raw brussel sprout and goat cheese salad

Those of you who pick up produce at a farmer's market or participate in a CSA are well acquainted with brussel sprouts and the rest of the cruciferous family (kale, kohlrabi, bok choy, turnips, etc.), those strange vegetables that appear in your plot each week. You might run out of ideas on what to do with them, but hey, that's when we always get the most creative, right? 

So here's a novel idea, raw brussel sprouts. I would have never thought it, but I discovered it in one of those "what am I going to do this time" moments. I got to chopping and realized that the key is breaking the vegetable up into smaller bits. Once sliced, the bites are crunchy, watery, and full of that splendid brussel sprout flavor. There's something about raw vegetables that you just can't beat. It's like you can taste the nutrients, that straight from the earth goodness. To finish the salad off, I mixed the brussel sprouts in with some herbed goat cheese and walnuts, then tossed with simple seasonings, and I had the most care-free, delicious side dish. 

Speaking of tasting the nutrients...did you know that brussel sprouts are rich in vitamin C? Something we all can't get enough of this time year. So soak it up, eat em raw and down that medicine. You can thank your CSA later for giving you the natural germ fighters you need to get through the season.

Ingredients (Serves 6):

1 Lb Brussel Sprouts, cleaned and sliced

2 Oz Herbed Goat Cheese

1 Cup Walnuts, chopped

2 Tbsp Sesame Oil

2 Tbsp Lemon Juice

Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Mix it up and serve!

vegan spicy thai seitan salad

I finally recreated a dish that I used to love before turning vegetarian! When I decided to go veg I did it party to avoid processed foods which also meant no imitation meat. Some of my old favorite dishes could be pulled off with tofu, but for spicy Thai beef salad, it just didn't quite cut it. 

I then discovered seitan about a year ago, and heard that it was possible to make at home using whole wheat flour and vital wheat gluten. Anything that I can cook up in my own kitchen by stirring a few whole ingredients together and adding heat is unprocessed enough for me. 

This was my first time cooking with the stuff, and I'll admit, I didn't make the seitan myself this time around. I will surely try, but for now, I just wanted to see how it acted. I was very, very pleased with the results and even made my coworker try the salad out because I needed to share it with someone. It tastes much like the original spicy Thai Salad - bright with a kick of spice - and makes a great lunch option. An added bonus for all you vegetarians out there, it's also chock full of healthy protein.

Ingredients:

18 oz. seitan

3 scallions, sliced fine

1/3 cucumber, shredded

3 baby carrots, shredded

15 sprigs cilantro, minced

1 tbsp white vinegar

1 tbsp chili sauce

1 tbsp soy sauce

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl

2. Place in the refrigerator over night, and serve on large leaves of lettuce.

*Tip: wrap it up like a burrito for a fun way to eat