• Education ➜
• Nutrition ➜

Recipes from the June 2015 Newsletter

Cathy Fisher: Cathy Fisher is the creator of StraightUpFood.com, a blog that offers recipes and information on how to eat a health-promoting, plant-based (vegan) diet. Cathy’s education and experience are grounded in her work with the McDougall Program (2006 to present) and TrueNorth Health Center (2010 to present), where she regularly teaches cooking classes to in-patient clients. Cathy graduated with her BA in Psychology, going on to earn a credential in Early Childhood Education and a certification in Nutrition Education. Cathy enjoys presenting to groups and giving people the practical skills they need to successfully shift to a healthier diet.

Spinach-Mango Salad

This light, colorful, and fruity spinach salad is a refreshing alternative to everyday green salads. It calls for fresh fennel, which can be found at most grocery stores. It has a light licorice taste that is wonderful with the mango and lime juice.

4 cups (packed) fresh spinach leaves
2 cups (packed) fresh arugula
1 mango, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 grapefruit, peeled and cut into sections
½ cup thinly sliced fresh fennel
1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil
1 avocado, chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon vinegar (I like apple cider or brown rice)
¼ cup lime juice (2 to 3 limes)

1. Thoroughly wash the spinach and arugula, pat dry, and place in a large bowl. (If you are not using baby spinach, the leaves may be larger and so you may want to coarsely chop it.)
2. Add the mango, grapefruit, fennel, cucumber, green onion, basil, and avocado (if using) to the bowl. Stir in the vinegar and lime juice.

Notes:

• Arugula is a peppery tasting salad green that can be found in bulk or bunches in most produce sections.
• If you cannot find fresh fennel, you may substitute with 2 ribs of celery.

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 0 minutes
Serves: 4

Caesar-y Salad

Caesar salad is traditionally made with many ingredients that are not particularly health-promoting, including eggs, cheese, oil, salt, anchovies, and oil-baked croutons. The recipe below goes to show you that you can still enjoy the tangy, sweet flavors of this beloved salad in good health.

For the dressing:
½ cup water
2½ ounces unsalted cashews (about ½ cup)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons mustard (I like Dijon or stoneground)
1 tablespoon raisins
1 medium clove garlic finely chopped (or ½ teaspoon granulated)
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs

For the salad:
1 large head romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped (about ¾ pound)
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 avocado, chopped (optional)
¼ cup unsalted cashews or walnuts for garnish (optional; see Notes)
Ground black pepper to taste

1. Place the dressing ingredients into a small bowl and set aside for at least 15 minutes (so the cashews can soften).
2. Place the lettuce, bell pepper, and avocado (if using) into a large salad bowl.
3. Transfer the dressing ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Pour half of the dressing over the salad and toss, adding more dressing to your taste (save any leftover dressing in the refrigerator for up to five days). Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.

Notes:

• To achieve a finely grated Parmesan cheese look, use a rotary cheese grater to add a dusting of walnuts or cashews to the top of each salad.
• When tomatoes are in season I will often use 2 cups of halved cherry tomatoes instead of the red bell pepper.

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 0 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6 (makes 1 cup dressing and 9 cups salad)

4-Bean Salad

In addition to beans, this salad contains corn, green peas, and red onion. The dressing is tangy and mildly spicy due to the cumin, garlic, and mustard. This is a colorful, hearty salad perfect for any of the three P’s: potlucks, parties, and picnics!

For the salad:
2 cans (15 ounces each) cooked green beans, drained, or 3 cups fresh cut into 1-inch pieces and boiled until tender
1 can (15 ounces) cooked black beans, drained and rinsed, or 1½ cups
1 can (15 ounces) cooked kidney beans, drained and rinsed, or 1½ cups
1 can (15 ounces) cooked garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed, or 1½ cups
1½ cups cooked green peas (rinse and thaw first if frozen)
1½ cups raw or cooked corn kernels (rinse and thaw first if frozen)
½ medium onion, finely chopped

For the dressing:
1 medium tomato, chopped (including seeds)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons mustard
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin

1. Add all of the salad ingredients to a large bowl.
2. Add all of the dressing ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth. Stir the dressing into the bowl of salad ingredients.

Notes:

• A little finely chopped fresh parsley or basil is also nice in this salad.
• If you’re feeling decadent, add ½ to 1 avocado, chopped.

Preparation: 30 minutes
Cooking: 0 minutes
Serves: 8 (makes 1 cup dressing and 9 cups salad)

Cabbage Salad with Mustard-Lime Dressing

This salad always gets rave reviews in my classes. The beans and thinly sliced cabbage create a hearty salad, and the dressing is simple yet flavorful.

For the salad:
4 cups thinly sliced cabbage
2 medium carrots, grated
1 can (15 ounces) cooked garbanzo beans (or 1½ cups), drained and rinsed
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 medium cucumber, peeled and sliced
2 ribs celery, chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh basil (about 20 leaves)
1 avocado, chopped (optional)

For the dressing:
¼ cup lime juice (2 to 3 limes)
2 tablespoons mustard (I like Dijon or stoneground)
1 medium garlic clove, minced

1. Add all salad ingredients—cabbage, carrots, beans, bell pepper, cucumber, celery, green onions, basil, and avocado (if using)—to a large bowl.
2. Blend the dressing ingredients in a blender. Stir the dressing into the bowl of salad ingredients.

Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking: 0 minutes
Serves: 4 to 6

Fruit Salad with Fresh Mint

If you’ve never had fresh mint in your fruit salad, you are in for a treat! This is the recipe I use at home, as it makes about 5 cups, but if I’m going to a potluck or picnic, I will double it.

1 cup cubed watermelon
1 apple, cored and chopped (peeled or unpeeled)
1 orange, peeled and chopped (remove any seeds)
1 cup blueberries
1 cup sliced strawberries (about 6 medium)
1 peach or nectarine, pitted and chopped
1 large kiwifruit, peeled and chopped
1½ teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 0 minutes
Serves: 2 to 4 (makes 5 cups)

Baked Oatmeal with Apples and Raisins

Baked oatmeal is delicious for breakfast or as a snack bar when cooled. Baking oatmeal results in a spongy texture, much like bread pudding. It’s easy to make and customize with your favorite fruit and spices.

2½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1¾ cups nondairy milk (plus more, for serving)
1 large apple, cored and chopped into small pieces (peeled or unpeeled)
½ cup raisins
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl.
2. Spread evenly into an 8×8-inch baking pan, and bake uncovered for 30 minutes until lightly browned.
3. To serve for breakfast, spoon into bowls with a little nondairy milk. To serve as snack bars, allow to cool completely before cutting into 16 squares.

Notes:

• Instead of apple, try a banana, a pear, or a cup of pineapple, raspberries, strawberries, and/or blueberries.
• To further sweeten this dish, place 2 ounces of pitted and quartered dates (about 3 Medjool or 6 Deglet Noor) into a blender with the nondairy milk, and let stand at least 15 minutes (so the dates can soften). Blend the dates and milk before adding to the remaining ingredients.
• A favorite variation of mine is to blend in the following with the nondairy milk: 1½ cups of sliced strawberries, ¼ teaspoon of ground cardamom, and 2 ounces of pitted and quartered dates (about 3 Medjool or 6 Deglet Noor) instead of the apple, raisins and nutmeg.

Preparation: 10 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Serves: 4 (or makes 16 snack bars)