Tag Archives: Summertime

Mermaid Vibes Salad

Mermaid Vibes Gluten Free Salad

Get your mermaid tail ready and dig into this Mermaid Vibes Salad, because Summer is almost here!

This light and seasonal salad will delight your inner mermaid and free spirit without weighing you down!

Mermaid Vibes Salad

Ingredients:

1 Head of Living Butter Lettuce

1 Carrot, Sliced on the diagonal with a Mandolin slicer or thinly sliced

1/2 an English Cucumber, Sliced on a diagonal with a Mandolin or thinly sliced

1/2 a Chioggia Beet, peeled and shaved with a Mandolin or very thinly sliced

Broccoli Sprouts

Watercress

Avocado, sliced

Brown Rice Wraps

Seaweed Salad (Purchased or Use My Recipe Below)

Mermaid Dressing (Recipe Below)

Directions:

Whisk up your Mermaid Dressing and set aside.

Cut the Brown Rice Wraps into sixths and toast the wedges in the oven at 350º degrees F. until just crisp.

Take your prepared salad ingredients and lay two handfuls of roughly torn butter lettuce in the bottom of your dish. Now, artfully arrange your toppings, and drizzle with Mermaid Dressing. Dig in! This is a highly nutritious, light, and absolutely delicious salad!

Mermaid Dressing

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons of Full Fat Coconut Milk

2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon of White Balsamic Vinegar

1 Teaspoon of Raw Honey

1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Tumeric

1/4 Teaspoon of Ground Ginger

1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1 Pinch of White Pepper

Directions: Whisk Thoroughly. Refrigerate.

Seaweed Salad

1/2 of a 1.76 oz. package of Wakame Seaweed (like this)

3 Tablespoons of Rice Vinegar

3 Tablespoons of Coconut Aminos

2 Teaspoons of Raw Runny Honey

1 Tablespoon of Sesame Oil

1 Teaspoon of Freshly Grated Ginger Root

1/4 Cup of Finely Shredded Carrot

1/4 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

2 Scallions, Thinly Sliced

Directions: Briefly Rinse your Dried Wakame Seaweed. Then, soak it in a bowl of warm water for five minutes. While the seaweed is soaking, whisk together the rice vinegar, coconut aminos, honey, sesame oil, ginger root and salt. Stir in the carrots and scallions until blended. Pour over the seaweed and toss. Keep Refrigerated.

Mermaid Vibes Salad - For Your Inner Mermaid! Delicious Light Salad that is Gluten and Soy Free. Spa Quality and Healthy!

Orange Apple Pecan Cookout Salad

I am so excited that cookout season is here finally! Cold salads to serve alongside something on the grill lets me relax outside with a glass of something to sip beforehand, because the sides are prepared and marinating in the refrigerator.

Orange Apple Pecan Cookout Salad

Leafy green salads are great, but heartier salads to heap on your plate are filling and fun as well. I have a new recipe for you that is packed with vegetables and fruit with a sprinkling of crunchy pecans. You can make it up to two days in advance. It just gets better with time. One of the things I love about this salad is all the colors and the fresh tastes.

This is a robust side with healthy, grain free, nutrient rich carbohydrates. Here is what you will need!

Orange Apple Pecan Cookout Salad

Preheat the oven to 375º degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper, and prepare the Squash.

Butternut Squash Prepped for Roasting

Place the squash cubes from below on the cookie sheet and toss with 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, 1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt and 1/4 Teaspoon of Black Pepper. Roast for 20 minutes until tender but still holding together. Try a piece to make sure it is how you like it. Then,

Ingredients for Salad:

1 Medium Butternut Squash, Peeled, Seeded and Cubed into 1 1/2 inch cubes

(Roast the Squash Above and Cool Slightly before making the Salad, Measure out 4 Cups of Squash and save any extra for another time.)

