Healthy can be delicious! Just try these 7 Fertility Diet side-dishes, you won’t be sorry! These Fertility Diet side-dish recipes are packed with ingredients that are fresh, seasonal and nutrient dense. It’s summer here, that means the ingredients in these recipes can be found at many farmers markets, which means that you are going to consume freshly picked foods at the peak of nutrition. Good nutrition is essential to healthy fertility!

1. Smoked Salmon Summer Salad Rolls with Sweet Mustard Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. smoked Alaskan Salmon, flaked off with a fork into chunks
2 large avocados
20 rice paper rounds, 6 or 8 inch diameter
10 green lettuce leaves, washed and dried
2 large carrots shredded
1/2 cucumber, cut into thin strips

For the sauce:

1 Tbsp. Rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. tamari (soy sauce)
1/4 tsp. powdered Stevia
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
Juice from 1/2 lime

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients for Sweet Mustard Sauce in a small bowl. Stir until well combined and all ingredients are emulsified. Set aside.
2. Halve, pit avocado. Slice into 1/4 inch thick slices. Scoop out with a large spoon. Set aside.
3. Fill a wide shallow bowl with warm water. Lay out a clean kitchen towel next to bowl. Dip 1 rice paper into water for 3 seconds or until softened. Remove from water and lay flat on kitchen towel. Dip a second rice paper in water until softened. Lay directly on top of first rice paper. Using another clean towel, pat the rice paper dry.
4. Center 1 lettuce leaf on rice papers. 1/3 from the edge, lay down a small row of the remaining ingredients. Be sure not to overstuff because you won’t be able to roll and close them.
5. Lift the bottom edge and fold up over the bottom of the filling. Do the same for the top edge. Fold one side over the filling and tuck in. Continue to roll into a tight cylinder. You can use a little rice vinegar to close the seam. Repeat for remaining 9 rolls.
6. Lay 10 rolls seam side down and slice each roll in half. Arrange on a serving plate and serve with Sweet Mustard Sauce.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma New Flavors for Appetizers, by Amy Sherman (Oxmoor House, 2008).

2. Simple Melon Berry Salad

Ingredients:

1 cup red seedless grapes
1 cup blueberries
1 pint golden raspberries or regular raspberries
1/2 of a cantaloupe melon, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes

Lightly toss all ingredients in a bowl and serve.

3. Super Delicious Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa, chilled
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 green onions, sliced to 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cups edamame
1 1/2 cups shredded carrot

Dressing:

3/4 cup natural crunchy peanut butter
3 Tablespoons gluten free tamari (soy sauce)
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
pinch of Thai red chili
1 Tablespoon honey or agave syrup
1 teaspoon olive or sesame oil to thin dressing, if needed

Directions:

1. Cook quinoa as directed, set aside to cool or put in freezer to cool quickly
2. In a small bowl combine all ingredients for dressing, whisk together. Set aside.
3. Prep all ingredients for salad.
4. In a large serving bowl add all ingredients for salad. Mix well. Pour dressing over the entire salad. Toss well and serve.

Adapted from Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing {vegan, gluten-free}. www.ambitiouskitchen.com

4. Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

2 ripe mangoes, peeled, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 medium ripe, slightly firm tomato, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Lime juice from 1/2 lime

Lightly toss all ingredients and serve.

Want to add a fun twist? Add 6 large chopped strawberries!

Delicious on fish or chicken tacos or on top of grilled salmon! Great with organic corn chips as well!

5. Portobello Lettuce Burgers

Ingredients:

4 large portobello mushroom caps, wiped clean, stem removed
8-16 large iceberg lettuce leaves (some like 4 lettuce leaves, 2 on each side)
4 large slices tomato
slices of onion
condiments of choice: ketchup, mustard, mayo, bbq sauce, pickles, etc.

Marinade:

6 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tamari (soy sauce)
juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:

1. In a small bowl combine ingredients for marinade, whisk and set aside.
2. Lay mushroom caps top down in a shallow baking dish. Pour marinade all over them. Turn each mushroom over and rub other side in marinade until well coated. Cover and let sit for 15-20 minutes.
3. While mushrooms are marinating, heat grill to medium. May also be broiled.
4. Once grill is hot, grill mushrooms for about 3-5 minutes on each side. Grill until slightly tender. Remove from grill.
5. Serve just as you would a hamburger, lay each portobello mushroom between two lettuce leaves. Pile with condiments and eat up!

6. Sweet Potato Zucchini Pancakes with Eggs and Yogurt Sauce

Fritter Ingredients:

2 small sweet potatoes, or garnet yams, peeled
2 small zucchini
1/2 medium onion, peeled
1 cage free egg, beaten
1/4 cup whole wheat flour or gluten free flour mix (Pamela’s or Bob’s Red Mill is great)
1 tsp. sea salt
fresh ground pepper, to taste
coconut oil for cast iron skillet
4-8 additional cage free eggs for topping fritters

Yogurt Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole fat organic plain yogurt
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. lemon zest
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic scape finely chopped

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients for yogurt sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. In a food processor, shred the sweet potatoes, zucchini and onion. Toss with salt. Set aside for 10 minutes. 3. Pour mixture onto 2 paper towels or cheesecloth and lightly squeeze out excess water. In a mixing bowl combine the shredded vegetables, egg, flour and pepper.
4. Heat cast iron skillet to medium high. Melt about 1-2 Tbsp. coconut oil, spread all around bottom of skillet. Add a 2 Tbsp. scoop of mixture to skillet, press down to make a patty. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side.
4. When done lay each patty on a paper towel lined plate. Keep fritters in a warm oven until ready to serve.
Wipe out cast iron skillet. Add in more coconut oil, make 4-8 over easy fried eggs. When eggs are done serve on the side of the fritters, or on top of fritter. Add a dallop of yogurt sauce on top of fritters as well.

Adapted from Pas de Deux Blog. Zucchini Sweet Potato Fritters. www.pasdedeuxblog.com

4. Oyster Mushroom & Garlic Scape Saute

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. fresh oyster mushrooms sliced 1/2 inch thick
4 garlic scapes, also known as garlic curls, cut into 2 inch long sections
6 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1/2 medium sweet onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
3 Tablespoons organic butter

Directions:

7. Over medium heat, in a stainless steel skillet, add 2 Tablespoons butter, onion and garlic. Saute, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent.
2. Add in garlic scapes, mushrooms and remaining butter. Saute until garlic scapes become bright green and mushrooms become tender when pierced with a fork.

Note: If butter begins to smoke, heat is too high, reduce heat.