1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

2 tsp. olive oil or coconut oil

2 tsp. chopped ginger

12 oz. spinach or other dark leafy green

1/4 cup vegetable broth

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 tsp. soy sauce

Place a large pan over high heat until hot. Add oil, swirly bottom to coat.  Add ginger and cook until fragrant - about 10 seconds. Add spinach and broth, stir once then cover.

Reduce heat to medium; cook - stirring again, until greens are wilted - about 2-3 minutes.

Add sesame oil, soy sauce, and seeds.

Toss to distribute flavors, remove from heat, and serve!

Nabbed from Recipezaar.com and originally credited to Sunset magazine, this recipe will be excellent on a warm summer evening.

• 8 oz. farfalle (bowtie) pasta (can use brown rice spirals or other shaped GF pasta)
• 12 oz. crimini mushrooms
• 4 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms
• 2 tbsp. butter, Earth Balance, or toasted sesame oil
• 2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 3tbsp. fresh ginger
• 3 tbs. fresh minced garlic
• 4 cups shredded raddichio
• 1 cup cooked, shelled edamame (Trader Joe’s has this available in their frozen foods area) or use adzuki beans if soy sensitive
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1.5 tbsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce (use 2 tsp. salt if soy sensitive)
• shaved fresh parmesan
• salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop cooking process.  Slice all mushrooms and saute in 1 tbsp. butter or oil for 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned.  Add remaining butter/oil to pan. When melted, add ginger and garlic and stir for one minute, or until it becomes fragrant. Add radiccio adn edamame and stir until radicchio wilts - about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk vinegar, mustard and soy sauce until combined. Add cooked pasta and mushroom mixture and toss to coat. Add salt and pepper. This may be served warm or cold, and topped with freshly grated parmesan just before serving.

Serves 4

Serve this salad as an accompaniment to fresh crab or lobster or to start a meal. The avocado will color if it sits too long, so be sure to prepare the dressing first.

SERVINGS
4

TOTAL TIME
20

INGREDIENTS
2 limes, juiced
1 tablespoon local honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
4 cups mixed baby lettuce greens
2 papayas
2 avocados

PREPARATIONS
1. Combine the lime juice, honey, salt and pepper; blend until smooth.

2. Peel the papayas and cut them in half. Using a spoon, remove the seeds; discard seeds.

3. Slice the papaya halves into thin wedges. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Slice the flesh into thin strips.

4. Arrange the fruit slices on salad plates, alternating between papaya and avocado.

5. Combine the greens and dressing in a bowl and toss well to coat.

6. Mound a portion of the greens in the center of each plate. Drizzle with a few drops of dressing.

NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
(Based on individual servings)
Calories: 251
Total Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 166 mg
Carbohydrates: 30 g
Protein: 4 g

Originally published in

Find this article at: http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/recipes/3023

Looking through my kitchen, I noted I had some chard and yams that were beginning to look a little past their prime. Utilizing the power of Cookin’ With Google, I found a recipe for African Yam Stew, which I altered to suit my own tastes. Below is the modified recipe, which yielded fantastic results.

African Yam Stew

4 cups vegetable broth

1 tsp. chili oil

1/2 chopped onion

3 cups diced yams

1 can canned chick-peas

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup “The Heat is On” Spiced Peanut Butter

2 cups chopped collard greens
1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon kosher salt

Saute’ onion in chili oil until soft. Add broth, yams, chickpeas, rice and salt; simmer for 30 minutes.

Blend peanut butter with 1/2 cup stock to make a smooth paste. Stir into the stew along with the greens and turn heat to low, allowing flavors to marry for 5 minutes.

Add salt, pepper, and additional chili oil or chili sauce to taste.

Serves 4-6

This salad was adapted from a recipe in the June 2007 issue of Gourmet and originally found on Epicurious.com. Michael detests most fruit (at least he likes his veggies!) so we omitted the 1/2 cup dates the recipe originally called for and added more ingredients to make it a heartier, entree type salad. This would also be fantastic with steamed haricot verts and chickpeas or with flaked tuna a la Salade Niçoise.
Recipe alterations are italicized.

Recipe courtesy of Institute for Integrative Nutrition
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoons of olive oil
1-2 cloves of crushed garlic
1 bunch of kale, chopped
pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Warm oil in pan on medium heat with minced garlic until aromas of garlic are released, about 2-3 minutes.

2. Add chopped shiitake mushrooms, stir-fry for 5 minutes.

3. Add chopped kale, stir-fry for a couple of minutes.

4. Add a splash of water and pinch of salt to pan, cover and let steam for 4 minutes.