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Spring salads with Steven and Chris

In traditional Chinese medicine, it’s crucial to adapt to the changing seasons to keep healthy. Be it resting in the winter months or staying active in the summer, it’s important to alter what we eat and do with every changing season.  Watch Angela, with Steven and Chris, as she brings you two healthy salads to ease your body into spring, here.

Spinach Salad with Warm Miso Dressing

spinach_salad_warm_miso

 

3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp ginger, grated or minced
½ tsp garlic, chopped finely or minced
1tbs miso, dissolved in ¼ cup hot water
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp braggs (un-fermented soy sauce)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

This salad has the fresh spring greens but by cooking part of the salad and warming the dressing the body can absorb food easily and doesn’t have to work to hard to digest it.

  1. Dissolve miso in ¼ cup boiled water.
  2. Warm olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic and ginger and cook until softened.
  3. Mix in lemon juice, vinegar. Take off heat and add miso and sesame oil.
  4. Add thinly sliced onion, green beans and tofu to spinach greens.
  5. Drizzle dressing over salad. Toss and enjoy!

 

Grilled Asparagus

grilled_asparagus_pine_nuts

1 bunch asparagus
1.5 tbsp pinenuts
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 lemon juice , and grated rind
1 small grapefruit, peel and remove pith and thin membrane so you are left with just the flesh. Cut each section in thirds.
salt and pepper to taste

This salad has the fresh spring greens but by cooking part of the salad and warming the dressing the body can absorb food easily and doesn’t have to work to hard to digest it.

  1. Dissolve miso in ¼ cup boiled water.
  2. Warm olive oil over medium heat and add the garlic and ginger and cook until softened.
  3. Mix in lemon juice, vinegar. Take off heat and add miso and sesame oil.
  4. Add thinly sliced onion, green beans and tofu to spinach greens.
  5. Drizzle dressing over salad. Toss and enjoy!

The fresh asparagus with its pungent flavour helps to clean the cholestral and the arteries. After sluggish food during the winter months this salad is great to ease your body into spring. While the citrus is great for the liver, the grapefruit keeps things moving properly.

  1. Heat non-stick pan and over low heat, toss the pine nuts until golden brown. Remove from pan and place off to side.
  2. Heat 1tbsp of olive oil in pan and add asparagus and cook until tender.
  3. Place on plate, sprinkle pine nuts overtop drizzle with remaining olive oil, and lemon juice. Top with a sprinkle of course sea salt, pepper to taste and grapefruit pieces.

Enjoy!