Vacations are fun, but I feel like my last one nearly did me in. Between our teenage nephew visiting, and our family weekend at the beach, my daily intake of junk food got a little out of control. My mom made Whoopie Pies, my husband kept handing me frosty cans of beer, and my Dad kept deep frying things. And that was just the weekend. Before we even arrived in South Padre, my nephew and I had made homemade Peanut Butter Ice Cream, thrown a burger party, and eaten tacos for almost every meal in between.
Guys, my tummy hurts. I had a dessert post all lined up for you, but I need a break. I can’t even look at something sweet right now. All I really want is fresh, raw veggies. When my CSA delivery showed up this morning I could have kissed the delivery guy. Instead, we exchanged “namaste”s and I ran inside to paw through my box of goodies.
Did I tell you how I got myself a food processer for my birthday? Well, I am officially obsessed with this thing. I’m not sure how I ever lived without it. Today I used it to slice up cucumber, red bell pepper, zuchinni, summer squash, and a handful of fresh basil so that I could devour it all to my heart’s content. Of course, if you don’t have a food processor, you could just slice everything up, nice and thin, using a mandoline or chef’s knife. It will just take you a whole lot longer.
I’ll try not brag about how quickly I was able to whip this little beauty up. (Well, I won’t try TOO hard.)
Have you tried organic virgin coconut cream oil yet? It smells like my favorite cream pie, but is so much better for you. I have two jars in the house at all times, one in my pantry for cooking, and one in the bathroom for slathering myself head to toe. One of the wonderful and mysterious things about virgin coconut oil is that it is both moisturizing and astringent. It’s also chock full of antioxidants and essential fatty acids, making it super nutritious for your body, inside and out.
Health food mumbo-jumbo aside, this stuff smells like someone just cracked open a fresh coconut and poured it into a jug. That delightful aroma will transfer to whatever you cook with it, and since the oil solidifies at less than seventy degrees, it makes a delicious substitute for butter in truffles and tarts.
So yeah, go coconut oil!
Raw Salad with Lime Basil DressingMakes about 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 small cucumber
- 1 small zuchinni
- 1 small summer squash
- 1 handful of fresh basil leaves
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- 2 tablespoons organic virgin coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt (or more for taste)
- 2 tablespoons raw hemp seed hearts or chopped raw nuts
Directions
- Slice the veggies as thinly as you can, making them bite-sized.
- Shred, mince, or chiffonade the basil. If you love basil, leave it in larger chunks. If you prefer a more mild touch, mince it all tiny-like.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the lime juice and zest, coconut oil, rice vinegar, honey or maple syrup, and sea salt.
- Add the veggies and basil, then toss it all together.
- Serve right away, and sprinkle the hemp seeds or nuts on top. You can also sprinkle an extra pinch of salt over the top of the salad, if you like.