Pineapple Dip/ Salad Dressing

It was just a little over a year ago that I was ruminating over whether or not to buy a Blendtech 3HP blender. Everyone I knew who had one said they just could not live without theirs. I could not even imagine becoming so attached to an appliance and was really having a hard time with the thought of forking out so much money for a "blender." I finally decided to buy one just to see what all the hype was about. I can honestly say, now, that I would be miserable if I ever had to part with it. I use it at least once a day but usually twice (morning smoothie, evening soup, salad dressing, or dessert). The reason I bring this up is that the following recipe is soooo easy to throw together with a high power blender. If you want to try to make it in a regular blender I recommend soaking the seeds in orange juice along with the pineapple rings.

Pineapple Dip or Salad Dressing

5 rings unsweetened, dried pineapple

orange juice

2 ounces raw, unsalted sunflower seeds, hulled (just under a half cup)

2 Tb rice vinegar

24 hours in advance, place the pineapple rings in a small bowl. Pour in just enough organge juice to barely cover the rings. Cover and place in the fridge to allow the rings to soak up the juice. The next day there will be very little juice left (see below photo) and the rings will be nice and plump. Place the rings, remaining juice, sunflower seeds, and vinegar into your blender. Add 1/4 cup more orange juice and blend. (I use the whole juice cycle.) Add more orange juice to reach the desired consistecy. I ended up adding in 1/2 cup orange juice total in addition to the soaking juice. Serve as a dip for sliced fruit and/or lettuce cups or over a salad as a dressing.

Citrus Salads

Citrus fruit is an everyday staple for me during the winter. Living in Florida, it's easy to get delicious, fresh citrus very inexpensively, or even for free if you have a citrus tree in your yard. With citrus season coming to an end, I thought I would post two of my favorite citrus salad combinations along with my quick method of "chunking" oranges and grapefruit.

Chunking Citrus

If you are like me and don't like to take the time to "section" your citrus, here is a safe, fool proof method for chunking oranges and grapefruit. I usually "chunk" about a dozen oranges or grapefruit at a time, using an assembly line method. It makes it easier to pack citrus with my lunch for work. (Nothing is grosser than trying to peel and eat an orange at one's desk. No more sticky keyboards!)

Cut the fruit in half, across the center, not navel to stem. Remove any seeds.

Cut each half in half to make 4 quarters.

Using a grapefruit knife, make a U-shaped cut to remove the white center.

Make one more cut to remove the rind and create two chunks.

Orange and Fig Spinach Salad with Walnuts

This salad is a nutritional powerhouse. Vitamin C, iron, potassium, and essential fatty acids are all featured in this tasty combination.

2 oranges

3-4 dried organic Turkish figs
3-4 ounces organic baby spinach
handful of walnut halves/pieces

Chunk oranges. Chop dried figs. Serve on a bed of spinach with walnut pieces. Dress with my balsamic flax dressing, (the saltiness of the dressing will bring out the sweetness of the fruit), or simply dress with a fig or blood orange vinegar if you're watching your fat intake. Serves 2.

Alessi and Cuisine Perel are two of my favorite brands of flavored vinegars.

Grapefruit Salad with Goji Berries and Toasted Coconut

The tartness of the grapefruit is complemented by the sweetness of the goji berries and toasted coconut. Goji berries, also known as wolfberries, are believed to have many health benefits in Traditional Chinese Medicine, which include boosting of the immune system, improved eyesight, and improved circulation.

1 grapefruit, cut into chunks

handful of dried goji berries

2 TBS dried, shredded, unsweetened coconut (I used Bob's Red Mill brand)

Rehydrate goji berries in water or grapefruit juice while chunking grapefruit. Sprinkle grapefruit chunks with rehydrated goji berries. Toast coconut in a toaster oven or oven in a pan at 350 degrees for 1-3 minutes until golden then sprinkle on fruit. Serves 2.

Balsamic Flax Vinaigrettes

For the past two years I have been using the same balsamic flax vinaigrette on my salads. I will admit that I am slightly addicted to it. My searches for another suitable vinaigrette have been futile until now. I have been snooping around the recipes on Everyday Dish TV for the past couple of weeks, and lo and behold I found Julie Hasson's balsamic flax vinaigrette which is similar enough to mine that it passed my taste test, yet different enough that it gives me some diversity. Since asparagus is in season and one of my favorite things is roasted asparagus on my evening salad, I could not resist but give Julie's vinaigrette a try. I think I have a new addiction! The addition of the nutritional yeast gives this vinaigrette a sophisticated flavor and a bit more weight to take on the roasted veggies. Here is a link to Julie Hasson's Balsamic Flax Vinaigrette, which is pictured on the salad above, and below is the recipe to my old standby.

My Usual Balsamic Flax Vinaigrette

Combine the following in a large measuring cup:

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup flax seed oil
1/8 cup Bragg's liquid aminos
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp dried Italian herbs

Blend together using an immersion blender then pour into a cruet.