Both refreshing and light, this mouth-watering recipe makes a great summer salad. It is essentially vegan minus the honey and is also very filling because of the nuts. Tasty with the almond cheese, this recipe also works very well with a nice goat feta.
Best tomato choice A colourful mixture is best for this refreshing salad because yellow and orange tomatoes are lower in acid than red tomatoes. An heirloom variety called Oaxacan Jewel is a great choice since it combines all of those colours.
Notes
- Almonds provide heart-healthy unsaturated fats, protein, vitamin E, and omega-3 fatty acids and are known to be helpful in preventing high levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in the blood.
- Soaking nuts in water before use is thought to deactivate enzyme inhibitors to improve the bioavailability and digestibility of nutrients.
Watermelon and Heirloom Tomato Salad with Almond Ricotta
Ingredients
- 1 cup (250 mL) blanched almonds
- 1/2 cup (125 mL) filtered water
- 1/2 tsp (2 mL) sea salt, divided
- Pinch of pepper
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) thinly sliced fresh basil
- 2 Tbsp (30 mL) coconut nectar vinegar or balsamic vinegar
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp (5 mL) raw honey
- 3 cups (750 mL) cubed watermelon flesh
- 1 each red tomato, yellow tomato, and orange tomato, cut into wedges
- 2 cups (500 mL) arugula
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories450
- protein, 35 g fat10g
- saturated fat4g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates30g
- sugars20g
- fibre67g
- sodium66mg
Directions
01
For almond ricotta, place almonds into small bowl and add enough water to cover them. Let soak for 2 to 3 hours or overnight. Strain water from nuts and place them into food processor with 1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt and pinch of pepper; blend until contents resemble ricotta cheese.
02
For dressing, whisk together oil, basil, vinegar, garlic, honey, remaining salt, and pepper until combined.
03
Place watermelon, tomatoes, arugula, and dressing in medium-sized bowl and toss well.
04
Garnish with almond ricotta by placing small dollops on salad.
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Farro, Lentil, and Vegetable Soup
Adding farro, with its nutty bite, is a delicious and convenient way to increase your soup’s fibre and nutritional value. This hearty soup is the perfect remedy to a cold January day. Lemon and chervil add a bright contrast to the fibre-packed earthy flavours. Farro timesaver With a long cooking time, it’s worth it to cook a larger amount of farro and freeze it in small-portioned batches which can be thawed quickly. Using a ratio of 1:4 farro to water, cook on medium-high heat until farro is al dente, in a similar manner to the way you would cook pasta. Drain, rinse, portion, and freeze for later use. To thaw, simply run frozen farro under water or add directly to soup.
Arugula Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash, Pomegranate Molasses, and Pine Nuts
Oven-roasted delicata squash makes a crispy treat atop this green salad. As its name suggests, this squash has a thin, delicate skin that’s tasty when cooked. Pomegranate molasses, an ingredient common in Lebanese and Middle-Eastern cuisine, brings a sweet and sour flavour to the dressing. No pine nuts? Use squash seeds! Simply collect about 1/4 cup (60 mL) seeds from cleaned squash, rinse, and mix with 1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) of the spice mix used to roast the squash and 1/2 tsp (2 mL) olive oil. Roast at 425 F (220 C) on parchment-lined baking sheet for 20 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Cardamom and Ginger Scented Farro Breakfast Porridge
Look for whole grain farro, which leaves the germ and bran intact, for this satisfying porridge that’s sure to kickstart your day. While the cooking time is longer than for pearled or semi-pearled varieties, you’ll get more nutrition. Take the time to enjoy the delicate scent of cardamom and ginger wafting through your kitchen as you prepare this. Ancient grain Farro (also referred to as emmer or einkorn) is a variety of wheat known as an ancient grain, which means that it hasn’t changed over time through breeding as is the case with many varieties of modern wheat.
Chocolate and Orange Chickpea Pudding
Spanish-inspired flavours of almond and orange and a good punch of protein make this pudding a delicious and nutritious breakfast, snack, or dessert. The tiniest amount of large-flake sea salt and a drizzle of olive oil help bring all the flavours together. Amp up the orange For some additional orange flavour, when cooking chickpeas from dry, add a few strips of orange zest to the cooking water. Tastier toast Take your toast to the next level by using this pudding as a satisfying spread.