The Little Bird Cucumber Avocado

Sometimes all it takes is a few simple high quality ingredients in order to make the perfect sandwich. This sandwich became a customer favorite at The Little Bird instantly. Once you make it and try it, you will see why. My one recommendation is to buy a really high quality extra virgin olive oil. I use a greek koroneiki unfiltered extra virgin olive oil . I swear by this stuff and probably just gave away one of my biggest secrets yet! I wish I could have trademarked this sandwich because it was very unique to The Little Bird and one of the things I think we will always be remembered by!

Half of a ripe avocado (mashed)
2 pieces of sourdough or rye bread
1/2 of kirby cucumber cut into thin slices
a medley of fresh herbs chopped (these may vary , but here I used rosemary, marjoram, thyme, and dill.
1/4 of fresh squeezed lemon juice
course seal salt
black pepper
paprika

Lightly toast the bread. Mash the avocado and spread evenly on both sides. On one half of the bread place the cut cucumbers . On the other half  spread the fresh herbs. On the side with the cucumbers squeeze the fresh lemon juice and then on the other remaining side drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.To finish off sprinkle course sea salt, cracked pepper and paprika.
Shown here as an open faced sandwich but in order to get all the flavors together I recommend serving as a stacked sandwich.

ENJOY!!!

Purple Passion Salad

There is nothing better than a zesty red cabbage vegan slaw on a hot summer's day! The colors are so bright and beautiful that this salad becomes more of an art piece rather than a side dish.
No cooking involved which makes it easy to make and easy to clean up. Also who wants to really turn on the stove in this weather?

1 small head of red cabbage chopped
1/2 cup of chopped curly parsley
1/4 cup of raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup of pitted green and purple olives (i prefer the greek kind)
1 medium size cucumber chopped into quarter pieces
handful of black raisins (optional)

Mix all the ingredients together
In a separate mixing bowl combine the dressing

1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons  of extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon of course sea salt
sprinkle with cracked pepper

Simple Saute Greens and Mushrooms

A simple saute of greens as a  side dish is a standard in my house. It is easy and healthy and can be done in less than 15 minutes.
Saute preferably in a wok over med heat 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of tamari,  and the following ingredients
2 cloves of crushed garlic
2 teaspoons of grated fresh ginger (optional)
1 shallot chopped fine

When it starts to get slightly golden and the garlic begins to soften add:
A medley of mixed mushrooms
Allow to cook for about 3 to 5 minutes before adding
A pound and half of kale (leaves should be bright green)

Allow to cook for at least another 8 minutes or until tender ...
Once finished,  I like to sprinkle with black sesame seeds. Optional as well.

Savor, Enjoy, and Be Healthy

Summer Veggie Lentil Salad and Stir Fry

So lucky that summer is finally here and I get to take advantage of all the local summer veggies. One of my favorite combos is eggplant, summer squash , and zucchini. At the little bird I used to make them grilled on a sandwich. It was one of the customer favorites. Here I chopped them all up and made into a delicious lentil salad. This recipe is really simple and takes no time at all.

1 cup of lentils rinsed and cooked ( set aside and cool down)
1 medium sized eggplant cut into cubes
2 medium sized summer squash
1 medium sized zucchini
1/2 of red onion diced
3 cloves of garlic minced

Mix all ingredients except for the lentils into a mixing bowl with good quality extra virgin olive oil , 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, generous sprinkle of paprika, generous sprinkle of cumin, salt and pepper to taste.

Bake in the oven at 350 for about 35 min or until they look slightly golden brown.
Cool down.

Mix all vegetables with lentils.
Drizzle sparingly with grade b maple syrup.
Add chopped scallions (optional)

And there you have it! Can be served over mesclun greens or used as a side dish. I chose to accompany it with a mix of stir fry veggies that are in season. For a quick and easy stir fry:

Finely Chop 2 cloves of garlic
Simmer on medium heat with sesame oil, and tamari soy sauce.
Add shiitake mushrooms, yellow and orange bell peppers, broccoli, kale, and truly whatever other veggie you desire.
Simmer on medium to low heat for about 10 minutes or until veggies become tender.
Serve over wild or brown rice.