Tag: vegetarian

Thanksgiving Salad – metabolic balance Monday Recipe

Cranberries!  I know you are used to eating them in bread or as a sweet side dish but have you tried putting fresh cranberries in a salad?  Here is your chance to try a European salad using fresh cranberries for your Thanksgiving spread.   We are putting amounts down today but we suggest you follow the amounts in your plan to stay on track.

Ingredients:

  • 100g Fresh Cranberries
  • 2 persimmon
  • 4 Tbsp Walnuts
  • 3 Tbsp Olive oil
  • 4 Tbsp Balsamico vinegar
  • 1 Tsp Sharp mustard
  • Salt, pepper, honey (Honey is optional and used to balance out the mustard)
  • 150g Salad (try using loose leaf or romaine)
  • 2 Shallots (can substitute a red onion)

 

Instructions:

  • Wash and dry your cranberries. Pick out any that are mushy.  Because fresh cranberries are very tart, cut the cranberries into quarters or blend them quickly with a hand blender to make the pieces smaller. By leaving the cranberry raw, you save many of the nutritional benefits lost during cooking/baking.
  • Dice up the shallots/onions and set aside.
  • Warm your walnuts in a dry pan (no oil) so that the flavor is enhanced.
  • Mix together the vinegar, olive oil and mustard to create your dressing.  Add honey if needed (optional ingredient.)
  • Let the shallots and cranberries soak in the dressing while you prepare the salad and persimmon.
  • Clean the salad and the persimmon.
  • Slice the persimmon into thin pieces.
  • Place the salad on a plate, add the persimmon pieces.
  • Add the soaked shallots and cranberries.
  • Drizzle dressing over the entire salad.
  • Add rye croutons if desired.

Note:

  •  Your protein for this meal is the walnuts.  If you would like a different type of protein, remove the nuts.
  • This meal contains two fruits.  If you are in the strict phase of metabolic balance, remove the persimmon or the cranberries.
  • We usually do not give you amounts but because the meal uses cranberries which are tart, I wanted to give you an idea of how many cranberries to use.
  • Honey. metabolic balance avoids sugar.  This is used only to balance out the ingredients in the dressing. You are welcome to leave out the mustard and honey and use just oil and vinegar.

 

How to cut a persimmon:

 

 

 

Melon and Bell Pepper Salad with Roasted Almonds

For this recipe, I have an optional section on the bottom for those in later stages of metabolic balance or if you want to have this salad as a treat meal.

Ingredients

Vinaigrette dressing

Onion

Red/Orange Bell Peppers

Tomatoes

 

Cantelope

Roasted Almonds (regular unsalted almonds to stay on plan)

Seasoning (salt, pepper, fresh parsley)

Optional

Mustard & Honey

 

  • Mix the vinaigrette dressing and your onions together and set aside.
  • Clean and wash all your vegetables.
  • Cut your bell peppers in half and remove the seeds.
  • Dice up the bell peppers into small squares.
  • Cut your Tomatoes in half and remove the seeds.
  • Slice up the tomatoes into small pieces or if you are using cherry tomatoes cut into quarters.
  • use a small scooper to scoop out pieces of melon. Please measure the amount to fit your plan and do not add another fruit to this meal.
  • cut the almonds into smaller pieces.
  • Place all the vegetables, almonds and the fruit in a bowl.  sprinkle over the vinaigrette and onions and with seasoning.  Toss until salad is fully covered.

 

NOTE:  You can use toasted Rye bread cubes in this salad.  The cubes will soak up the juice of the vinaigrette and the melon.

If you want to use the mustard and honey, you will add them to the vinaigrette and let the onions soak in the mixture.

If you are taking this salad to work, please carry the vinaigrette separate and add before eating so that the melon tastes like melon and not onions.

 

 

 

photo of vegetables by the bitten word