Edamame Green Salad with Lime Dressing

Edamame Green Salad with edible Nasturtiums (above, Version 1 with lots of beans)

Edamame Green Salad, Version 2 with lots of carrots (pictured above)

Lime and Olive Oil dressing, pictured above

I just love edamame beans. I buy them in the frozen section of the grocery store and heat them in a pan with butter and salt. They are actually delicious just like that! They also add some ummph to a salad. In this recipe you can use any good produce that is in-season at your farmer's market or in your own garden, the latter of which I did. Here's how I did it:

Edamame Green Salad
1 cup fried edamame beans (green soy beans), salted
5 cups of fresh lettuce, try mixing different types and colors
2 carrots, grated
5 +/- yellow cherry tomatoes, whole & halved

Place washed and spinned lettuce in a nice earthy-looking bowl (for presentation). Place the beans, carrots, and tomatoes on top.

Lime & Olive Oil Dressing:
1/2 lime, squeeze out juice
1/4 cup olive oil
5 TBS soy sauce or tamari
3 TBS honey
salt & pepper to taste
Mix all ingredients vigorously with a fork in a shallow dish. Toss with salad. You will have dressing left over unless you use more lettuce.

Serves 4, as a dinner side dish

Shrimp & Cilantro Spring Rolls

Spring rolls are a fun way to incorporate fresh raw vegetables into a meal. For these rolls you will need:

1 package of spring roll wraps (made of tapioca flour)
1 cup mung bean sprouts
2 cups small shrimp, cooked on stovetop with butter and cooled
sprigs of cilantro
2 TBS diced mint
1/2 medium sized cucumber, skinned and thinly sliced
1 cup shaved carrot
1 package very thin rice noodles, cooked and cooled
6 lettuce leaves, wetted to cover rolls and keep them moist until you eat them
2 lettuce leaves sliced thin, veins removed

You will also need a big bowl of warm water and a plate to roll the rolls on. Dip the first wrap into the warm after turning it so that it in wet on all sides. Place it on plate.
You may then place as much of each ingredient as you like in the middle of the wrap, I began with noodles then shrimp, cuke, carrot, lettuce, cilantro, and mint. Use small amounts of each ingredient so you will have enough space left to wrap the roll. It may take a few tries to get it right. Cover rolls with moist lettuce leaves to keep them soft until served.

How to roll: First place all ingredients on wrap, then fold right and left sides in 1/4 of the way, or so. Next wrap the end that is nearest to your tummy and pull it up and over the ingredients, holding the ingredients so that it makes a nice round shape. Then roll away from your body, making sure the right and left folds stay in place. All done! It is quite easy and there are several ways to fold. Use the one that works best for you.

Dipping Sauce:

2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
6 tablespoons mirin (sweet rice cooking wine)
1/2 teaspoon grated ginger root
1 crushed garlic clove

Mix all ingredients together and serve in a small dipping bowl.

Fresh July Green & Red Salad

This salad is really beautiful because of the many fresh colors that contrast each other. Choose light green lettuce and deep red lettuce, mix equally and break into bite-size pieces. Wash lettuce and spin in a salad spinner. Add:
whole baby carrots, preferably just picked from the garden
fresh snap peas
nasturtium flowers, any color, I used red
salad dressing of your choice
Mix entire salad with salad dressing. I used Annie's goddess dressing. It would also be good with a Vinegarette.

Walnut Sardine Salad

Lots of healthy oils, and very satisfying for a salad.

Small handful of walnuts
1 can of skinless boneless sardines
several pinches of sheep or other feta
Romain and Red-leaf lettuce, equally mixed
Salad dressing, my preference is Annie's Goddess Dressing

Toss salad with dressing and place sardines on the side or top of salad.