Fire Cider Blog — Salads

Our favorite Instagrammer is at it again! This time we've pulled together 3 recipes from @lilsipper that we think would be perfect dishes to share at your next picnic or barbecue.

Cauliflower Ranch Dip

This creamy dairy, sugar, & nut free paleo & keto friendly dip is made with cauliflower! 
Ingredients:
2 cups pureed cauliflower (steam then blend - no added water)
2 Tbsp minced chives
1 Tbsp Fire Cider
3-4 Tbsp vegan / paleo mayo
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 scoops Vital Proteins collagen peptides
1 Tbsp additional minced chives
Method:
- Make sure cauliflower puree is cooled first.
- Add all ingredients except 1 Tbsp minced chives to a blender and blend a few seconds to mix.
- Transfer puree to a large bowl and with a spoon, fold in additional Tbsp of chives. Taste, and adjust spices to preference if needed.
- Serve chilled with desired dipping foods! (It's also great as a sandwich spread and salad dressing!)

Sweet and Spicy "Meat" Balls

These superfood balls using Flora Health fermented greens are packed with protein and you guys won't believe the HEALTHY "sweet and spicy" sauce! 

"Meat" Ball Ingredients:
1, 15 oz can black beans
1, 15 oz can kidney beans
2 scoops Flora Health Green Blend
1 Tbsp Flora Health Beet Crystals
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/3 cup diced onion
3 Tbsp tomato paste or ketchup
1 Tbsp mustard
- Drain and rinse beans and process everything in a food processor until
it sticks together and forms into balls.
Sauce Ingredients:
1/2 cup apple juice
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
4 Tbsp Fire Cider
2 Tbsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp Vital Proteins grass-fed gelatin (green tub)

Method:
- In a sauce pan, heat all ingredients except gelatin on low heat, stirring frequently.
- Once sauce ingredients are well mixed and tahini is "melted", let simmer until it thickens a bit, then (WHILE stirring) add gelatin until all is dissolved.
- Remove sauce from heat and let cool (it will thicken even more).
- Coat sauce in your superfood balls and serve in  butter lettuce cups or keep warm on low in a crockpot for large gatherings.

Taco Pasta Skillet

Don't be deceived! It may look like a lot, but all you have to do is throw it in a pot! Done!
Ingredients:
2 cups Explore Cuisine Chickpea Pasta
1-2 cups pre-cooked (shredded) chicken (or ground turkey/beef or vegan alt.)
1 1/2 cups organic tomato sauce
2 cups Bare Bones Broth
2 Tbsp natural taco seasoning
1/4 cup Fire Cider
1 large fresh tomato, diced
1/2 cup diced onion
Fresh cut corn from 1 ear
1/4 cup sliced black olives
Cilantro to garnish (optional)
Method:
- Soak the chickpea pasta in water a few hours (or you can cook them) and set aside.
- In a large pot, add remaining ingredients and stir over medium heat until it begins to boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for flavors to "mingle".
- The last few minutes of cooking, add pasta and cook just until pasta is warm and serve. It's also delicious cold!

We'll tell you why!

Well, Sheri will tell you.

August is National Sandwich Month

It's hot. Sticky humid wilting weather. And we're definitely not even looking in the direction of our ovens, so we all can get behind a cool nourishing sandwich right about now, yes?

Cue the Egg Salad! If that sounds a little blasé to you, perhaps you've never thought to add a splash of Fire Cider to the mix...instant flava!

A perfect pair- creamy egg salad and Fire Cider.

If you don't have a tried-and-true in your arsenal, we're fans of this Food Network standard. Or how about adding bacon and green olives, like in this Bon Appetit version?

Whether it's your Nana's recipe you loved when you were 8, or something you created just to suit your tastes- seriously, add a splash of Fire Cider. 

You could even plan ahead and pickle your eggs in Fire Cider; then use those spicy, golden pub-favorites in your salad. (Fire Cider staffer Heather has a great recipe that we'll be sharing soon, so stay tuned!) Guaranteed, you're not bored any more. And, you can wait to turn on the oven for another day. Win-win!

Oh yes, add those sprouts, seasonal tomato slices, and leafy green lettuce. This one is served between two slices of rye.

Yes, the salad days are here, and this recipe was inspired by a salad I had at Dottie's Coffee Lounge on North Street a few weeks ago. Jess made a delicious cumin dressing and served it over watercress and bacon bits – it was savory, slightly warm, and I was inspired to try making my own cumin dressing. I used lardons – large chunks of bacon instead of slices for the 'croutons' and as a way to get the most flavor out of the dried whole cumin seeds. This recipe is as much about the ingredients as it is the way you combine them. Letting the raw onion slices mellow in the Fire Cider and lime juice takes some of the sting out of them as well as the lingering aftertaste. So add as many as you like!

• juice of half a lime
• 3 tablespoons of Unsweetened Fire Cider or Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
• about ½ cup thinly sliced red onion
• Salad greens- I used a few big handfuls each of baby kale and spinach
• ½ cup cilantro leaves or more, use them like you would any salad green, no need to chop!
• 2-3 teaspoons whole cumin
• 1/3 cup pork lardons aka chunks, rather than slices, of bacon cut into crouton-sized pieces

Slice the red onion as thinly as possible, add it to your salad bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Add the Unsweetened Fire Cider and lime juice and mix well. Set aside.

Add the sliced lardons and whole cumin to a skillet over medium heat and cook until the lardons are just a bit crispy and have rendered about 1/3-1/2 cup of fat. No need to measure, just make sure you've got about twice as much bacon fat as you do Fire Cider and lime juice. Set a side to cool for a few minutes.

Add the baby kale, spinach and cilantro to your salad bowl and toss to coat with the onion/Fire Cider/lime mixture. Add some black pepper for a little kick!

Now, here's the part where you may want an extra set of hands – You are going to toss the salad while adding all the cumin, rendered warm fat and lardons from your skillet. Toss well. Taste, and add salt and pepper to your liking.

I topped my salad with some baby radish slices for extra crunch.

Enjoy outside with friends for maximum awesome!