Tangelo Oil-Free Vinaigrette Salad

I do a lot of requests off the Vegan Miss Facebook and Twitter. You should follow both of them! If you have anything you'd like to see created, please message me on either of those or email me. My friend, Pam, requested an oil-free dressing and this is what I conjured up. She also requested an eggless egg salad way back when.


Originally, I was going to use tangerines in this recipe, but I couldn't find any when I went to the store. I settled with tangelos, but feel free to switch to tangerines or oranges.


Tangelo Oil-Free Vinaigrette Salad

 * Prep Time: 10 minutes
* Cook Time: 5 minutes
* Ingredients:

• 2 tangelos
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp agave nectar*
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• spring mix greens
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup fennel, shaved
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped, toasted

* Recipe:

1. Over low to medium heat, toast the chopped walnuts.
2. While the walnuts are toasting, make the rest of the salad. In a bowl, squeeze the juice of one tangelo. Add the apple cider vinegar, agave, and dijon, Mix well.
3. Peel the other tangelo and separate into pieces.
4. In a salad bowl, combine the greens, fennel, walnuts, tangelo pieces, and salt and pepper. Top with the oil-free vinaigrette.

* Note: Agave nectar is a honey replacer. You can find it with sweeteners in most grocery stores.
 
Every year, I make an organic balcony garden. I usually get quite a lot of good stuff. Here is some progress pictures.

So far, I have planted: potatoes, radishes, carrots, bunching onions, chives, parsley, thyme, oregano, cilantro, leeks, chili peppers, roma tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, arugula, radicchio, basil, broccoli, beans, and sprouts. I'm excited to see the results over the next few months! And people said you can't get a little dirty in an urban high rise. ;]

Radishes

Pear, Walnut, & Soy Bleu Cheese Salad w/ Pear Vinaigrette

As promised, here is a recipe for a yummy salad. I also have some soy feta that I want to make a Greek salad out of, so be on the lookout for that too. In the next few days, I will be posting my St. Patrick's Day recipes.

Pear, Walnut, & Soy Bleu Cheese Salad w/ Pear Vinaigrette
 

* Prep Time: 5 minutes

* Cook Time: n/a

* Ingredients:

• 2 cups arugula
• 1/4-1/3 cup white onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1/2 medium pear, sliced or chopped
• 1/3 cup soy bleu cheese, chopped into squares*
• 1/4 cup pear nectar, or more/less to taste
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, or more/less to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

  * Recipe:

1. Combine the arugula, onion, walnuts, pear, and soy bleu cheese together. Place in two salad bowls.
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the pear nectar, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Mix. While mixing, pour olive oil into the dressing. Feel free to add more pear nectar or vinegar, to taste.
3. Drizzle the dressing over the salads. Enjoy!

* Note: The soy bleu cheese is a brand called Sunergia Soyfoods. It wasn't bad! I've never seen or had soy bleu cheese before, so I was really intrigued. I ordered it online from Pangea.