Cucumber Salsa and White Bean Stuffed Avocados
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 large cucumber, chopped into large chunks
- 1–3 chiles, mild to moderate heat
- ¼ small yellow onion, cut in several pieces
- 1–3 green onions, cut into several pieces (use both green and white parts)
- ¼ bunch cilantro
- ¼ bunch fresh mint
- 1 lime, juiced to make 2 tablespoons lime juice (or more to taste)
- 1–2 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
- Pinch of sea salt, or more to taste
- 1½ cups cooked or 1 15-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 large or 3 small ripe avocados
- 4–8 ounces of mixed sprouts such as
sunflower, buckwheat, pea, radish, etc.
Directions:
- Remove chile stems and cut in quarters. Remove some seeds and white pith for a medium spicy salsa, or leave all seeds and pith if you want it spicier. If removing seeds, reserve some for adjusting heat later.
- Strip leaves from mint stems.
- Cut or tear off tough cilantro stems.
- Combine cucumber, chiles, both kinds of onions, garlic, herbs, lime juice, and a pinch of salt in the container of a blender or food processor. Pulse process until you have a coarse salsa consistency. Pause to scrape down bowl sides if needed.
- Taste for spiciness. Add some of the reserved chile seeds if you want more heat, and process briefly to combine.
- Dump salsa into a mixing bowl, and gently mix beans into salsa.
- Taste and adjust salt and lime juice.
- If using small avocados, halve lengthwise. If large avocados, cut into thirds lengthwise. Carefully remove pits and peels.
- Divide the sprouts evenly across six plates.
- Place a half or third avocado on each sprout bed, cavity side up.
- Spoon the salsa into and onto the avocado halves.
Notes, Substitutions, and Variations:
- Substitute another fresh herb for the cilantro. Other herbs that would work well are parsley and basil.
- Use baby greens if sprouts are not available.
- Double the cilantro if mint is not available.
- Serve with extra lime wedges on the side.
- Meal on the Table Now Variation: Substitute store-bought green salsa for the homemade salsa.
Watercress Salad with Spring Veggies and Lemony Seed Dressing
Yield: 4-6 servings (about 8 cups)
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
(note: these get soaked overnight) - 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
(note: these get soaked overnight) - 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
(note: these get soaked overnight) - 6–8 spears asparagus
- 2 bunches watercress
- 4 ounces of snap peas, cut diagonally into ½-inch pieces
- ½ large fennel bulb, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise
- ¼ cup fresh parsley leaves
- 1–1½ lemons, juiced to make about
3-4 tablespoons juice - ¼ cup water, or more for consistency
- 1 large avocado, peeled, pitted,
quartered and sliced - 6–8 nasturtium flowers, optional
Directions:
- Combine sunflower, sesame, and pumpkin seeds in a bowl. Cover with about 3 times their volume of water and leave to soak overnight. Drain and rinse before using.
- Cut or snap off tough bottoms of stems of asparagus spears. Cut diagonally into ½-inch slices.
- Place asparagus in steamer and steam over boiling water for 1–2 minutes until barely tender. Remove from pot and place in the fridge to cool.
- Strip leaves and tender tops from watercress stems. Discard stems.
- Make dressing:
- In a blender or food processor, combine soaked seeds, parsley leaves, lemon juice, and water.
- Blend until smooth, adding more water if needed to make it pourable.
- Taste and adjust lemon juice.
- Toss watercress leaves with snap peas, asparagus, and fennel.
- Place avocado on salad.
- Top with nasturtium blossoms, if using.
- Serve with dressing on the side.
Variations and Substitutions:
- Try different edible flowers such as pansies, cornflowers, or calendula.
- Substitute other spring vegetables for the asparagus, fennel, and peas, for example try cucumbers, radishes, and carrots.
- Substitute a different salad dressing.