Spinach Salad with Pineapple Chile Vinaigrette

Serves 4

• 4 large slices watermelon, cut into triangles (16 pieces)
• 6 cups spinach leaves
• 1 large orange, peeled and sliced into 8 thin rounds
• 1/2 fresh avocado, cut into 8 slices, cut again into cubes
• 16 large canned black ripe olives
• 1/4 cup canned black beans, rinsed
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened pineapple juice
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

1. Toward the back of each serving plate, arrange 4 watermelon triangles.
2. Arrange 1½ cups of spinach in front of the watermelon. Top with 2 slices of orange, 1/4 of the avocado cubes, 4 olives and 1 tablespoon black beans.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice, chili powder and mayonnaise.
4. Drizzle salads with 2 tablespoons of dressing.

Recipe and photo courtesy of the Produce for Better Health Foundation

Our end-of-the-week recipe features a hearty salad that will satisfy summer appetites and enliven fall menus.

Fall is distinctive for dishes that showcase fragrant fruits like pears. The freshest organic produce offers a sensory pleasure that enhances any dining experience.

Wilted Greens With Pinot Pears

Makes 4 servings

• 2 strips bacon
• 2 pears, cored and cut into wedges
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
• 1/2 cup Pinot Noir
• 6 cups chopped greens, such as red Swiss chard
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove from skillet and drain all but 1 tablespoon fat.
2. Add pears, honey and vinegar. Cook 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
3. Stir in wine. Cook until wine is absorbed by pears.
4. Stir in chard. Cook and stir until just barely wilted.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to plates, and top with crumbled bacon and blue cheese.
6. Pair this salad with the same Pinot Noir used in the sauce.

Note: Because you are committed to organic living, OrganicAuthority.com recommends using certified organic foods, when available, in all recipes to maximize flavor and nutrition, while minimizing your risk of exposure to pesticides, chemicals and preservatives.    

Recipe and photo courtesy of Mirassou Winery

Our end-of-the-week recipe is the perfect meal on a hot summer day when you don’t feel like turning on your oven.

On Wednesday, I noted that avocados are a good nutritional choice, as long as you don’t overdo it when snacking on chips and guacamole. But when avocado is the star of the culinary show, you can really appreciate its dietary benefits: One-fifth of a medium avocado has 55 calories, with 3 g monounsaturated and 1 g saturated fat. This means one medium avocado has 275 calories and 25% of your daily limit for saturated fat—not bad if you’re making a meal out of it.

One medium avocado also meets 25% of your daily potassium requirement, 60% of your daily fiber goal and 20% of the following recommended nutrients: vitamin E, riboflavin, vitamin B6, vitamin C and niacin.

California Avocado Grapefruit Salad

Makes 2 servings

2 large avocados
2 ruby red grapefruit (or other sweet variety)
Poppy seed dressing (brand of your choice)
Lettuce leaves

1. Peel and slice avocados. Section grapefruit, removing pulp.
2. Toss avocados and grapefruit with dressing (about 1/3 cup).
3. Serve on lettuce leaves.
4. Optional: As shown in the photo, you can add orange slices and garnish with fresh citrus peel and a sprig of mint before serving.

Note: Because you are committed to organic living, OrganicAuthority.com recommends using certified organic foods, when available, in all recipes to maximize flavor and nutrition, while minimizing your risk of exposure to pesticides, chemicals and preservatives.

Photo courtesy of the California Avocado Commission

Enrico Colavita, a fourth-generation olive oil producer, recommends extra virgin olive oil for salad dressings, steak rubs and marinades because of its superb flavor and aroma. It is produced from freshly harvested olives pressed without the use of chemicals or heat. Straight from the bottle, or combined with coarse salt, crushed peppercorns or fresh herbs, it also makes a superb dipping oil for bread.

Baby Greens with Shallot, Orange & Red Wine Dressing

Total preparation and cooking time: 15 minutes

Makes 4 servings

• 3 tablespoons Cabernet Sauvignon
• 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
• 1 small shallot, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 6 cups mixed baby salad greens

1. Combine wine, orange juice, shallot, orange peel, salt and pepper in large bowl; gradually whisk in olive oil until blended.
2. Add salad greens to bowl; toss to coat evenly.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Colavita Olive Oil and Sutter Home Winery

My sister just renovated her home, and she has a huge new kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances. While she enjoys entertaining, she confessed she had never learned the fundamentals of fine cooking. When a recent recipe called for a pasty blender, she knew about “pastry” and “blenders,” but she had no idea what this handy little accessory looked like.

