salad is superior

Your food should make you sing and dance, and want to share your joy with the world. My food does! =)

Every time I make a green smoothie, I want to take a picture of it and show it to everyone 'cause they're so beautiful, health-giving and delicious! It's the same for salads. They're always SO gorgeous and green.

So here's some pictures =) This salad had kale, some bell pepper, tomato, pecans, a little bit of tofu, and I topped it with hemp seed and dried cranberries. The dressing was just miso, water and garlic, blended. YUM!

Gingered Pear Crisp (wheat-free option)

From Vive le Vegan! (photo courtesy of Sanja from the Coconut and Raspberry blog)

A festive twist on a fruit crisp that combines sweet pears with the tang of cranberries and the mild heat of fresh ginger. While warm, serve topped with a little vanilla non-dairy ice cream or Celestial Cream (scroll down recipe for cream recipe) for a distinctly delicious dessert.

Pear Base:
3 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tsp arrowroot powder
5 fresh pears, peeled, cored and cut into thick slices or cut in chunks (roughly 4 1⁄2 cups)
3 tbsp dried cranberries (see note)
2 - 21⁄2 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1⁄8 - 1⁄4 tsp ground cardamom
1⁄8 tsp sea salt
1⁄8 tsp allspice

Topping:
1⁄2 cup quick oats
1⁄4 cup ground oats (see Cooking Notes, p.<>)
1⁄4 cup spelt flour (for wheat-free version), whole-wheat pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
1⁄4 cup toasted almond slivers (or other toasted nuts) (optional)
1⁄4 cup unrefined sugar
1⁄4 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). For the pear base: in a large bowl, combine the maple syrup with the arrowroot and stir until arrowroot is dissolved. Add the remaining pear base ingredients, and toss through until well combined. Transfer to a lightly oiled 8"x8" baking dish. In another bowl, combine all the topping ingredients, and use your fingers to work the mixture until just crumbly. Sprinkle the topping over the pear mixture, distributing evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until golden and a little bubbly. Serve hot or warm.

Makes 4-5 servings.

Note: Dried cranberries are ideal for a seasonal touch during Christmas or Thanksgiving. However, other dried fruit can be substituted at other times of the year (or if preferred), such as raisins or dried cherries.