Mixed Baby Greens with Fresh Figs and Pecan Nuts

Raw food does not have to be complicated. "Un-cooking" should be fun and it definitely should simplify your life. If cleaning a juicer three times a day does not appeal to you, a simple salad may be exactly what you need to stay motivated and keep your resolve to follow the raw lifestyle. 

Here is a very simple salad recipe. All you need are baby salad leave, fresh figs, raw pecan nuts and a vinaigrette. To make the vinaigrette I used coconut vinegar, but you can take aged balsamic or raw apple cider vinegar if you do not have coconut vinegar in your pantry. 


Unlike many other coconut products, coconut vinegar does not have a coconut taste. It is enzymatically active, rich in amino acids and the digestion promoting prebiotics.

Remember that adding leafy greens to your diet will help you prevent many diseases including breast cancer. Leafy greens are rich in fiber, folate, flavonoids, saponins, and a wide range of cancer fighting carotenoids including lutein and zeaxanthin. Research shows that carotenoids in leafy greens have the ability to inhibit the growth of certain types of cancer cells, most importantly that of the breast cancer, skin cancer, lung cancer and stomach cancer.

Figs are a great source of vitamin C, vitamin K, B vitamins, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, and a dietary fiber. Studies show that fruit fiber has the ability to lower the risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. Figs also contain high concentration of antioxidants, including flavonoids, anthocyanins, and polyphenols. The riper the fig, the higher its antioxidant concentration.


Ingredients:
  • mixed baby greens - take enough to fill a large bowl (I took baby arugula, baby spinach, and red baby Swiss chard)
  • 4 ripe figs per person
  • 1 cup raw pecan nuts 
  • 1/3 cup cold pressed grape seed oil
  • 1/4 cup coconut vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp raw honey (I took a very strong forest honey from Germany)
  • 1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
  • pinch pink Himalayan salt
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:
  • Wash and clean the baby greens and toss them into a bowl.
  • Wash figs and remove the stems. Cut into quarters.
  • Whisk vinaigrette in a small bowl using all the grape seed oil, vinegar, mustard and honey. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Mix well. 
  • Dress your salad with a vinaigrette, add figs and pecans. Ready!

This is a basic late summer/early fall recipe. It is quick, easy, delicious, and fun to make. You can add some chopped red onion, replace figs with pears or ripe apples and use hazelnuts instead of pecans. Take virgin olive instead of grape seed oil and balsamic vinegar instead of the coconut one. Experiment!

In radiant health - passionately raw - Dominique

Dominique Allmon ©2013

Also of interest: How to Prevent Breast Cancer by Dominique Allmon

*information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.