Sweet potato + arugula + avocado

Here's a simple version of one of my favorite combos (I wrote about it before here). This plate made a perfect late brunch on Saturday, my day off yoga and thus day to sleep in and enjoy the morning at home. The recipe is so sweet and easy that you don't even need to think about measurements.

Arugula and bib lettuce with browned sweet potato and avocado

Wash, dry and plate some fresh arugula plus any other greens you have on hand (Here I used arugula from my garden and some local bib lettuce). Lightly drizzle with olive oil (the avocado will be the main source of fat here) and sprinkle with spirulina powder, smoked sea salt (plain sea salt works too) and cracked black pepper. 

Fill a small lidded pot with about 1" of water and heat to boil. Slice some sweet potato into rounds or half moons and add to the pot. Cover and steam until softened but not mushy. Heat 1Tb coconut oil in a cast iron skillet. Transfer the sweet potato to the skillet and cook several minutes on each side until nicely browned. 

Place the browned sweet potato rounds over the greens and top with sliced avocado. Voila!

Raw ravioli

Raw vegan ravioli featuring

watermelon radish + almond "cheese" + flat leaf parsley + smoked sea salt

and a light arugula salad dressed with extra virgin olive oil, spirulina, and smoked salt

Got some gorgeous watermelon radishes and I decided to try them as a variation of the raw foodie classic beet rawvioli. Who wouldn't love their bright green rims and rosy pink cheeks? 

Watermelon radishes are members of the Brassica family of vegetables. They contain the anti-oxidant sulforaphane which is shown to protect against numerous cancers. Fresh radish is rich in vitamin C, and contains folates, riboflavin, thiamin, and minerals including iron, magnesium, copper, and calcium. Paul Pitchford writes in Healing with Whole Foods that radish has a cooling thermal nature that moistens the lungs, cuts mucus, removes stagnation and detoxifies. Radish can relieve thick mucous (often associated with over consumption of dairy and animal products), clear the sinuses, relieve indigestion, and cool heat-induced conditions, and aid the body in purging toxins.

The radish rawvioli turned out fabulous! The lemon marinade softened them just enough to make them easy to eat with a knife and fork and kept their pink color vibrant. And the almond "cheese" is absolutely delectable. The combination of the garlic, nutritional yeast, and smoked sea salt gives it a satisfying, almost meaty depth. I really recommend using smoked salt if you can find it (Austinites won't have trouble locating it in the bulk spices at Wheatsville, Whole Foods, or Central Market) as the aroma it brings is almost intoxicatingly good. Served with a little side salad it made the perfect light supper for a warm summer evening.

Raw Ravioli

1 large watermelon radish
juice of ½ lemon
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
sea salt

Almond “Cheese”
Smoked sea salt, parsley and green onions for garnish

 1. Slice the radish into thin rounds. Ideally one would use a mandolin slicer, but if you're careful you can do it with a very sharp knife. You want them as thin as possible so take your time. Leave them circular, as I did, or stack and trim them into squares for style.
2. In a bowl, dress the radish rounds with the lemon, olive oil, and  a pinch of salt. Marinate for 1-2 hours.
3. Spoon a dollop of the almond "cheese" on one beet slice, then top it with a second slice. Repeat until you have the amount of Rawviolis you desire.
4. Garnish with parsley, green onions, and smoked sea salt.

Almond “Cheese”
Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients:
1 cup almonds, soaked and peeled
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. green onion, minced
1 Tbsp.  nutritional yeast
zest of 1/2 a lemon
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 
Smoked sea salt (or regular sea salt)

1. Soak almonds in water for at least 8 hours. Drain, rinse well, and remove almond peels.
2. In a food processor, place all ingredients and blend to mix to the consistency of a thick spread, like goat cheese. Adjust seasonings to taste.

A fabulous salad

Arugula, radicchio, romaine + coconut quinoa + pan cooked sweet potato + castelvetrano olives + flat leaf parsley + avocado spirulina dressing

Whew! That's a mouthful. And so was this salad. The basic idea came from this magic flavor equation:

 sweet potato + arugula + avocado = soo delicious

There is something spectacular about the sweetness, bitter crunch and creamy finish of this combination. A more basic version that I love is to roast a whole sweet potato, place it while its still hot out of the oven over a bed of arugula, and top with slices of ripe avocado and a bit of salt and pepper. Yum!

For a summer version (when it doesn't make as much sense to heat up house by turning on the oven) I opted to lightly steam the potatoes and then brown them in a skillet with a bit of coconut oil.

I cooked some quinoa, adding unsweetened coconut flakes in the last couple minutes of steaming. And it's all assembly from there: greens, then sweet potatoes and quinoa, topped with sliced olives and parsley. 

For the dressing I mashed an avocado with about a teaspoon of spirulina, a pinch of turmeric, salt, black pepper, and enough water to reach desired consistency. Simple and fabulous.