1 Can of Mandarin Oranges (I used Native Forest Brand in it’s own juice)

1 Apple, seeded and diced (I like Fuji, but you choose)

1/4 Cup Fruit Sweetened, Dried Cranberries

1/4 Cup Raw Pecans, Coarsely Chopped

2 Scallions, sliced

Ingredients for Dressing:

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

2 Tablespoons Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

2 Tablespoons of Cider Vinegar

1 Tablespoon of Honey

1 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

1/2 Teaspoon of Black Pepper

Directions: Whisk together your dressing and set aside. In a large bowl, add the prepared salad ingredients including the roasted squash cubes that have mostly cooled. Pour the dressing over the ingredients, and gently toss. Taste, and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Place in the refrigerator two hours before serving to let the flavors meld.

Ready to Toss

This salad keeps well in the refrigerator. It is a delicious, filling, colorful salad that is packed with all those wonderful fruits and veggies to make us glow with health!

Eat Your Nutrients!

Summertime Paleo Strawberry Shortcake

Do you love eating with the seasons? One of the things I enjoy about strolling through the local farm market is all the ideas I get from seeing what is being sold that day. It is like candy for the eyes, all the colors from the fresh produce and homemade items the vendors are selling, not to mention the interesting conversations you can have while there. It is a casual, happy, chatty place, and people are talking about one of the subjects I love most….good food! The farmers are so excited to talk about their food and let you taste their early spinach that is just like “butter” or describe to you how they used these gorgeous garlic scapes to make their dinner last night. (see the photo below, and you will see what I mean about a work of art! The garlic scapes look like an impressive sculpture!)

I had gone so long eating frozen strawberries and organic strawberries in the plastic cartons this winter. When I tasted these small, picked ripe from the vine that morning strawberries, and popped the first one in my mouth, I knew I had to make a recipe for Summertime Paleo Strawberry Shortcake.

This recipe contains all the elements that I find appealing. It is full of everything a strawberry shortcake should have, ripe juicy berries, sweetness, softness from the shortcake, cool whipped topping, and eye appeal.

Give it a try! You won’t be disappointed!

Paleo Strawberry Shortcake

At least four hours before serving the shortcake, place a can or two of full fat coconut milk in the refrigerator so the coconut cream rises to the top.

Preheat Oven 350º degrees. Grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper. Set aside.

Ingredients:

For the Strawberries:

3 Cups Red Ripe Strawberries, Cleaned and Sliced

2 Tablespoons of Clear or Raw Honey (clear if eating low fodmap)

2 Teaspoons Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

With a potato masher, mash the strawberries, honey and lemon juice leaving some pieces of berries. Set aside to release the juices.

For the Shortcakes:

1 1/2 Cups Superfine Almond Flour

1/3 Cup of Clear or Raw Honey (clear if eating low fodmap)

2 Pastured Eggs, yolks and whites separated

1/4 Cup of Coconut Oil, melted

Zest from 1/2 an Organic Lemon

1/2 Teaspoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice

1/2 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda

Whipped Topping:

2 Cans of Refrigerated Full Fat Coconut Milk

Directions:

In a medium stainless steel mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

In a large bowl with a hand held mixer, place the eggs, honey, vanilla, lemon zest, coconut oil, salt and lemon juice. Mix for three minutes until it is a thick, creamy ribbon of yellow.

Add in the Superfine Almond Flour and baking soda. Mix until incorporated with a hand held mixer.

With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the egg whites using a lift and fold motion from the outside of the bowl to the center. See demonstration here.

With a half cup measuring cup, scoop the batter onto the prepared cookie sheets, evenly distributing into four shortcakes. Bake in your preheated oven for 12 minutes or until starting to brown and a finger pressed into the top doesn’t leave an indention.

Remove from oven and cool.

Open the can of chilled coconut milk, and scoop off the cream on the top. Whisk briefly in a bowl.

Summertime Paleo Strawberry Shortcakes Ready to Assemble

To assemble the dessert: Cut one shortcake in half. Put one half on a plate. Top with some strawberry mixture. Add the other half of the shortcake, more strawberries and top it with whipped coconut cream.

A perfect Summertime dessert!