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Went to spend a week in Israel. This is my second trip in this country. Fell in love with the place last year and went back a few weeks ago with my husband and a few friends. We started in Jerusalem where we spent 2 days. The old city is of course, quite impressive and yes, I went to put a piece of paper in the Western Wall! But what moved me the most was the YAD VA SHEM commemoration museum. Wow, had a few tears in remembrance of the 2 million kids that died during the Holocaust. My favorite restaurant in Jerusalem…Manheyooda…be prepared to over eat which is exactly what I did!

We moved quite a bit in Israel…visited the Jordan Sea, went to the border of Lebanon and Syria and spent the last 3 days in Tel Aviv. What a place! I love the beach, the Jaffa Port and the architecture. More over, I like the fact that the city doesn’t sleep. The cafés and the restaurants are always buzzing and may I tell you how well we ate! I had to pay an extra weight on my way back because I had gained too many pounds on the trip. Here are my 3 favorite restaurants in Tel Aviv: Social Club ( order the Tuna Tartar), Taizu Restaurant ( order EVERYTHING) and Kalimera ( in JAFFA).

I love to cook and summer is the perfect time to explore and try new recipes. Why? Because, you get to cook with fresh produce and if you mess up your recipe, you can easily cook something else on the BBQ!!!! The other day, I went to my neighbor Tanja’s house to bring back something and she had just finished preparing her supper…a huge salad that looked amazing. I went home after and could not stop thinking about her salad. SO, I asked her for the recipe and made it 2 days later when my brother and sister-in-law where at home for supper. It was DELICIOUS! This salad was sooooo good that we made it again a few days later. Even my sister-in-law that is more a meat lover than a veggie lover prepared it a week after. Here it is because I wanted to share it with you too. It’s from the Edible Perspective website! Let me know what you think! This is a picture of my salad.

Chopped Kale Salad gluten-free, vegan //
yields 3 meal-sized salads or 6-8 side salads

• 1/2lb asparagus
• 1 head kale, de-stemmed + finely chopped
• 3 cups chopped cabbage
• 3 radishes
• 2 bell peppers
• 1 green zucchini
• 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa, chilled
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed + drained
• 1-2 avocados, sliced
• red onion, thinly sliced
• 2-3 portabella mushrooms, sliced
• 2 teaspoons sunflower oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1. Make the dressing recipe first to allow flavors to develop while preparing the salad.
2. Trim the asparagus ends, chop into bite-sized pieces, and steam until just tender. About 7 minutes depending on the thickness. Place in an ice bath to chill, then drain + pat dry.
3. For the mushrooms: Add the oil to a pan over medium heat. Once hot, place the sliced mushrooms in the pan and add the 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar. Cook until tender, about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place on a plate and let cool fully.
4. Thinly slice then chop the radishes, pepper, and zucchini.
5. Place the kale and cabbage in a large mixing bowl and toss with desired amount of dressing. Massage until tender.
6. Add the chilled asparagus, radishes, pepper, zucchini, quinoa, and chickpeas in the bowl and toss with the greens. Add more dressing if needed.
7. Serve in large bowls with cooled mushrooms, sliced avocado, sliced red onion, pepper, sesame seeds, etc. Add more dressing if desired.

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Creamy Almond Ginger Dressing

• 5 tablespoons creamy almond butter
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2-3 teaspoons gluten-free tamari, or soy sauce
• 2 1/2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon grated garlic
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2-3 tablespoons water

1. Place all ingredients, excluding the water, into a jar and shake with the lid on until fully combined and creamy. It is important to use grated ginger + garlic, not minced. I use my microplane zester for this.
2. Add water slowly to thin out and shake to combine. Dressing will thicken as it sits. Taste and adjust if needed.