As we begin a new year, I’m going to devote one week each month to host “Organic Cooking 101.” Each class, which will appear in this blog, will focus on seasonal organic foods, preparation techniques and helpful tips that will raise your culinary IQ. We’ll take one specific recipe and break it down into parts so you can master organic cuisine and incorporate our lessons into your everyday kitchen routine.

Class will be in session next week, Monday through Friday, with the goal of readying you to shop and prepare a special organic dish over the weekend. Our first week’s recipe is a Latin tomato and mushroom soup made from scratch—and perfect for a chilly winter evening. If you’ve never made homemade organic soup, I’ll demystify the process so you’ll have everything you need to succeed.

If you have questions along the way, post them here or email me at organic@journalist.com.

January’s Organic Authority Cooking School

When You Can’t Find Organic Ingredients…
Homemade Organic Tortilla Strips
Cooking with Organic Dried Beans
Hot Trend: Organic Chili Peppers
The Recipe: Latin Tomato and Huitlacoche Soup

Ted Allen’s Leftover Turkey Sandwich

After you wash your Thanksgiving dishes and head to bed with a full stomach, something wonderful awaits the next day: leftovers.

“Thanksgiving is just one day, but we’re definitely going to be enjoying turkey for several days after that,” says Ted Allen, food and wine expert on “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” and author of “The Food You Want to Eat: 100 Smart, Simple Recipes.”

“It’s one of the great pleasures of the holiday,” he continues, “and, of course, we’re going to do that primarily by making turkey sandwiches. So, when you’re shopping for your Thanksgiving dinner, remember to put some sliced bread in the cart.”

Allen has created a special leftover turkey sandwich recipe for the occasion. Note: Because you follow an organic lifestyle, Organic Authority recommends using certified organic ingredients, when available, in all recipes to minimize your risk of exposure to pesticides, chemicals and preservatives.

Ted Allen’s Leftover Turkey Sandwich

2 thick slices of bread, toasted
2 thick slices of leftover roasted turkey
2 tablespoons leftover cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons leftover mashed sweet potato
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage

1. Lay the two slices of toast side by side.
2. Spread the cranberries on one slice and the mashed sweet potato on the other slice.
3. Sprinkle with fresh sage, and place turkey on the cranberry side.
4. Top with the sweet potato side and cut diagonally.

Chef David Lawrence knows that many consumers—even organic cooks who incorporate ample servings of fresh vegetables in their daily diets—have issues with Brussels sprouts.

“They’ve gotten such a bad rap over the years. Many people have bad memories associated with them from childhood, so they automatically assume they don’t like them,” says Chef Lawrence, a Los Angeles-based private chef, cooking instructor and coauthor of “KidShape Café”—a cookbook for parents who want to encourage healthful eating. (Visit his website for more information on the KidShape program.)

“Those same people are really surprised at how good this vegetable can be when it’s roasted at a high temperature and sprinkled with a bit of coarse salt,” he tells Organic Authority. “It’s a completely different taste experience!”

It’s also a very simple cooking technique.

“I just give them a quick rinse, cut off the tough ends and remove any yellow outer leaves,” Chef Lawrence says. “Then it’s as simple as tumbling them onto a large baking sheet and giving them a light drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper. The key is to roast them at a really high temperature until they’re just cooked through and the outer leaves are brown and crisp—about 20 to 25 minutes.”

Here’s his foolproof recipe. Note: Because you follow an organic lifestyle, Organic Authority recommends using certified organic ingredients, when available, in all recipes to minimize your risk of exposure to pesticides, chemicals and preservatives.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

(Makes 6 servings)

1½ lbs. Brussels sprouts
Nonfat olive oil spray
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Wash Brussels sprouts and pat dry on paper towels.
3. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spray lightly with olive oil spray, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
   Roast for 20 to 25 minutes until brown and crisp.
4. Serve immediately.

“Let me assure you these are not those mushy, over-boiled, grayish-green things you remember,” Chef Lawrence says. “They are completely different when they are roasted: sweet and crunchy and—yes, it’s true—tasty.”