Spring has sprung and with it is bringing the season of fresh salads :: insalate. Here in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, the warm weather is still quite intermittent so I’m not craving those refreshing salads just yet. I’m in the mood for something a bit more satisfying. That is where this creamy cashew salad dressing comes into play.
I try to eat a handful of nuts :: noci a day, they’re good for your heart and contrary to believe, actually reduce the risk of weight gain. According to the world’s healthiest food website, “cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts and 82% of their fat is unsaturated fatty acids, plus about 66% of this unsaturated fatty acid content are heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, similar to those found in olive oil.” Cashews are high in calories so eat with moderation, but don’t be afraid to work these nuts and this salad dressing into your weekly diet.
This cashew salad dressing comes out quite thick and can also be eaten as a dip with vegetables :: verdure, whole wheat crackers or slather it on a piece of warm toasted bread like you would with hummus. If you want it more thin, simply add a bit more water or extra virgin olive oil.
This heart-healthy creamy cashew dressing is fantastic over salads or even as a dip with vegetables, whole wheat crackers or warm toasted bread.
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
1 cup (130g) cashews
1-2 small cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¾ cup water
½ lime, juiced
1 handful Italian flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper, as needed
Instructions
In a food processor add: cashews, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, water, lemon, parsley, salt and pepper. Blend until the dressing is creamy and homogenous. Add more water or extra virgin olive oil to arrive at the consistency desired.
*Store the remaining cashew dressing in the refrigerator and use it on other salads, stirred into grains like quinoa, couscous or millet or eat it as a dip with crackers or warm toasted bread.
Mr. Italicano and I eat a lot of whole grains like Kamut®, couscous, farro, quinoa, miglio etc. Although quite boring and bland :: insipido on their own, like pasta, one of the best ways to serve these dishes is with varied and flavorful homemade sauces. Last week I made a delicious kale pesto, this week I wanted to experiment with another seasonal produce, and thusly chose beets.
Unfortunately, there is one vegetable that Mr. Italicano doesn’t like. Yup, you guessed it: beets! I, however, love them. I have fond memories in the vegetable garden :: orto with my mother as a child carefully using the small hand shovel to loosen the dirt before pulling the bright green stems with both hands to reveal the giant red treasure. Even if I had already pulled 10 in a row, unearthing a beet was like opening a gift—each time there was an element of surprise of what Mother Nature has given you.
I bought two beets and gave myself a challenge; I wanted to see if I could prepare them in a way that Mr. Italicano could appreciate them as well. I took on the clever tactic that many parents do with their children :: bambini: blend the vegetable up, mix it in a dish and whatever you do, don’t reveal it’s contents. It worked! I served the beet sauce mixed into farro and topped with roasted carrots. Mr. Italicano raved about how good it was. Later on that week, I used it on top of rice cakes. Yum.
Since this roasted beet sauce is so versatile you can easily add it to many recipes or eat it plain as a dip with raw vegetables ::verdure crude or pita chips. Enjoy!
This beet sauce is perfect as a quick and healthy appetizer served with raw vegetables and crackers or as a tasty sauce added to grains like farro, Kamut®, millet, quinoa or couscous.
Serves: Around 2 cups
Ingredients
7oz (200g) feta
1 pound beets (1 large beet or two small ones)
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 squeeze of a lemon
1 pinch of salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°).
Wash the beets well and wrap each one in a piece of aluminum foil. Place on a cookie sheet with raised lips or in a baking dish in case the liquid drizzles out.
Cook for 50-60 minutes, opening the foil and checking half way through. The cooking time will depend on the size of the beets.
The beets are ready when you can easily poke a fork in the center. Let them cool slightly then use a paper towel to rub the skin off. If the skin is not easily coming off, put the beets back in the oven for a few minutes.
After the skin has been removed, blend all of the ingredients together and serve as a spread with raw vegetables and crackers or as a sauce mixed into grains like farro, Kamut®, couscous, millet, quinoa etc. For alternative flavor options you could also add to the recipe above: ½ tablespoon apple vinegar or ¼ teaspoon grated ginger or 1 clove garlic. Store in the refrigerator and consume within 3-4 days.
This kale pesto is packed with flavor, loaded with nutritional benefits and tastes a.m.a.z.i.n.g. Mr. Italicano devoured this rich thick pesto as quickly as he did with the kale chipsthat I made last week.
There are many ways you can serve this kale pesto:
with toasted whole wheat pita chips or crackers
as a spread in a sandwich with mozzarella and smashed white beans
alongside fish :: pesce
mixed into whole grains and cereals like farro, millet, bulgur or couscous
mix into whole wheat pasta or used as a layer in vegetable lasagna
I used it the other night with a simple wild caught sesame salmon recipe. For the millet:: miglio I just cooked 1/2 cup millet with 1 cup water, covered on low heat for about 15 minutes. When the water was absorbed I added 1/4 teaspoon dried cilantro, salt and pepper to taste, a few dashes of paprika and a splash of extra virgin olive oil. I used a round pastry cutter to give it its shape and topped it with the kale pesto. Simple yet elegant.
As you can see this is a very dense :: denso pesto. If you prefer a more runnier texture, simple add more extra virgin olive oil until arriving at the consistency desired.
This kale pesto is packed with flavor, loaded with nutritional benefits and can be used in a number of healthy recipes.
Serves: 1 jar
Ingredients
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
14 oz (300g) kale, cleaned well, stems removed and finely chopped
¼ teaspoon ginger
1 squeeze of 1 slice of lemon
¼ teaspoon finely chopped red hot pepper
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
In a medium skillet, add 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and sautè the garlic over low heat until it just barely begins to turn color; 1-2 minutes. Don’t let it brown completely.
Add the kale, ginger, lemon juice, red hot pepper, salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Stir until combined then cover for 1-2 minutes until the kale has wilted.
Put the mixture into a blender or use a hand held mixer, add 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil and blend until smooth. Adjust the quantity of olive oil to the consistency you want, more oil will be a runny pesto, less oil will be more dense like the photo above.
Spring has sprung and with it is bringing the season of fresh salads :: insalate. Here in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, the warm weather is still quite intermittent so I’m not craving those refreshing salads just yet. I’m in the mood for something a bit more satisfying. That is where this creamy cashew salad dressing comes into play.
I try to eat a handful of nuts :: noci a day, they’re good for your heart and contrary to believe, actually reduce the risk of weight gain. According to the world’s healthiest food website, “cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts and 82% of their fat is unsaturated fatty acids, plus about 66% of this unsaturated fatty acid content are heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, similar to those found in olive oil.” Cashews are high in calories so eat with moderation, but don’t be afraid to work these nuts and this salad dressing into your weekly diet.
This cashew salad dressing comes out quite thick and can also be eaten as a dip with vegetables :: verdure, whole wheat crackers or slather it on a piece of warm toasted bread like you would with hummus. If you want it more thin, simply add a bit more water or extra virgin olive oil.
