Monday, August 11, 2014

Almond Berry Avocado Disappearing Salad! GF, V, SCD, BED & Paleo!

Hey guys!

My apologies, it has been waaay too long! I've been going on hyper speed for the past couple weeks.

Wishing I could slow down for a bit and take in another Wisconsin sunset! *sigh*



Looks like this will have to do ;)



Next up: life update!! (but first -- sneak peak of this fab recipe)




Some excitement to share with y'all! Last week, I had my birthday, as well as my graduation, & I shot an NFL commercial! It was a really busy yet awesome week!


Here's yours truly at the shoot :D Go Bengals!



And tonight, I wanted to share with you one of my absolute favorite recipes from this summer....my Almond Berry Avocado Disappearing Salad! And why do you ask, is it called the disappearing salad?! Welllll....let's just say it's so delicious that it's gone in no time! ohh I'm such a cheese ball :D haha



But seriously...this salad was my favorite dish that I made this summer. I make it at least twice a week. It has become a staple.




And it's Gluten Free, Vegan, Specific Carb Diet friendly, and Paleo!



Here's what you need:

Serves 2 hungry folks

1 red bell pepper, sliced very thin
1 cucumber, sliced thin on a mandolin
2 large carrots, sliced thin
1/2 red onion, sliced very thin
1/4 - 1/2 cup blueberries
7 strawberries, sliced
3-4 Tbsp cilantro, minced
3 Tbsp chopped almonds
3 Tbsp pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
sprinkle of sunflower seeds
baby spinach

Dressing
1 ripe avocado
juice of one lime
1Tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 drops pure liquid stevia alcohol free
2 Tbsp water
Pinch salt




Chop all your veggies either on a mandolin (carefully!) or with a sharp knife. Mix your dressing together in a small bowl or food processor. (I just used a bowl). Mix until it is a creamy dressing-like consistency. Toss the fruit, nuts, and veggies with the dressing in a large bowl until well coated. Top a bed of baby spinach with a large helping of the salad. Garnish with almonds, pepitas, and sunflower seeds (and more dressing if desired). Eat chilled.



My goodness, this salad is SO easy, SO delicious, and SO addicting!! There's something about the creamy buttery avocado dressing with the sweet and juicy blueberries/strawberries, the crunchy almonds and the fresh cilantro make this salad irresistible!




My family got to try this when I debuted it in Wisconsin, and my mom declared that this was her favorite meal I made all week.



It's cool and crunchy, sweet, tangy, and completely and utterly satisfying. And its unbelievably healthy too! Lots of protein from the nuts and seeds, healthy fats from the avocado, antioxidants from the berries, and wholesome nutrition from the veggies!



Finally, it is just gorgeous with all the bright colors. Red, orange, lime green, dark green, blue and purple! In one word---fabulous!! :D

What are you looking forward to this week?

Also -- what did you guys think of the finale of the Bachelorette? Can you believe that she chose Josh??!! I kinda saw it coming...I mean come on, he's from her hometown!

12 comments:

  1. Happy Belated Birthday Caralyn! And congrats on the graduation and the commercial! You look beautiful :) And so does this salad! Another beautiful, fresh, vibrant recipe :) I hope you are having a great summer!

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  2. Thank you so much Sarah! :D i know it was a gangbusters week! haha (i love that word :) ) you too! i hope august is treating you well! thanks for stopping by! hugs!

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  3. That Salad looks like a major extravaganza. I can see why your mother named it her favorite.

    Great job landing a commercial!

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    1. Thank you Shen! Yes, a major extravaganza it was indeed:D and thanks! Have a great weekend! glad you stopped by!

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  4. Yes to all the salad! I love the idea of mixing it up with multiple berries and avocado and nuts -- so rich and filling and complex. Yay!

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    1. Thank you Eileen! Yeah, the mix of sweet, salty, and avocado-y was really tasty!! :D thanks for stopping by! have a great weekend!

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  5. Ha, what a fun title for this salad! :) Thanks for sharing all of your great news and lovely photos, and enjoy the rest of your summer!

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    1. Thank you Carol! i appreciate that:D and same to you -- it's hard to believe that the summer is winding down! where did it go?!?? Thanks for your comment! have a great afternoon!

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  6. Congratulations on graduating Caralyn! Glad to see you back :) I LOVE your food, it's how we eat! Hope the acting goes well :)

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    1. Thank you so much Vicky! I appreciate that:) I hope you and your fam have been enjoying the recipes! Thanks for stopping by! Happy Sunday! :)

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  7. Congrats on graduating and Happy Belated Birthday :D
    This salad looks amazing! Love fruit on salad and I still have lots of strawberries and blueberries at home. I'll have to give this a try!

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  8. Thanks so much Vanessa! So glad you stopped by. Enjoy your evening!

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Thanks for the comments! They make my day!