sliced fennel
Black pepper to taste
¼ cup Lemon Vinaigrette (full recipe above)
3 cups Roasted Cauliflower (full recipe above)
¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
½ cup pomegranate seeds
Fleur de sel to taste

Gently toss all of the ingredients above and divide into 4 salad bowls. Note: arugula will wilt quickly so toss with dressing and salt immediately before serving.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:

Calories: 250kcal
Fat: 20g
Saturated Fat: 2.5g
Carbohydrates: 15g
Fiber: 6g
Sugar: 7g
Protein: 5g
Sodium: 410mg
Potassium: 690mg

Hearty Three Grain Salad with Carrots, Apples and Greens

Makes about 6 cups

Ingredients for grain salad:
½ cup raw sorghum (makes about 1 ½ cups)
1/3 cup raw black rice (makes about 1 cup)
½ cup raw quinoa (makes about 1 ½ cups)
1 ½ tsp kosher salt for water
2 large carrots, chopped
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
½ tsp fresh thyme, chopped
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
2 cups rainbow chard, chiffonade and blanched
1-2 apples, small dice

Ingredients for grapefruit vinaigrette:
½ tbsp oregano, finely chopped
½ tbsp deli mustard
¼ cup fresh grapefruit juice
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
Zest of half a lime
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. Follow cooking instructions for sorghum, black rice and quinoa, separately, with ½ tsp salt per pot of boiling water. Spread carrots on a sheet tray with olive oil, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Bake for about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

While the grains are cooking, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Blanch greens in the water for about 1 minute. Remove and drop in a small bowl of ice water to retain the bright green color. Chop the apples and set aside. Chop the carrots and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl, combine chopped oregano, deli mustard, grapefruit juice, lime juice, lime zest, white wine vinegar, black pepper, and salt. Slowly whisk in olive oil until well combined.

While the grains continue to cook, prepare the dressing. When the grains are fully cooked, combine sorghum and quinoa with the carrots, apples and greens. Add the black rice at the end to avoid bleeding the color too much.

Add half the dressing, stir and taste. Continue to add the rest of the dressing, if needed.

Nutrition Info per 1/2 cup serving:

Calories: 150kcal
Fat: 7g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Carbohydrates: 21g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 3g
Protein: 3g
Sodium: 235mg