Spring Mint Salad Plus Some Fun Announcements

Spring has finally arrived, and with it, the cold. While we're experiencing April showers over here in Seattle (what else is new?), my hometown of Florence, Massachusetts is under a winter alert. Spring has brought with it an expected six to ten inches of snow. Go figure!

So while I made this spring mint salad a few weeks back on a sunny day, I'll probably actually be eating soup today while wishing for warmth. My parents will certainly be needing some cozy, snow day dishes, so for my rainy and/or snowbound readers, you can stop by The Gluten-Free Homemaker for this month's roundup of Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten-Free Soups.

If you're lucky enough to live where the sun shines year round (like my sisters in San Diego and Los Angeles), you'll be more in the mood for a light salad flavored with fresh mint and the hint of citrus. This salad is delicious as a side dish, but can also double as a main dish if you add some wild rice and your protein of choice (hint: I would go with shrimp or tofu).

Just be aware that this salad has apple cider vinegar, so it's best eaten in a day or two. It doesn't go bad after that...rather the vegetables start to pickle, which tastes delicious to me, but might not be the flavor you're going for. On the other hand, it might be...in which case, let it sit in the fridge for a few days!


















Spring Mint Salad
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Ingredients:
1/2 red cabbage, chopped (approx. 4-5 cups)
1/2 green cabbage, chopped (approx. 4-5 cups)
1 apple, diced
1 carrot, shredded
1 cup packed fresh mint, chopped
3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 tsp. powdered stevia (sub: 1 Tbsp. honey)
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Directions:
Toss the vegetables together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, stir the olive oil, vinegar, orange juice, stevia, and salt. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss to coat. Refrigerate for a few hours to let the flavors meld*.  *This salad will taste delicious the next day, but if it stays in the fridge longer than that, the vegetables will start to pickle. The pickling is very mild, and I really enjoyed it, but eat within a day if you want it to retain its original fresh flavor.

And now for some fun announcements: 

April means it's the official start of April in the Raw. All month long, my fellow bloggers and I will be posting raw-inspired dishes to welcome the Spring harvest. Brittany starts us off today with a fabulous recipe at Real Sustenance. I'll be posting my raw recipe on April 24th, which is coincidentally, Easter Sunday. Of course, that means I've got all month to come up with a raw Easter recipe...and if the blank I'm drawing is any indication, I'll need the whole month to figure it out! But while you're waiting, you can check out some of my older raw-inspired recipes:

Raw Pumpkin Cheese Pie
Raw Carrot Cupcakes with Coconut Cashew Frosting 
Fruit and Nut Truffles
Banana Ice Cream with Blueberry Sauce
Coconut Banana Sundae 
Raw Pasta with Tomato Basil Sauce 
Garbanzo Bean Guacamole
Simple Cucumber Salad and Cabbage Smoothie
Blueberry Smoothie
Green Power Smoothie
Pineapple Smoothie

"Help Japan" Vegan Blogger Bake Sale
When a traumatic event occurs, whether it's on a small-scale or something larger like the earthquakes in Japan, we're all left with a sense of helplessness and uncertainty. How can we possibly help when we're so far away? It oftens feels easier to tune it out and do nothing. Yet if there's one thing I've noticed, it's the amazing ability the blogging community has to step in and be proactive. We have a voice, and some of us have the potential to be heard around the globe. One blogger in particular that is always stepping in to help is the darling Katie of Chocolate Covered Katie. With often up to 20,000 readers daily, Katie can make a difference, and she's asking us to be a part of it. On April 5th, Katie will be hosting a vegan blogger bake sale to benefit The Red Cross efforts in Japan.

How can you help? If you have a delicious vegan recipe you'd like to make and donate, you can check Katie's post here for details on how to join in on the bake sale. I'll be making a batch of my vegan cinnamon snickerdoodles (gluten-free of course), and sending them to the highest bidder. So on April 5th, please stop by Chocolate Covered Katie and peruse all the options you could bid on. Your money will go directly to The Red Cross, and the food will come directly to your house. It's a win-win situation!

And finally, I have to mention my excitement at having my pizza crust reviewed by Gluten Free Gigi this week! I made this crust a little over a year ago, and spent countless hours on different variations until I was satisfied. When Alea of Gluten-Free Flavorfull told me my crust was a staple at her house, I was shocked. (Despite doing this for two years, I usually think that no one actually tries my recipes). This week, Gigi gave me the ultimate compliment that her husband had said he wouldn't have known it was gluten-free. I'm pretty sure that's as good as it gets!

p.s. This recipe calls for eggs, but I made a vegan version recently if you're not feeling the whole egg thing.

And that's all for today's announcements. If you can, please spread the word about Katie's vegan bake sale via twitter, Facebook, a blog if you have one, or that old-fashioned way, word of mouth.