Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

for the salad:

• 1 cup barley
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
• 1 pear, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins, soaked in hot water for 5 minutes
• 1 bunch parsley, chopped
• 3 cups vegetable bouillon

for the dressing:

• 2 tablespoons walnut oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons agave or maple syrup
• 1 generous teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder

Directions:

1. Cook the barley in 3 cups vegetable bouillon until the barley is soft.
2. When the barley is cooked (about 1/2 hour), drain of the excess liqid and place the barley in bowl.
3. Cool the barley in the refrigerator.
4. Place the raisins ia small bowl and cover with boiling water.
5. Chop the walnuts and toast in a dry frying pan, stirring constantly to keep from burning.
6. Chop the leafy parts of the parsley very finely.
7. Mix the ingredients for the dressing and season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Bring the barey from the refrigerator.
9. Mix in the waluts.
10. Drain the excess water from the raisins and add them to the salad.
11. Mix in the parsley and stir the dressing over the top.
12. Mix once again well so that all the pieces have been seasoned with the dressing. Peel the pear slice along the core and chop the slices into small pieces.
13. Add the pear pieces to the salad and mix.
14. Serve the salad cooled, but at room temperature.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 large red onion, sliced thinly
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1 & 1/2 lb. pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• handful Italian parsley, chipped
• 1/4 cup Thai sweet spicy sauce

Directions:

1. Prepare the pumpkin early enough to cool before serving.
2. Peel the pumpkin or squash. Remove the seeds and cut into bite-sized cubes.
3. Steam the pumpkin until soft yet al dente and still holding its shapes. (5-8 minutes)
4. Place the cooked pumpkin pieces in a bowl and cool in the refrigerator.
5. Prepare the onion in thin slices.
6. Heat the oil and saute the onion until soft.
7. Drain on a paper towel.
8. Chop the parsley, leaving a few leaves as garnish.
9. Add the onion slices and chopped parsley to the pumpkin and gently toss to mix.
10. Place the salad on a plate or in a bowl and drizzle the Thai sauce on top.
11. Garnish with a few parsley leaves.
12. We also sprinkled a few red pepper flakes as garnish.

Notes:

We used an Uchiki Kuri pumpkin, although it would be good with any pumpkin or winter squash, such as butternut.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

for the dressing:

• 4 tablespoons walnut or pumpkin seed oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon sweet grainy mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1-2 tablespoons syrup (maple, agave, or fruit)
• pinch salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon Thai sweet spicy sauce (optional)

for the salad:

• 1 & 1/2 cups pumpkin or winter squash, peeled and grated
• 1 & 1/2 cups apple chopped
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• red chicory or radicchio

Directions:

to mix the dressing:

1. Place the oil, mustard, syrup, ginger and lemon juice in a cup or small bowl.
2. Mix well.
3. Add the salt and pepper and Thai sauce if desired.

to make the salad:

1. Peel and grate the pumpkin or winter squash.
2. Place the grated pumpkin in a bowl.
3. Chop the apple in small pieces or optionally grate.
4. Add the apple pieces to the grated pumpkin.
5. Add the raisins and stir to mix.
6. Chop the walnut pieces.
7. Add most of the walnut pieces to the salad, reserving a few pieces as garnish.
8. Add the dressing to the salad and mix well.
9. Clean the red chicory or radicchio and separate the leaves.
10. Place a leaf on each salad plate as a cup to hold the salad.
11. Fill the leaf with the salad.
12. Top with a few walnut pieces and optionally garnish with a parsley leaf or chervil leaf.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 can artichoke hearts, drained, halved and quartered
• 1 cup pecans, toasted
• 1 cup large couscous (e.g. ptitim, also known as Israeli couscous or Jerusalem couscous)
• 2 & 1/2 cups water
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• 2 cups rucola or argula leaves, trimmed and hoped
• 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• simple herbed vinaigrette
• 2 tablespoons fine olive oil
• 3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar or other fine vinegar
• 1-2 teaspoons mixed Italian herbs

