Featured Recipe: Valentine’s Day – Heart Healthy Salad with Chef Lester Austin

Featured Recipe: Valentine's Day - Heart Healthy Salad with Chef Lester Austin

Join Nature's "Eat Well" Ambassador - Chef Lester Austin as he demonstrates how to prepare a unique and heart healthy salad this Valentine's Day for your special someone.
Prep Time20 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: Fusion, Heart Healthy

Ingredients

Chocolate Ganache:

  • 1/4 Cup "Giddy Yoyo" Raw Vegan Dark Chocolate
  • 1/3 Cup "Earth's Choice" Coconut Milk
  • 1/4 Tsp Black Pepper

Chickpeas:

  • 1 Can "Eden" Organic Chickpeas
  • 2 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Pinch of sea salt
  • 1/4 Tsp Chili Flakes

Dressing:

  • 1 Tbs Avocado Oil
  • 1/4 Tsp Rice Vinegar
  • 1 Tbs Honey
  • 1/2 Tbs Ginger (Grated)

Salad:

  • 1 Container "Kind Organics" Cosmic Blend
  • 5 Organic Strawberries
  • 1 tbs "Nuts for Cheese" Chipotle Cheddar (Grated)

Instructions

  • Place chick peas into a bowl and mix well with olive oil, sea salt and chilli flakes.
  • Bake in a 400F degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.
  • Place coconut milk into small pot and bring up to medium heat (just bubbling).
  • Chop chocolate and place into a bowl. Once milk is heated, pour on top of the chocolate and let it rest for 5 minutes. Add black pepper, mix well and set aside.
  • Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together in your salad bowl.
  • Slice strawberries and add to the bowl along with the cosmic blend.
  • Lightly crush the toasted chickpeas with mortar and pestle and add to the salad bowl.
  • Place some chocolate on a plate in a circular motion and tower your salad on top. Finish by grating some vegan chipotle cheddar on top and decorate the plate to your liking. Enjoy!