More Fun Recipes to Try

Today, I bought a bunch of new, fun things at the farmer's market. There are 2 farmers there - one is organic, the other is not. The organic farmer is just getting started and doesn't have a huge selection, but I also go to his booth first as I try to support organic farming whenever I can. Today, I bought baby red potatoes, sweet green peppers (both of which are on the Dirty Dozen list, which are the 12 most pesticide-contaminated fruits & vegetables, even after washing), as well as black cherry tomatoes, a fun and tasty treat! I bought cabbage, curly parsley, carrots, cauliflower, and swiss chard from the other farmer.

You all probably know that I'm an extrovert. Well, I saw someone eyeing the beets and had to mention that I had used them in a salad just the night before & they were quite good. The person was intrigued that I had eaten them raw, asked if they were too hard (no, they were about as crunchy as a fresh carrot), and commented that they must be better for you that way. I think I may have mentioned that I used up all the beet greens, as well as some rainbow chard that I had purchased the week before, making smoothies and was trying to find a use for the beets. The cashier must have overheard because he started asking me about green smoothies, and the woman next to me started listening in as I shared Green Smoothies 101. The original man (with the beets) told me I should write a book :)

So upon arriving home, I decided to make use of my wealth of knowledge & made some sweet cole slaw :)

Brenna's Sweet Cole Slaw
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I use organic canola mayo)
2 tablespoons honey (I use raw & local honey)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (I use raw & unrefined)
2 tablespoons brown mustard
1/2 medium head of cabbage, sliced
1 medium beet, peeled & shredded
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 apple (I used yellow delicious)

Mix first 5 ingredients. Set aside.
Stir fruit & veggies together. Toss with dressing.

The beets do a wonderful job of making this treat especially pleasing to the eye.

Then tonight, we dipped our cauliflower & black cherry tomoatoes in Creamy Kickin' Dressing, a recipe I've been wanting to try from Kristen's Raw.

Creamy Kickin' Dressing
2/3 cup water, or more
1 1/2 avocado, pitted and peeled
2 prunes
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon Mexican Seasoning (I used this Taco Seasoning that I mix myself)
1/2 teaspoon Himalayan crystal salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Blend until creamy and enjoy this thick, creamy and kickin' dressing over your next salad or with chopped veggies.

I altered the original slightly & added an extra half of an avocado (the original recipe just calls for 1 avocado) because it is quite spicy. You could also leave off the cayenne pepper if it's too spicy, or just sprinkle a little in. Either way, it's really good, and you can't even taste the prunes!