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1 teaspoon agave nectar, or to taste

½ teaspoon Dijon or stone-ground mustard

¼ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

½ teaspoon soy sauce

1. Combine the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Prepare the kiwi dressing by blending all of the dressing ingredients well. Adjust the amount of agave nectar, depending on the sweetness of the kiwis.

2. Gently toss the dressing with the salad and enjoy.

Variations

• Add 2 tablespoons of toasted macadamia nuts or pine nuts to this salad (see page 26).

• Feel free to add your favorite vegetables, or try adding Pan-Seared Oyster Mushrooms (page 178).

• When persimmons aren’t in season, try slicing up a pear, one small mango, or about one-quarter of a pineapple.

Super Foods for Health

Arugula is a somewhat spicy, lemon peppery-flavored dark leafy green. It is a plant-based source of calcium that is loaded with such nutrients as vitamins C, A, and K.

Quicker and Easier

For a quick salad, try 1 cup of halved cherry tomatoes on a small bed of arugula, topped with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

WARM SPINACH SALAD

Having organic prewashed spinach on hand makes this dish a whiz to prepare. The unusual delight of a warm salad generates many oohs and aahs from family and friends. We do recommend adding the tempeh bacon to give it an authentic flare.

SERVES 4

4 strips tempeh bacon (optional)

(You can use Fakin’ Bacon by Lightlife or

follow recipe on page 57 if you have more time.)

8 cups prewashed spinach, lightly packed

4 cremini mushrooms, sliced thinly

¼ cup thinly sliced red onion

2 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced into whole circles

1½ tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon agave nectar

1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons water

½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste

¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

½ cup chopped walnuts

3 tablespoons olive oil

1. If adding the tempeh bacon or Fakin’ Bacon, preheat the oven or toaster oven to 400°F. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Flip, and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and chop into small pieces.

2. Place the spinach in a large mixing bowl with the mushrooms, onion, and tomato.

3. Place the vinegar, agave nectar, mustard, water, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and whisk well.

4. Place the walnuts in a small sauté pan over medium heat and dry-toast for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the olive oil and the tempeh bacon, if using, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add to the bowl with the liquids and mix well. Pour this into the large bowl with the spinach and gently toss well.

Tips and Tricks

Be sure to soak the spinach in water, rinse, and drain well if it’s fresh from the market or garden. Dirt has a clever way of attaching itself to spinach and creating a gritty texture that will overshadow the delightful flavors of the dish.

Variations

• Add fresh veggies of your choosing to the salad, such as shaved fennel or diced chile peppers.

• Add green apple slices for a sweet and tart twist.

• Replace the walnuts with pecans or pine nuts.

• You can sauté the mushrooms before adding to the salad. Add them to the pan after adding the olive oil and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

• Replace the red wine vinegar with balsamic vinegar or your favorite.

If You Have More Time

Add Crunchy Croutons (page 279), Gomasio (page 278), or roasted tofu or tempeh cubes (see page 28) to your salads.

RAINBOW KALE SALAD

Raw kale may seem odd, but once you wrap your mind around the idea, you will be astounded at how delightful it is, especially if you allow time for the dressing to soak in and soften the leaves (see Tips and Tricks). You will soon be out proselytizing its majesty at your next potluck.

SERVES 4

6 cups lightly packed kale, stems removed

¼ cup seeded and diced red bell pepper

¼ cup seeded and diced yellow bell pepper

½ cup grated carrot

½ cup thinly sliced red cabbage

Dressing

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice