Delicious Asian Salad

Hey-o everybody.... it's SUMMER TIME!!!! It's time for warm nights, sunny days, and, of course, food. Summer is a great time to introduce more raw foods to your diet. Their naturally cooling tendencies make them a yummy and refreshing addition to your summer diet. Here's a great place to start:

Raw Asian Cabbage Salad

Salad:
1 1/2 cups unsalted raw peanuts or cashews
3 cups green or purple cabbage, shredded
1 cup shredded carrots (easily done with a mandolin or food processor with the shredding attachment)
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and diced (optional)
1 bunch of each: mint, chives, basil, and cilantro, stems removed and leaves chopped
Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)

Dressing:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup Nama Shoyu (raw), or tamari (unrefined and wheat-free), or soy sauce (refined)
2 cloves garlic
One 1-inch piece of ginger peeled
2 tbsp. sweetner (optional) I don't really like sweet salad dressings so I tend not to use sweetner, but some people love it

Combine all salad ingredients, except for the nuts, in a bowl; toss and mix thoroughly. The nuts will soak up the moisture in the cabbage and the dressing. The best way to maintain their crunch is to keep them on the side until just before serving. Also, I'm aware that using that many fresh herbs can seem like too much flavor, but don't worry! It tastes great!

In a blender or food processor combine all the dressing ingredients and blend until smooth. Pour the dressing over the salad. Top with sesame seeds and serve.


I never liked cabbage until I discovered this recipe. It's delicious, light, and nutrient dense. This is another meal that I'll make a large batch of (keeping the dressing on the side) and use for a variety of meals throughout the week. It's great topped with avocado and used on top of a salad, wrap, or sandwich. This would be so good on fish tacos! Can't wait to try that now :)

Also, the dressing for this salad is SOOOOOOO good. I make large batches of it to keep in my fridge for my own salads. I recently used some leftover dressing to mix in with some steamed rice. I just added some steamed veggies and it was AMAZING. The dressing provides such great flavor. Have fun with it. I know I sure do. :)

My favorite thing about eating healthy food is that it tastes amazing while doing amazing things for your body. Here's a brief look at why this recipe is so good for you.

Cabbage

• Potent anticancer properties - One study found that women who ate the most cabbage and other cruciferous foods (broccoli, brussels sprout, etc.) had a 45 percent lower breast cancer risk than women who ate the least
• Excellent source of vitamin C
• High fiber content

Herbs

• Cilantro - also a powerful anticancer food
• Mint- known to relieve abdominal pains, bad breath and sore throats
• Basil- Has antibacterial, antiseptic, antifungal and antispasmodic properties on top of its ability to stimulate the immune system
  
• Chives - good for your digestive, circulatory and respiratory systems

Carrots

• High vitamin A - good for your eyes
• Energizing
• Cleansing
• High calcium content

This is just a small look at all the great things in this recipe. So, kick off your summer right and enjoy this delicious, healthy food. More to come, yum, yum, yum! :)