Directions:

1. Bring the water and vegetable bouillon cube to a boil.
2. Add the large couscous balls and cook.
3. Once the liquid has almost completely evaporated, put a lid on the pot and remove from the heat. Allow the couscous to absorb the rest of the liquid and cool.
4. Dry roast the pecans in a frying pan. Be careful to watch that they do not burn. Remove from the pan and set aside.
5. Slice the shallots and halve the cherry tomatoes.
6. Clean the rucola and chop roughly.
7. Slice the artichokes in quarters.
8. The cooled couscous may stick together, either separate with a fork, or place in a colander and rise under cool water. Shake dry.
9. Place the couscous in a large serving bowl.
10. Add the sliced shallots, chopped rucola and halved tomatoes.
11. Add the artichoke pieces.
12. Mix the herbed vinaigrette.
13. Pour over the salad and mix gently.
14. Sprinkle the pecans on top and lightly mix a few into the salad as well.
15. Enjoy the salad cold or at room temperature.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 & 1/2 lb. prepared chestnuts, chopped
• 1 small can mandarin oranges
• 1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
• 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• lettuce leaves
• pomegranate seeds as garish

Directions:

1. Cut the prepared chestnuts in chunky pieces
2. Drain the liquid from the canned mandarin oranges.
3. Reserve for use in another recipe, or possible a it to thin and sweeten the dressing as desired.
4. Mix the soy sauce, lime juice and maple syrup for the dressing.
5. Season to taste with additional maple syrup or some of the mandarin orange liquid.
6. Serve the salad layered in parfait glasses, or arranged on a bed of lettuce greens and with a spoonful of dressing drizzled over the top. A small carafe of dressing can be served at the table as well.
7. Garnish optionally with pomegranate seeds.
8. If pomegranate seeds are not available, thin almond slices would also be pretty.

Notes:

You can use canned or vacuum packed chestnuts, or fresh which would have to be baked first.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 18 ounces sauerkraut
• 1/2 sweet red bell pepper
• 1 red chili pepper
• 1-2 fresh sweet apples
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 ripe mango
• 1 ripe avocado
• 2 limes juiced

Directions:

1. Squeeze the juice from the sauerkraut, save it for another recipe (it’s very healthy).
2. Put the sauerkraut in a sieve and lightly rinse with cold water to remove most of the salt, and squeeze the water out.
3. Separate the sauerkraut with a fork and place in a large serving bowl.
4. Cut the stem from the sweet red bell pepper. Slice half of the pepper in very thin strips.
5. Cut the top of the chili pepper of, and remove the inner veins and seeds. Slice the chili pepper in very thin slices.
6. Add both peppers to the sauerkraut and mix.
7. If the apples are biological, you can include the skin, if not, peel and core.
8. Grate the apples into the sauerkraut and mix well.
9. Mix the lime juice and olive oil and pour over the sauerkraut and mix the salad well.
10. Slice the mango, remove the seed and peel.
11. Slice 1/2 of the mango in medium chunks and mix through the salad.
12. Slice 1/2 of the avocado in medium chunks and mix through the salad.
13. Serve generous portions on 4 salad plates.
14. Slice the other halves of the mango and avocado and use as garnish on top of each salad.
15. Any salad that is left over after serving can be placed at the tale in a serving bowl for people to help themselves.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 carrots, julienned or shredded
• 3/4 cup pineapple cut in bite sized pieces
• 2 tablespoons fresh mint, minced
• 1/2 cup plain soy yogurt
• pinch cinnamon
• pinch cumin
• 1 teaspoon agave or maple syrup or pineapple juice

Directions:

• Prepare the carrots by peeling and the shredding or cutting as julienne strips.
• Drain the pineapple, or if using fresh, peel and cut.
• Add the pineapple pieces to the carrots and mix well.
• Puree 1 tablespoon of mint with the yogurt, syrup, cinnamon and cumin.
• Sprinkle the rest of the mint over the salad and mix well.

