strawberry citrus fruit salad with maple, mint and lime

May is filled celebrations!  A month of graduation parties, showers and Mother’s day!  Serve this beautiful Strawberry Citrus Fruit Salad with Maple, Mint and Lime for a healthy and sweet treat at your next event!

Strawberry Citrus Fruit Salad with Maple, Mint and Lime ~vegan, gluten free~

I dished these up individually (because I thought they looked pretty that way!), but serve in a large bowl if preferred. I love grapefruit, but some find it a bit too tangy.  That’s why I made a quick mix of pure maple syrup and lime juice to off set the bitterness.

 Sliced citrus holds up really well in the refrigerator.  You can make this salad to enjoy with breakfast or as a snack for a few days!  Try mixing in pecans or walnuts for protein!

Strawberry Citrus Fruit Salad with Maple, Mint and Lime ~vegan, gluten free~

strawberry citrus fruit salad
 
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Makes 6 individual 1 cup servings or 1 medium bowl
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 1 grapefruit, peeled and cut into segments
  • 2 oranges, peeled and cut into segments
  • 1 cup strawberries, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • fresh mint
Instructions
  1. Layer fruit in a medium bowl or individual serving cups. Whisk together lime juice and maple syrup, evenly pour on top of fruit salad. Garnish with fresh mint, enjoy!

Strawberry Citrus Fruit Salad with Maple, Mint and Lime ~vegan, gluten free~

Grapefruit’s amazing healing power and health benefits fly under the radar in my opinion.  They have been studied for a long time and  have been proven to lower cholesterol, normalize hematocrit levels, protect against certain cancers and rid the body of excess estrogen…that’s a lot of work for one type of fruit!

Beware, certain medications negatively interact with the powerful compounds found in grapefruit.

Check here for more info.

Strawberry Citrus Fruit Salad with Maple, Mint and Lime ~vegan, gluten free~

Red Cabbage Slaw with Mint and Hemp Seeds ~vegan, gluten free~

Usually I make slaws with rice vinegar, ginger and toasted sesame seed oil, but for this slaw I thought I would try something new!

Red Cabbage Slaw with Mint and Hemp Seeds ~vegan, gluten free~

I added lemon juice, curry powder, a dash of cinnamon, raisins and heaps of fresh cilantro and mint giving it a Moroccan flare!  (Not that I really know what Moroccan food tastes like since I’ve never been to Morocco, but hopefully I will go someday!)

Red Cabbage Slaw with Mint and Hemp Seeds ~vegan, gluten free~

I find that slaws will usually keep in the refrigerator for a few days.  In fact, they tend to become more flavorful with time!  However ,this one does not!  I went to have left-overs the day after making it and found it to be rather dry :(  I would suggest making extra dressing if you plan on having it for a few days!

Red Cabbage Slaw with Mint and Hemp Seeds ~vegan, gluten free~

Lets talk a little about the abundance of nourishing ingredients for a second!

All the raw ingredients (cabbage, herbs, carrots, lemons, etc.)  lend tons of natural enzymes.  Enzymes are needed to digest carbohydrates, fats and proteins.  The enzyme amylase breaks down carbohydrates, lipases break down fats and proteases break down proteins.  The beautiful thing about raw food is that they come packed with their own enzymes to facilitate digestion.  Cooked food lacks enzymes causing us to dip into our “enzyme reserves.”  This is one of the reasons why a diet that consists of mostly processed, cooked foods will leave one feeling depleted and undernourished.  I don’t recommend following a completely raw food diet, because in my opinion, cooked foods such as grains and legumes provide so many vitamins, nutrients and keeps one “grounded.”    However, I do recommend incorporating raw foods into your diet every day!

This slaw strikes a balance of healthy fats (evoo, hemp seeds, walnuts), complex carbohydrates (raisins), raw foods (cabbage, carrots, scallions) and protein (walnuts, hemp seeds).

Plus, it contains healing components from the aromatic herbs mint and cilantro!

Who knew a simple slaw could be so healing?!?

Moroccan Red Cabbage Slaw with Mint and Hemp Seeds ~vegan, gluten free~
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients
  • 1 small head of red cabbage, very thinly shredded
  • 4 carrots, thinly sliced with a mandoline
  • ½ cup fresh mint, chopped
  • ½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 4 scallions, chopped
  • ½ cup walnuts
  • ½ cup raisins
  • 3 tablespoons hemp seeds
  • For the Dressing:
  • ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon curry powder
  • sea salt (around ½-1 teaspoon depending on taste)
Instructions
  1. Add shredded cabbage, carrots, mint, cilantro, scallions, walnuts, raisins and hemp seeds in a large bowl and set aside.
  2. Blend together dressing ingredients and pour over slaw mixture, toss to coat.
  3. Enjoy!

Red Cabbage Slaw with Mint and Hemp Seeds ~vegan, gluten free~

Try it out on your friends and family this weekend!

hearts of palm, asparagus and mint salad

I talk a lot about probiotics including where to find them and why they are so important for overall health.  What I forgot to mention is that you need to feed them!  They need food too!  They are live organisms after all!

Probiotics feed off of prebiotics or soluble fiber.  Soluble fiber are the indigestible food parts found in fruits and vegetables, mainly inulin and oligofructose.  The probiotics eat these particles and ferment them creating a healthy gut microflora, which means increased immunity for you!  Inulin and oligofructose also increase the absorption of magnesium and calcium!

So, where do we find prebiotics?

Fruits and vegetables!

(yet another reason to increase your consumption of plants!)

Notably asparagus, raw garlic, artichokes and bananas.

This salad is a perfect way to feed yourself and your bugs!

hearts of palm, asparagus and mint salad ~vegan~

Hearts of Palm, Asparagus and Mint Salad

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces

10 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 can hearts of palm, chopped

1 can butter beans, drained and rinsed

6-10 leaves fresh mint, chopped

Dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 clove raw garlic, crushed

salt and pepper to taste

asparagus, hearts of palm and mint salad ~vegan~

-Lightly steam asparagus until crisp-tender, set aside and let cool.

-Whisk together salad dressing ingredients, set aside.

-In a large bowl, combine asparagus, tomatoes, butter beans, hearts of palm and mint.

-Add salad dressing and toss to coat, enjoy!

asparagus, hearts of palm and mint salad ~vegan~

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