Green Beans with Lemon, Tarragon & Chia Seeds

This green beans with lemon recipe is another one of those super simple, “too tasty and easy to be true” dishes for an easy lunch or dinner side dish. Sometimes demonstrating that you can grab one vegetable from your garden or the Farmers Market, and easily turn it into a fairly complete meal or tide-over, is the best way I can use my blog space! The chia seeds provide extra complete protein and healthy fats to this, making it a decent light meal. And you can always add more chia seeds to suit your own nutritional preference and taste. So enjoy this one and let me know in the comments all the different ways you did! I used some rattlesnake beans from my garden for this recipe.

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Spaghetti Squash, Beet & Apple Salad

Shana TovahIn the midst of all the Rosh Hashanah greetings this weekend, I decided to whip up something that touches on the Jewish New Year tradition of consuming sweet foods, like apples, honey and dates. Here is a nutrient rich, yet sweet and delicious salad that you can definitely celebrate if you are celebrating the Jewish New Year, or even throughout your year-end holidays. This is a delicious stand-alone salad, or an accompaniment for your Thanksgiving turkey or other holiday feast. And, the Omega-3 punch you get from the walnuts and walnut oil helps you keep your body in balance during the indulgent holidays. Enjoy! 

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Beet & Fresh Cheese Stacks with Avocado-Lemon Dressing

I found a recipe for a quick vegan cheese that I really like. The recipe says it’s a “Pepper Jack” but it reminds me a lot more of a fresh cheese like queso fresco or buffalo mozzarella. In any case, I am finding it to be quite versatile and useful on many dishes, from tacos to this beet salad. You can venture into making the vegan cheese, which will require some uncommon ingredients if you aren’t used to vegan baking or cheese making. Or use a favorite cashew cheese; some spreadable cashew cheeses would work great in between the layers of beets. Or, if you eat dairy, just use a good, organic dairy cheese like burrata or buffalo mozzarella.

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Heirloom Pole Bean & Potato Salad with Tarragon & Fennel Seed Dressing

Every year I plant a yummy heirloom pole bean and it never disappoints. I actually don’t remember the name…I think it is called “Rattlesnake.” I always go by the picture on the seed package…a beautiful, purple spotted pole bean. It recently started going crazy so I whipped up a quick and easy mid week salad, and here it is for your sharing and noshing enjoyment.

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