Notes:

Depending on how you prefer to serve the salad, you can mix the soy yogurt into the salad before hand and let it season, or if you prefer you can serve the dressing on the side for each to add as they wish.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup pearl couscous
• 1 eggplant, cut in small cubes
• 1 small zucchini, cut in small cubes
• 1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and cut in small pieces
• 1 purple onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• pinch of paprika (optional)

Directions:

1. Place the couscous in a saucepan with 3 cups of water.
2. Bring the couscous to a boil, then cut back the heat to a soft simmer.
3. Cook the couscous until almost all of the water has been cooked off and the couscous is soft.
4. Remove from the heat, place a lid on the pan and allow the couscous to absorb the rest of the water.
5. Prepare the vegetables.
6. Heat a large frying pan and saute all of the vegetables mixing well.
7. Add the thyme and alt and mix well.
8. When the vegetables have cooked al dente, or to your preference, remove from the heat.
9. Place the couscous in a strainer and rinse with water to remove the extra starch so that the balls of couscous will not clump.
10. Place the couscous in a large bowl.
11. Add the vegetables and mix well.
12. Season to taste with additional thyme, optional paprika or pepper.
13. Shortly before serving, chop the fresh basil and mix into the salad.
14. Serve the salad at room temperature.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 ripe honeydew melon, sliced, seeds removed and peeled
• 6 slices tofu ham, vegan cold cut or tempeh bacon
• 2-3 tablespoons bell pepper nut cream
• lettuce and grapes as garnish

for the sweet bell pepper nut cream:

• 1 large red bell pepper, stem cut away, de-seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup ground almonds, hazelnuts, cashews or walnuts
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ginger syrup
• 1/2 inch knob ginger, peeled
• pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon oil

Directions:

to make the sweet pepper nut cream:

1. Heat the oil in a small frying pan.
2. Add the chopped bell pepper and saute until soft.
3. Place the cooked bell pepper pieces in a small bowl.
4. Add the ginger syrup, cayenne pepper, knob of peeled ginger and ginger powder and puree to a smooth consistency.
5. It will be slightly liquid at this stage.
6. Add the ground nuts and puree again. At this stage it will become thicker.
7. Season to taste with a pinch of salt and any additional seasons you may want.
8. Cool until ready to use.

to prepare the salad:

1. Arrange some lettuce or lollo rosso around the edge of each plate.
2. Slice the melon about 1/3 inch thick
3. Slice the peel off and remove the seeds from the center thus making a hollow area for the nut cream.
4. Slice the tofu ham in small half rounds- usually 3 rounds are enough for each center area.
5. Line the center hollow with the tofu halves.
6. Fill the center area with the bell pepper nut cream (about 2 teaspoons per melon center) and optionally top with 1/2 a grape.

Notes:

This tastes particularly nice with the honeydew melon, or other sweet greenish yellow melons. I do not recommend it for a cantaloupe as it has such a different flavor. I would make a different nut cream, with ginger, lemon and nuts.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. potatoes (boiled)
• 4-5 stalks celery, chopped
• 1-2 onion, chopped
• salt & pepper
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons celery seed
• 1/3 cup soyanaise
• 2 tablespoons vinegar

Directions:

1. Cook the potatoes, and peel them.
2. Place in a large bowl
3. Chop the celery in fine pieces and the onions also.
4. Add to the potatoes.
5. 
For the dressing:
6. Mix the soyanaise seasoned with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and celery seeds, thinned out with a bit of vinegar. 
This is where I make variations, sometimes I use malt vinegar, or balsamic or tarragon or other times the apple cider.
 I’ve also been successful making a vegan version using soya cream instead of the mayonnaise.
7. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and gently mix to evenly coat all the ingredients.
8. Chill until ready to serve.