Recipes

Salmon, Cucumber and Dill Salad
Serves four

11/2 pounds salmon filet, cut into four pieces, skin and bones removed
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 large cucumber, peeled, cut in half length-wise, seeds scooped out, diced in 1/2-inch cubes
1 large ripe fresh tomato, seeds, excess pulp removed, diced
1 medium ripe, but firm avocado, diced in 1/2- inch cubes
2 tablespoons chopped chives
3 medium cloves garlic, pressed
11/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Mix together cucumber, tomato, avocado, chives, garlic and dill in a bowl and set aside.
2. Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a separate bowl. Toss with cucumber mix when ready to serve.
3. Preheat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes. Rub salmon with one tablespoon lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Place in hot pan bottom-side up. (There is no need to use any oil or liquid for this if you use a non-stick pan.) Cook for two minutes.
4. While cooking, mix together honey and mustard. Turn salmon and spread honey mustard on top of fish. Continue to cook for another two minutes, depending on how thick salmon is. You want it pink on the inside. Season with pepper.
5. Divide cucumber mixture between four plates and serve with salmon.

5-Spice Onion Soup
Serves four

2 onions cut in half and sliced thin
6 cloves garlic, sliced
Salt and white pepper to taste
Broth:
1 medium onion chopped
6 cups + 1 tablespoon chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 inch fresh peeled ginger, sliced
6 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick, about four inches long
3 star anise
1/2 teaspoon dried fennel seeds
6 whole dried medium shiitake mushrooms
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon molasses

Directions:
1. Heat one tablespoon broth in medium soup pot. First, sauté the onion in broth ingredient list over medium heat in broth for five minutes, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add rest of broth, and next eight ingredients, and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low, and simmer broth ingredients briskly together for 20 minutes, uncovered. This will bring out a lot of flavor from the ingredients. Strain, while still hot, and return liquid to pan. Do not throw away mushrooms. Discard the rest.
2. While broth is simmering, cut onions in half and slice thin. In separate medium-sized non-stick skillet, heat one tablespoon of soup broth over medium heat. Then, sauté the sliced onions over medium-low heat in broth, stirring often for about 15 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for another minute.
3. Slice shiitake mushrooms saved from broth and return to soup along with sautéed onions and garlic. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.

15-Minute Seared Tuna with Sage
Serves four

1 pound tuna cut into four pieces
2 medium cloves garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons finely grated or minced lemon rind
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh sage
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh parsley
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth
Pinch red pepper flakes
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Prepare all ingredients and have ready to use.
2. Rub tuna with one tablespoon fresh lemon juice and season with salt and black pepper.
3. Preheat a non-stick 10- to 12-inch skillet over medium-heat for about two minutes. You do not need oil or liquid for this. Cook tuna on each side for about two minutes. Remove from pan and place on a plate. Add rest of ingredients to pan in order given, and cook for about one minute. Pour over tuna and serve.

Tomato Dandelion Salad
Serves four

Salad:
1/2 medium-sized onion, cut in half and
sliced thin
2 tablespoons light vinegar (apple cider, rice or white wine)
1 cup hot water
2 large red, ripe tomatoes
3 cups chopped young dandelion greens
2 tablespoons fresh basil cut into large pieces

Dressing:
11/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse cracked black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
1 ounce crumpled Chevre goat cheese (optional)

Directions:
1. Thinly slice onion and place in a small bowl. Pour two tablespoons light vinegar and one cup hot water over onions and marinate while making rest of salad.
2. Whisk together dressing ingredients, adding oil at end a little at a time.
3. Rinse and chop dandelion greens. Slice tomatoes and place on greens.
4. Chop dandelion greens, place in basket of a salad spinner, rinse and spin-dry. Toss dandelion greens with 2/3 of the dressing. Cut tomatoes in half, cross-wise and squeeze out juice. Cut into quarters, remove inner pulp and slice. Place on greens.
5. Squeeze dry marinated onions and lay atop sliced tomatoes and greens. Drizzle the rest of the dressing over tomatoes, onion and top with basil and goat cheese if desired.

Quinoa Salad With Pecans & Cranberries
Serves four to six
Salad:
2 cups spring or filtered water
1 cup organic quinoa, washed
3/4 cup organic pecans, coarsely chopped
3 to 4 organic scallions, sliced in thin rounds
1/3 cup organic celery, finely diced
1/3 cup organic parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup organic dried, fruit juice sweetened Handful cranberries, finely chopped

Dressing:
2 tablespoons organic cold-pressed, extra
virgin olive oil
4 teaspoons unrefined cold-pressed sesame oil
5 to 6 tablespoons fresh organic lemon juice
1 to 11/2 teaspoons umeboshi vinegar
2 to 3 tablespoons organic rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
Dash ground organic black pepper

Directions:
1. Bring water to a boil. Stir in quinoa. Cover, turn to low and cook 25 to 30 minutes, or until water is absorbed.
2. Place pecans in a dry skillet and heat over medium flame until fragrant and lightly toasted. Set aside.
3. Combine all dressing ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add scallions, celery, parsley and cranberries. Set aside.
4. When quinoa is done, transfer it to a glass bowl and fluff it with a fork. Set aside to cool.
5. Once the quinoa is cooled, add the dressing mixture and the toasted pecans and stir well.
6. Salad is best if chilled in the refrigerator for at least an hour to allow flavors to blend. Serve cool or at room temperature. This keeps well in the refrigerator for a few days.

Blanched Kale And Currant Salad With Lemon Miso Dressing
Serves four
1 bunch organic kale, stalks removed and chopped
2 organic carrots, grated or julienned
1 cup organic dried currants

Directions:
1. Bring large pot of water to a rolling boil. Place kale stalks in water. Cook two to three minutes or until bright green and slightly tender but still a bit crunchy. Remove from water and place on a bamboo mat to cool.
2. Place kale leaves in boiling water for one to two minutes or until they are slightly tender, but still bright green. Remove from water and place on a bamboo mat to cool. (The bamboo mat allows air to circulate around the greens, cooling them quickly so they don’t continue to cook. Avoid running the greens under water to cool them as vitamins and minerals may be washed away.)
3. Place carrots in boiling water three to four minutes or until bright orange and slightly tender but still a bit crunchy. Remove from water and set aside.
4. Arrange kale on platter and sprinkle currants and stalk rounds on top. Arrange carrots as garnish.
5. Prepare Lemon Miso Dressing and pour over the salad. Serve.

Lemon Miso Dressing
Serves four
1/4 cup organic lemon juice
1/8 cup organic cold-pressed extra virgin
olive oil
1 teaspoon organic white miso
1 to 2 tablespoons organic tahini (Tohum brand recommended)
Spring or filtered water

Directions:
Blend ingredients for dressing. Add water to thin to desired consistency and pour over or toss into salad.

Cucumber Salad
Serves four
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 scallion, thinly sliced
4 to 5 leaves fresh basil
1 teaspoon umeboshi vinegar
Freshly cracked black pepper (optional)

Directions:
Place cucumber slices in a mixing bowl and gently rub umeboshi vinegar into them. Mix in the scallions and basil. Add cracked pepper to taste. Set aside in the refrigerator for one hour or more to allow flavors to develop. Serve chilled or at room temperature. u

All recipes courtesy of Dawn Steinborn of the Natural Epicurean Class Academy of Culinary Arts