Dr. John Day, Cardiologist

Well, I must admit, this was a home run, both in terms of speed and taste. We were racing to make the Thanksgiving veggies and get to our special holiday meal at my sister-in-law’s home.  I was planning to make another dish, but in our rush, this one came together more quickly, so we went with it. Upon trying it, everyone said they loved it, even John, and EVEN my two year old! The dressing is walnut, parsley, olive oil, lemon, garlic, miso and white balsamic. I used the common curly green kale, massaged the dressing in and topped it with a few crunchy crouton substitutes: slivered almonds and pumpkin seeds. You can also sprinkle in some parmesan cheese, if you’d like.

Zingy tuna salad packs lots of nutrients, flavor and texture: lemon, raw crushed garlic, dill, favorite mustard, hummus, red wine vinegar, olive oil, chopped olives, red onion, celery, and red bell pepper.

Raw garlic is so good for you! And this recipe is one delicious way to incorporate it into your cuisine. Don’t be shy! If my 1-year-old can do it, you can too. After his first bite of this dish, my 1-year-old signed “more,” for another, and another, until he and I polished off the entire batch in one sitting.

Serve atop a leaf of kale or lettuce on a flourless sprouted grain English muffin (often found in freezer of health food section).

Once upon a time, there was a Field of Fresh Greens.

Then one day, the field of fresh greens wanted more, so he called on the powers of Sweet Beets, Tangy Goat Cheese, Tart Dried Cherries and Toasted Pumpkin Seeds to rain on him and he was happy.

He was overfilled with happiness and strength and was the most powerful Field of Greens in the land.

But he was still a bit lonely. So, he hired a friend named Miso Dijon Vinaigrette who had qualities that he liked: oily olive oil, sour-sweet lime, spunky dijon, and mellow white miso. Now he was happy, strong, powerful, and in the good company of friends with great taste.

~Jane and Jacob

Happy Herbs Italian Vinaigrette is no ordinary Italian salad dressing.  This creamy herbal vinaigrette has a beautiful bold flavor with its mixture of simple, healthy ingredients: miso, hummus, white balsamic vinegar, lemon, lime, olive oil and Herbes de Provence (thyme, fennel, basil, savory, lavender). Enjoy on traditional greens with tomatoes, red onion, carrots and sunflower seeds, or with your favorite salad creation. Also enjoy as a vegetable dip by using a little less vinegar to thicken it. Here’s to your health and culinary enjoyment!

This warm, spicy, with a touch of sweet, concoction was inspired by a special at the Five Seeds Restaurant. Sautéed cauliflower, onion, garbanzos, almonds, raisins and dates spiced with harissa, cinnamon and cumin seeds. So good for you and so tasty. Serve over whole grain basmati or quinoa, with toasted whole grain pita, or on its own.

Brussels Sprouts are an excellent source of vitamins K, C, and folate. They are a cruciferous vegetable known for their cancer fighting properties.  When steamed, they provide special cholesterol-lowering benefits.

Garlic is a good source of manganese and vitamin B6. It may also reduce our risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease, among many other wonderful things.

Cashews are high in copper, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium, and zinc  which play a role in a wide range of physiological processes. They have a lower fat content than most other nuts, most of the fats being proactively heart healthy.

With white miso, this tangy and bold dressing is super tasty and good for your gut health!

It is awesome on a nice kale, spinach or argula salad. I also drizzled it on butternut squash one night and sweet potatoes another and found it to be a great complement to these sweet vegetables.

I put the dressing out with a bag of kale one night, and my kids couldn’t get enough of it, pulling out a second bag of kale.  I’m not sure if it was the dressing or just a one time fluke, but I’m definitely serving this dressing to them again!

Tomatoes, yellow squash, onion, carrot….a great soup for the end of summer harvest.  The blended red lentils make it creamy and add additional protein and fiber.

The key to this delicious and fun Summer Quinoa Salad is to blend a variety of colors and textures. You can substitute whatever you have on hand–get creative! Toss with our Maple Pecan Dressing, or another of your favorites.

This maple pecan dressing is inspired by the one chef Steve Rich serves at the Park City Ski Resort Yurt. This recipe has reduced sugars and added shallot. It makes a very thick, creamy dressing, and can double as a dip.  This recipe makes a big batch–enough to store in the fridge and use over several days. I use this dressing in my Summer Quinoa Salad. I’ve also mixed this in with tuna instead of mayonnaise. It creates a unique tangy flavor.

This creamy vegetable quinoa dish is a combination of my Sweet Spice Soup recipe and cooked quinoa. I simply combined the leftovers of each and topped with cracked pepper and parmesan cheese for a new dish.

Quinoa is remarkably nutrient-rich and easy to prepare.  It boasts of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients, flavanoids, protein, fiber, and is a great source of manganese, copper, phosphorus, magnesium, folate, and zinc.

Quinoa can be enjoyed as a grain and even ground into flour, as in my Quinoa Crepes recipe.

Quinoa is very easy to cook–even quicker than rice–boil 1 part rinsed quinoa to 2 parts water, simmer 15-20 minutes until soft and translucent, thenfluff with a fork.

You can’t beat the satisfaction of this comfort dish with the powerful nutrients, protein and fiber of the veggies and quinoa combined.

This warm potato dish has a kick to it with the lemon, balsamic, Chinese five spice, and red chili flakes. The small, soft mung beans–one of the healthiest you’ll find–add a fantastic boost of phenol, protein, fiber and other nutrients which help defend against chronic age-related diseases including diabetes, cancer, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Serve this dish with brown rice, if desired. Enjoy!

Packed with nutrients and protein, this spring salad is made with spinach and arugula, red quinoa, chickpeas, cranberries, shredded butternut squash, pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds and a bit of crumbled goat cheese.  The dressing is a tangy homemade vinaigrette of white balsamic, tahini, olive oil, honey and kosher salt. Colorful and delightful!

This creamy tomato basil soup is adapted from a delicious recipe that a friend shared with us in her home.  Full of flavorful vegetables with a touch of soy milk and tofu, this soup is nourishing and satisfying. Enjoy!

I’d been craving butternut squash soup since we enjoyed it at our friend’s art show last week.  I blended some onion, sweet potato and butternut squash together and like this version even better! It’s rich and sweet, easy to make and perfect for the season. Enjoy!

Braising greens are packed with nutrients, and when finely chopped, can be added to lots of dishes and enjoyed even by young ones.

We received our braising greens in a bundle from our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) share. If you don’t see them in your local store, you can easily substitute swiss chard, kale or any other dark leafy greens you’d like to try.

This invigorating dressing has six simple ingredients: lime (juice, pulp, zest), white balsamic vinegar, cilantro, kosher salt, cracked pepper, and a touch of olive oil.

If you want a fat-free version, leave out the olive oil, and if you don’t have cilantro, just combine the lime, balsamic, salt and pepper for a simple and refreshing dressing.

Enjoy!

This dressing has a bold–and in my and my 12 year-old son’s opinions–amazing flavor. We both looked at each other in awe when we tasted this concoction.  I served it over mediterranean salads for the next three days for dinners, lunches and even breakfast.  It brings any salad to a very lively life.

John and I split the most delicious salmon and winter greens with orange champagne vinaigrette at one of our favorite restaurants–Robert Redford’s Zoom.

I got as much information as I could from our server about the ingredients in the dressing and came home and tried to replicate it with what we had.

I ended up with something quite different, but equally delightful.

Even my seven-year old daughter said, “Go get me some spinach so I can have more of this dressing, since it is this good.”

I definitely recommend a trip to Zoom the next time you are in Park City, Utah, but in the meantime….

Enjoy!

Hummus is so easy to make and so healthy when you use fresh, real ingredients.

Cumin lends a truly Mediterranean flavor to this garlic lemon hummus.

Enjoy!

Fresh cranberries and sprouted beans make this seasonal salad a super food.

Cranberries provide powerful antioxidants found to help protect against cellular and DNA damage, cardiovascular and liver disease, urinary tract infections and even cancer.

Cook your own cranberries to enjoy these tart little delights without the excessive sugars found in most prepared cranberries. Adding a dash of lemon juice is the secret to these delicious low-sugar cranberries.

Sprouted beans can provide increased vitamins and micronutirents and be easier to digest. You can buy beans already sprouted or sprout your own.

We served this salad with a side of homemade hummus and crunchy carrot sticks for a delightful, satisfying breakfast.

It would also make a healthy, packable lunch for work or school.

Enjoy!

I threw this hearty salad together last night with ingredients we had on hand and we enjoyed it with baked halibut.  It is also substantial enough to be served as a meal on its own.  It is highly versatile–you can add practically any veggies, fruits, nuts and even beans that you have on hand. It tastes even better the next day, as the dressing mellows the kale. I went to bed last night looking forward to this salad and enjoyed it again for breakfast.

Complete with measurements and instructions! Courtesy of our friend, Jennifer Burns, Fox 13 Cafe.