Cooling Cucumber and Pear Salad (vegan)

This salad is so so so good, because you have the crunch of cucumber and the sweetness of the pear.
Traditionally it is not a combo, but works so well together.
I add butter for a extra sweetness to the rice.

Just a refreshing salad for hot days.
I like making salads, because you can eat them as a light meal or add them to a main meal!
I have just rediscovered pears in the past months, and WOW what I was missing!
I used to purchase pears to hard and they never ripened :(
So I would end up with a hard tasteless pear, no more!!
When buying pears, pick ones with a slight give, they will finish ripening in a few days:)


Cooling Cucumber and Pear Salad


2 1/2 cups rice (still warm)
1 large pear (diced)
1 medium cucumber(diced, I remove my seeds)
1/2  parsley (chopped)
2 Tablespoons butter (vegan)
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
sea salt to taste
curls of cheese(vegan)

Mix together cucumber, pear add the parsley, pour in the lemon juice,and a pinch of sea salt. let stand 10 minutes.
When rice is still warm mix in the butter and let cool to room temperature.
Then add the cucumber mixture with more sea salt to taste
Finish with curls of cheese!

                                                                 Birch Life

Creamy rice textured salad with a hint of fennel flavor (vegan)

I like making this dish because it is soooooooo yummy and creamy. It can be very difficult to find vegan recipes true creamy texture. The recipe has fennel in it when you saute it has a soft and creamy texture.  If you have never tried fennel flavor it tastes of anise, when you cook it becomes milder.

Creamy rice fennel salad

4 cups of pre-made rice
1 bulb of fennel ( chopped to desire size)
1/2 of stack of leek ( chopped fine)
3 generous Tablespoons of  mayonnaise (vegan)
1/4 cup of milk ( I used oat milk)
1/2 cup of chopped or torn parsley
2 Tablespoons of butter (vegan)
sea salt to taste

In a saute pan add the butter melt then add the leeks, cook 1 minute, add the fennel saute until
light brown( put a cover on the pan). If  it becomes dry in the pan add water just to cover the bottom, but not to much.
Cook 5- 7 minutes.
In large bowl add the mayonnaise and milk and pinch of  sea salt, mix until combined.
Then add rice and fennel mixture mix until creamy, add more sea salt to taste.( if you want more flavor you can make the rice with a bouillon cube).
Add parsley
Of course you can make it vegan or not whatever you eat!

Side note you can omit the mayonnaise, and replace it with plain yogurt.
Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                   Birch Life