Take a glance at Jennifer Marziali’s Instagram feed and the first thing you’ll notice is veggies … lots of them. Jennifer has had a lifelong love affair with whole foods and even calls the farmers market her happy place!
“My passion for food and high-quality ingredients has been deeply embedded in me from a very young age,” she says. “I grew up in Italy and a lot of my days were centered on gardening and learning from the best cooks around — my grandma and my dad.”
This passion led Jennifer to start sharing her intuitive eating style, recipes, and traveling culinary adventures online. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in health sciences and is in the process of becoming a registered dietitian nutritionist.
Jennifer whips up everything from smoothie bowls to homemade donuts, and every recipe is based on an inspiring nutritional philosophy. “The aspect of nutrition that is most important to me is that every single time you eat, it is an opportunity to nourish your body; it is the greatest form of self-respect.”
Beans are an important part of this nourishing way of eating. “I encourage others to incorporate dry beans into their diet to help support their health,” she says. “Dry beans are an incredible, nutrient-dense food containing many vital nutrients for our bodies such as protein, fiber, zinc, iron, and antioxidants.”
Jennifer’s favorite bean is, of course, an Italian staple. “Although I love all types of beans so much, my favorite to cook with is probably the garbanzo bean,” she says. “I love to make my own hummus or add them to my salads, bowls, and soups.”
Jennifer paired her go-to garbanzos with some of her farmers market favorites for a salad that’s bursting with flavors, colors, and good-for-you ingredients.
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Find the recipe here:
Salmon and Garbanzo Salad
For the salad:
3 ounces fresh smoked salmon
2 cups mixed greens
¼ cup carrots, shredded
5-6 heirloom baby tomatoes
½ cup garbanzo beans
½ avocado, sliced
½ tablespoon raw, shelled hemp seeds
½ tablespoon nutritional yeast
For the dressing:
¼ cup olive oil
1/8 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper, to taste
Whisk dressing ingredients together and set aside. Mix the greens, carrots, tomatoes, hemp seeds, and nutritional yeast together in a small bowl. Dress with oil and vinegar mixture. Place smoked salmon on top of the dressed veggies and arrange the avocado next to the salmon. Enjoy!
