Awhile back, I posted about our trip to Cafe Gratitude and my obsession with their “I am Accepting” rice bowl. I never did try to make it at home…until today! I’ve been craving kale and salty things…so I meandered around the web for awhile to find a dressing that suited my fancy. And I must say, it turned out pretty close to the real thing! I just used what I had on hand…but this can be made with so many  different ingredients.

I cooked up some brown rice and added some chopped raw kale while it was still a bit steamy. Then I added:

• nori
• cucumber
• avocado (the creamy mild flavor cut the saltiness of the seaweed and miso nicely)
• hemp seeds

Then I made this dressing:

During the week in the summer, this is my typical lunch. A big yummy salad. Someday I would love to have my own garden and grow all of this myself. This particular salad consisted of:

*Romaine hearts
*Kale
*Summer squash
*Cucumber
*Tomatoes
*Avocado
*Walnuts
*Raisins
*Flax oil

Most of the time I keep the dressing simple. I just splash a little olive oil, balsamic and raw agave nectar on it and it’s good to go. When I’m feeling more ambitious, I whip up some vinaigrette. My absolute favorite dressing of all time is this one:

Balsamic Vinaigrette
Living Cuisine: The Art and Spirit of Raw Foods
Renee Underkoffler

6 T extra virgin olive oil
3 T balsamic vinegar
1 T apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 T maple syrup or raw honey
1 T nama shoyu
1 T white miso
1-2 cloves galic
1/4 cup chopped parsley
2 t oregano
Sun-dried sea salt to taste

In a blender, blend all ingredients until smooth. Store in a glass jar in refrigerator. Keeps for 3-4 days. To re-use, add a little water and shake.