Caprese Salad

• Five slices red roma tomatoes
• Ten slices fresh bocconcini cheese
• Three leaves green basil
• Three leaves purple basil
• Red, orange, and yellow cherry tomato halves
• Arugula dressed in balsamic and olive oil vinaigrette
• Microgreens
• Balsamic reduction

Lemon Herb Slaw

Lemon Herb Slaw
1 large green cabbage, thinly sliced
1 medium red cabbage, thinly sliced
1 cup mayonnaise
zest of two lemons
juice of three lemons
2 Tablespoons grainy mustard
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 cup chopped dill
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Toss together the two cabbages. Then whisk together the remaining dressing ingredients. Toss the cabbage in the dressing. Can be served immediately or allowed to marinate and blend flavors to soften the cabbage. Great with fish and chips!

Warm Potato Salad

Warm Potato Salad
whole red potatoes
green onions, thinly sliced
canola oil
lemon juice
salt
pepper
minced garlic
grainy mustard
smoked paprika

Boil whole potatoes until tender, drain and cool slightly until cool enough to handle.
Slice into chunks, place in a bowl.
Whisk together the remaining ingredients to form the dressing. Pour over the potatoes and toss to coat. 
Serve warm, or reheat gently in the oven before serving.

This is a super easy potato salad to do, a nice addition to hot foods, and not as heavy as a traditional mayonnaise-clad potato salad. The grainy mustard, onion, and smokey paprika add some real kick to it! I think the flavor and texture are best with red potatoes with the skin left on.

Spicy Orange Tarragon Greens

Spicy Orange Tarragon Greens
shallots
garlic
finely chopped fresh tarragon
finely chopped parsley
orange juice
apple cider vinegar
olive oil
canola oil
salt and pepper, to taste
spicy greens

In a large bowl or pitcher, blend together the first six ingredients. Slowly stream in the oils until blended, then season to taste. Drizzle over spice greens for a sweet-spicy, citrusy and herby refreshing combo.

Crabby Cakes

• Crab cakes with peppers, herbs, citrus, and potato
• Creamy garlic potatoes
• Oven roasted sweet cherry tomatoes
• Spicy greens in orange tarragon dressing
• Dill aioli 

Apple Almond Dressing

Apple Almond Dressing
apple cider vinegar
low-acid apple juice
almond milk
almond butter
Dijon mustard
balsamic vinegar
garlic powder
paprika
Italian seasoning
ground black pepper
Optional: salt and/or sweetener

Simply whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Amounts completely depend on your own individual tastes and how much dressing you need to make. It will keep for at least a week in the fridge. The apple cider vinegar or apple juice make up the majority of the dressing (depending on whether you would like it to be more sweet or more acidic). The seasonings are to taste. The almond milk adds a bit of creaminess and helps to cut some of the acidity. The almond butter adds some texture, flavor, and protein.

Pasta With Fenugreek Dressing

Here is my finished pasta dish from yesterday: curried pine nut pasta with swiss cheese and fenugreek dressing. 

To finish the pasta: Roll the pasta dough out to approximately 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into rectangles, about one inch by 1/2 inch. Place a small amount of grated cheese (I used swiss) in the center of each, then fold over and press to seal with the tines of a fork. Cook for a few minutes in boiling salted water until tender. Serve with extra cheese, crushed pine nuts, and a sauce. I served mine with the following, not a typical pasta sauce but seriously good!

Fenugreek Emulsified Dressing
1 whole egg
1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 teaspoon fenugreek
1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 Tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
salt and pepper, to taste
125mL rice vinegar
375mL canola oil
fresh lemon, juiced

In a medium bowl, beat the egg with the mustard. Beat in the remaining herbs and spices. Whisk in the vinegar. Slowly whisk in the oil to emulsify. Adjust the seasoning and consistency with lemon juice and additional salt and pepper.