Can I be completely honest with you?
Who am I kidding…. of course, I can 😉
When I left on my adventures down south in December I had every desire and intention to bring inspiration from different cultures into some new recipes to share with you.
And that hasn’t happened.
Yes, in all fairness I DID create an amazing Guatemalan themed breakfast a few months back, but since then…. nothing.
Maybe you haven’t noticed. But I sure have. I’ve even gone so far to feel flashes of guilt or disappointment as weeks go by and I just haven’t found the inspiration that I hoped for.
And now I know why.
The bottom line is that most of the food down here… Guatemala and so far in Mexico, isn’t healthy. It’s a lot of sauces loaded with fake foods/sugar. A lot of deep-fried foods. Very little vegetables. And I just haven’t even wanted to try most of it.
I find that I have no desire to go out to local restaurants and try to the local fair just because I’m here. Especially when I know that the food I can create in my own kitchen is often 100% more delicious and healthy — this is a problem that Ben and I now struggle with… often being disappointed when we try to eat out.
I care so much about my health and what I put in my body that it’s just not worth it to me.
So, I’m deciding to let go of this weird guilt. This thought that in order to really experience a culture I have to try all of the heavy, sugary, chemical street foods.
Because the truth is, there is so much more to a culture than deep-fried foods.
And now I DO want to share a NEW RECIPE. Not inspired by local Mexican cuisine, but inspired by what I’ve been craving and this time of the season.
SALAD!!!
I love springtime. Warmer weather. Birds chirping. Sun shining. And my body’s ability to happily digest more raw vegetables!
Introducing… the Sunshine Salad with Garlic Avocado Tahini
Dressing!
I love finding new combinations of healthy veggies to create
SUNSHINE SALAD WITH GARLIC AVOCADO TAHINI SAUCE
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 4 organic eggs
- 1/4 C quinoa
- 1/4 C brown rice
- 1 C water
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil
- 2 C broccoli, chopped small
- 1 medium zucchini, sliced small
- 1 small red onion or 1/2 a large, sliced long and thin
- 1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1/2 C of corn, rinsed
- 1/4 C pumpkin seeds, toasted
- Garlic
Avocado Tahini Dressing- 1/4 C tahini
- Juice of 1 lime
- 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 ripe avocado
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Water to thin
Directions:
- In a small pot cover the eggs with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil and then remove from heat, cover and let sit for 10 minutes. Fill the pot with cold water and set eggs aside to cool in the water.
- In a medium pot combine the quinoa, brown rice, water, salt, garlic, and onion powder. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and reduce to a low simmer. Simmer until all the water is gone – roughly 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and saute 5 minutes until translucent. Add in the broccoli and zucchini. Saute until cooked – 10-15 minutes.
- Create the dressing by combining all ingredients into a high-speed blender. Blend until well combined. Add water as needed to think into a pourable dressing.
- Create the salad on a plate or in a bowl. Start with a base of lettuce and grains. Layer on the remaining ingredients and drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle on the pumpkin seeds.
Happy Cooking!
Love & Good Food,
Dani
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