Spicy Mexican Salad

Submitted by: Brenda Davis, RD, and Vesanto Melina, MS, RD
Yield: 4 – 2 cup servings
      

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Ingredients

Salad

  • 3 Tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 Ripe avocados, finely diced
  • 2 cups Fresh or frozen (thawed) corn kernels
  • 2 Ribs celery, diced
  • 1 Large orange, red, or yellow pepper cut into matchsticks
  • 1 cup Sprouted Lentils* or cooked black beans
  • 1 cup Finely chopped, fresh cilantro or parsley, packed
  • 3 Green onions, sliced

Mexican Dressing

  • ¼ cup Freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp Flaxseed oil
  • 2 Tbsp Nama Shoyu (soy sauce) or tamari
  • 1 Tbsp Liquid Sweetener (such as maple or agave syrup)
  • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp Minced red or green chili
  • ½ tsp Ground cumin

Directions

  1. To make the salad, combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. To make the dressing, combine all ingredients in a jar with a lid or blender. Close the jar and shake well or process until well combined.
  3. To serve, add the dressing to the salad and toss until evenly distributed. Serve at once or chill for up to 2 hours.

Sprout Lentils Ingredients

  • Makes 3-4 cups sprouts
  • ½ cup Dried green or brown lentils
  • 2 cups Water

Directions

  1. Place the lentils in a sprouting jar and cover them with the water. Put a sprouting lid on the jar or cover it with piece of mesh or cheesecloth secured with a wide elastic band. Let stand at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. Drain and rinse the lentils thoroughly with cool water.
  2. Place the jar at a 45-degree angle over a saucer (to collect any water that may run off) or in a dish rack. Cover the jar with a tea towel or place the jar away from direct sunlight so the sprouts can grow in the dark.
  3. Rinse and drain the lentils 2 or 3 times a day for 3 to 5 days until a short tail is visible. Store the well drained sprouts in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Authors Notes

Raw vegan diets are hot! They help us to shed excess body weight and they provide an army of protective antioxidants, vitamins and other phytochemicals. Here are a few examples of nutritional benefits, based on the ingredients in the tasty recipe that follows:

  • Corn, orange sweet peppers, and parsley contain the carotenoids zeaxanthin and lutein that help our eyes to filter out harmful light and protect us against macular degeneration and vision loss that can occur as we age.
  • Avocadoes, corn, and yellow sweet peppers contain alpha-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that slows the growth of cancer cells.
  • Tomatoes and red peppers contain lycopene, which gives a red colour protects against cancers of the digestive tract, lungs, prostate, bladder, cervix, and pancreas.
  • Celery, cilantro and parsley contains the flavonoid apigenin, a potent antioxidant that seems to be protective against leukemia and ovarian cancer. Apigenin also has anti-inflammatory activity.
  • Legumes, such as lentils or black beans support our immune system, lower cholesterol levels, decrease blood lipids, lower cancer risks, and lower blood glucose response. The saponins present may also inhibit dental caries,
  • Garlic contains the phytochemical allicin which protects garlic from pests (insects and microorganisms) and us from harmful bacterial. Green onions contain related compounds.
  • Limes with the protective phytochemicals eriodictyol and hesperetin, can defend cells against oxidative injury. In addition, limonen increases the levels of liver enzymes that can help our body to detoxify potential cancer-causing substances.
  • Olive oil contains phytosterols that help to reduce cholesterol absorption and total and LDL cholesterol.
  • Chili peppers contain capsaicin with pain relieving and anti-inflammatory action.
  • Cumin has antioxidant activity due to the presence of the phytochemical ferulic acid.

This recipe for a full meal salad can be 100 percent raw or mainly raw, depending on your choice of sprouted lentils or cooked black beans

Nutritionals (2 cups)

Calories: 479; Total Fat: 31 g; Saturated Fat: 4 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 555 mg; Carbohydrates: 48 g; Fiber: 13 g; Sugar: 13 g; Protein: 9 g; Vitamin A: 64% DV; Vitamin C: 153% DV; Calcium: 6% DV; Iron: 17% DV

Source: “Becoming Raw” by Registered Dietitians Brenda Davis and Vesanto Melina.