OK I have to admit it…I LOVE cookbooks!! I just found another great cookbook and great chef. This recipe comes from La Tartine Gourmande: Recipes for An Inspired Life by Beatrice Peltre, a young french chef using only the freshest and brightest ingredients….I also LOVE simpliity…..using fresh ingredients (and organic whenever possible) and taking delight in their essential flavors..bringing out the best of each…. Here is a simple easy to prepare spicy salad full of complementary textures and crunch, balanced with the sweetness and tartness of sliced apples that goes well on its own or as a side dish with a piece of grilled or steamed fish or chicken or alongside a lovely bean or lentil soup.
Watercress is rich in protective and anti-cancer phytochemicals including beta-carotene, lutein and isothiocyanates. The skin of red apples is rich in the anti-cancer flavonoid quercitin. And black sesame seeds are a rich source of plant lignans which normalize estrogen metabolism so important in hormonal cancers such as breast cancer and prostate cancer. Olive oil is rich in healthy monounsaturated fats and anti-cancer phytochemical oleopurein. It is really easy to eat healthy foods packed with plant chemicals that protect and promote health!!
Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten Free (and Dairy Free if you omit the Feta Cheese)2 servings
Dressing:
- Sea salt and pepper
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
Salad:
- 2 handfuls purple or green watercress
- 1/2 small red apple (Gala or Fuji are good choices), cored, quartered and finely sliced with a mandoline
- 3 pink radishes, finely sliced with a mandoline
- 3 tablespoons feta cheese crumbled
- Black sesame seeds, to sprinkle and to taste
Steps:
- To prepare the dressing: In a bowl, add the ingredients in this order: sea salt, pepper, lemon juice and honey. Whisk in the oil and emulsify; set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss gently the salad ingredients. Add the dressing and toss. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.
Never heard of a mandoline? It is not a musical instrument! It is a simple lovely kitchen utensil that makes it easy to slice and julienne fruits and vegetables. Sometimes you will find that your grater has a large slit for this purpose. If you don’t have the proper tool, just use a sharp paring knife to make very thin slices.
photo credit Beatrice Peltre
