Raw Beet Salad with Ginger and Pistachios

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Beets — ever had them raw? They’re a match made in food heaven with bright orange, pungent ginger, and salty roasted pistachios. This is excellent as a salad, but great as a slaw on sandwiches, too.

beets

Raw Beet Salad with Ginger and Pistachios

5 medium beets, peeled and grated
2 inches fresh ginger, peeled (about the size of your thumb)
1 small shallot, peeled and cut in half
Juice from 1/2 an orange
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, cut in half
Sea salt to taste
5 ounces mixed greens or arugula
1/3 cup shelled, dry-roasted pistachios, roughly chopped

To grate the beets, use a box grater or the attachment on your food processor.

Place the ginger, half of the shallot, the orange juice, olive oil, juice from half the lemon and a sprinkle of salt into a heavy duty food processor. Process until smooth. Taste for seasonings, adding additional shallot, lemon juice and salt if necessary. I love using a whole shallot, but for some it may be too strong.

Toss the mixture with the beets. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Before serving, sample the mixture again for taste, adding more lemon or salt if necessary. Either toss the mixture with the greens or place the greens in a serving bowl and top with the beet mixture. Sprinkle with pistachios. Serve immediately.

Banana Rhubarb Crumble Muffins

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My latest article on tuja wellness features one of my favorite muffins recipes from the pages of my first book, The Allergy-Free Cook Bakes Bread. They come together fast, have a pop of sweetness from the crumble topping, and offer a lovely contrast with sweet, moist bananas and tart rhubarb.


 muffins1

Head over to tuja wellness for the full recipe: Banana Rhubarb Crumble Muffins.

Maple Parsnip Bread with Dried Cranberries

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After I made and loved a cake with parsnips, I had a bunch of grated parsnips leftover and wanted to use them up. Surprisingly light, with a hint of maple flavor, this easy quick bread mixes together before your oven even preheats. It’s loaded with good stuff, nixes the refined sugars, and stays moist at room temperature for a few days, thanks to the applesauce and parsnips.

gluten-free vegan parsnip bread

Maple Parsnip Bread with Dried Cranberries

3/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce
6 tablespoons club soda
1/3 cup pure maple syrup (I used amber)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups grated parsnips, lightly packed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan.

Put the sorghum flour, millet flour, arrowroot flour, tapioca flour, ground flaxseeds, ground cinnamon, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the dried cranberries, mixing until they are coated with the flour.

In a large glass measuring cup or small bowl, put the applesauce, club soda, maple syrup, cider vinegar, and vanilla extract. Mix well to combine. Pour the applesauce mixture into the flour mixture. Stir until combined. Mix in the parsnips.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan using a rubber spatula, smoothing the top. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the loaf from the pan and put it on a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing.