Salad Dressings

God only knows what is in the salad dressings we buy from the grocery store shelves. Newman's Own Organic Tuscan Italian Dressing lists "salt" as its 4th out of 13 ingredient. That's 380mg of salt in only 2 tbsp of dressing. That's a load of salt, people. (That's why it tastes so good). Try these salt-free, easy dressings on your next salad...


Simple Vinaigrette
extra virgin olive oil (eyeball it)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic, pressed or garlic powder
1 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. rosemary

Easy peasy. Mix all ingredients. Taste. Adjust. Add to salad.

Citrus Vinaigrette
1 Orange
1 Lemon
1 tbsp of olive oil
pepper

Whisk all ingredients for a light citrusy dressing. Great on light spinach salads with nuts and berries.

Tahini Dressing
½ cup tahini
½ cup water
1 fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, pressed (or garlic powder)
1 teaspoon cumin, ground (optional)
ground black pepper

Whisk together all ingredients until smooth and then let dressing sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.

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Try mixing elements of these three dressings (for example, add a bit of tahini to the citrus dressing, or add a bit citrus to the balsamic...possibilities are endless with basic ingredients: tahini, balsamic and citrus juice.)

Coconut-Mint Frappe

This tastes better than any creamy mint frappe, especially because you won't feel like crap after you drink it. Check it out:

1 fresh young coconut
1/2 a fresh avocado
2 tbsp of agave nectar (find this in the health food store, it's a natural sweetner)
1/4 cup of fresh mint
juice from one lime
5-7 ice cubes

Cut open the fresh young coconut. Pour coconut water into blender. Scrape coconut meat from inside of coconut and add to blender. Blend so that it is a smooth consistency. Add ice cubes and the rest of the ingredients and blend on high until smooth. Delectable...

Avocado & Apple Sandwich

This is the sandwich. Everyone I make it for wants to know more about it. It's got a lot of different fresh flavors that complement each other perfectly. You'll have to get some dulse to complete the sandwich's perfection. What's dulse? It can be found in any health food store, in the sea vegetable section. It does not taste sea-weedy, it is a naturally salty tasty leafy vegetable, full of iron and b-12. You are going to love it and end up eating the whole bag...save some for this sandwich!

Ingredients:

-2 slices of multi-grain toast (preferably fresh baked, the kind you can still see the seeds and grains)
-handful of alfalfa sprouts (if you don't like sprouts, a great sub is cucumber)
-2 large slices of avocado
-1 large slice of green apple
-smidgen of grey poupon (this does have salt, but we are only using a small amount)
-fresh basil
-several leaves of dulse

Spread a little grey poupon (or you could use rosemary hummus), on each piece of toast. Stack the apple and avocado, add sprouts (or cucumber), fresh basil and dulse on top. You might need a few toothpicks to keep this sandwich from falling apart. Cut in half and be dazzled by so much deliciousness/nutritiousness in one place.

Sexy Guacamole

A crowd pleaser, every single time...the secret ingredient unveiled below (*). Serve with crudités (celery sticks, carrots, cucumber slices, jicama).

Ingredients:

6 soft avocados, halved with pits removed
2 lemons, juiced
1 small red onion, diced fine or 6 scallions, diced fine
2 pint of cherry tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup cilantro
1 jalapenos, minced
2 cups red grapes, sliced in half*

Scoop out avocado flesh into a large bowl. Mix fresh lemon juice with the avocado. Add next 5 ingredients. Mash gently with a fork to combine the flavors but leave it slightly chunky. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use, but do not make this too far in advance or it might turn brown.

Other ideas, instead of--or in addition to--grapes, try pomegranate seeds, corn, peaches, mango, etc...It's all goooood.

Spinach and Roasted Potatoes

This is a great dish for a cozy evening in...the warmth of the potatoes and the freshness of lemon/spinach will leave you full and satisfied, without over-eating or feeling "heavy" the next morning.



Ingredients:

2 cups of potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
2 tbsp olive oil
handful of parsley, chopped finely
dash of garlic powder
pepper

1 bag of spinach (serves 1-2 people, it shrinks down a lot once cooked)
1 tbsp of olive oil
juice from one lemon

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

Put the potato chunks in a bowl, mix in the olive oil, parsley, a few dashes of garlic powder, and as much pepper as you desire (any spice substitute will work if you don't want to use garlic and/or pepper). Put the potatoes on a baking sheet and bake at 450 until tender and golden (about 40 minutes).

Once the potatoes are done, saute the spinach on low heat with a little olive oil. Do not overcook, keep it lighter green if you can (more nutrients remain when it is only lightly sauteed and not over-cooked/dark green). Add the lemon juice and keep stirring.

Add the potatoes to the spinach and stir. Serve warm and enjoy!

Rosemary Hummus

Nothing like your own fresh hummus. Serve with crudites (celery sticks, carrots, cucumbers, jicama). This only takes a few minutes to prepare!

Ingredients

-2 lemons, squeezed
-sprig of fresh rosemary, torn into smaller pieces (the more you use the stronger the "essence" will be)
-1-2 tbsp olive oil
-1 can of salt free chick peas (Eden Organics--find in health food store)
-pepper

Blend lemons and rosemary together, then strain the mixture, so there are no rosemary "twigs" left. Blend this mixture with the beans, olive oil, pepper. Fresh basil is also a good option instead of rosemary (you don't have to strain it). Add tahini to make it richer.

Welcome to D+N

Welcome to Delicious Plus Nutritious, a place to find healthy recipe ideas that will help you detox from everyday toxins found in nearly everything the standard American diet offers. By eating the recipes I suggest on a regular basis, I'm confident you'll experience an increase in energy, a return to your ideal weight, loss of cravings, a more focused and clear mind, a glowing complexion, not to mention a longer and healthier life... It does matter what you put in your body...even if you are not showing signs of illness, weight gain or aging yet, it will catch up with you. Practice good habits now and treat your body like it deserves to be treated. You will thank yourself later...

I made a whimsical decision after reading a book on natural healing and detoxification called, "A Way Out" by Matthew Grace, to cut meat, dairy and processed foods from my diet for one month. One month has turned into nearly two years, and I have never felt better!

I've helped family and friends detox from salt, caffeine, preservatives and additives that the American diet is chock full of. These toxins make us feel old and less energetic, and they lead to weight gain and sickness. It does not have to be this way! Those who have detoxed by eating on this plan have reported instant weight loss, increased energy and an overall healthier state of being. Many people continue to ask about some of my popular recipes, so instead of emailing them all over the place, I thought it would be best to post them here so everyone could easily access delicious plus nutritious whenever they needed a healthy recipe.

Please get in touch with questions and comments. Enjoy and eat well!

Sarah Johnson
thesarahjohnson@gmail.com