Ever since I received Heidi and Justin's latest Raw Food Right Now e-newsletter, I'd been craving their Strawberry Spinach Salad. And, when I visited their blog post with the strawberry spinach smoothie, Hayden made it very clear she wanted to try their "raw food right now."
It must have been the spinach for iron (those greens really have kept my iron levels in tip-top shape) or the strawberries for the folic acid and vitamin C (actually, I read somewhere that strawberries are one of the best foods to eat in the last trimester), or perhaps the yummy dressing (much better than the bottled stuff). But whatever it was, we (Hayden and I) had to have it asap.Can you blame us? Just look at the results close up, although I did make a few modifications. Traditional strawberry spinach salad for me always had mushrooms, so I added a few, as well as some fresh-from-the-garden blackberries for color and flavor (they're in season around here, so a lady from my church was nice enough to share hers).
This would have been the perfect dish to have brought to the potluck last weekend (except for the fact that I ate the entire thing myself in one sitting). I'll have to keep it in mind for the next one.
I hope Heidi and Justin don't mind if I share the recipe, since it was free in their newsletter. I highly recommend signing up for future additions, if you haven't already. So, here it is:
Heidi & Justin's Strawberry Spinach Salad
Salad Ingredients:
1 lb. of strawberries 4 cups baby spinach
2 cups other leafy greens (arugula, romaine, red leaf, mache')
1/2 red onion, diced
1 Tbsp bee pollen (for garnish - optional)
black pepper
Dressing (this makes a lot, but lasts 2-3 days in the fridge):
This dressing was inspired by our friend, the lovely Tanja Andrews.
1 cup soaked cashews (I used a mix of cashews and macadamia nuts)
1/2 cup spring water or the highest quality water you can find
1/4 cup honey, agave nectar, or sweetener of your choice
1/4 cup apple-cider vinegar
2 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp mustard powder
1Tbsp poppy seeds
Dash of himalayan salt
Blend all dressing ingredients except poppy seeds in a blender on high until creamy. Add poppy seeds, and blend on low just to mix them up.
Blend all dressing ingredients except poppy seeds in a blender on high until creamy. Add poppy seeds, and blend on low just to mix them up.
Pour dressing over salad and serve immediately. This salad is perfect for picnics, or just sitting outside with someone you love.
Speaking of those you love, I just adore this baby onesie cookie my mom's neighbor/family friend made for my baby shower last weekend. She is amazingly talented. I wonder if I could make a raw version. Maybe if I feel up to the challenge, I'll give it a try :-)
