Of course everyone knows that salads are usually a healthy option, but when they are not drenched in creamy dressing they can get pretty bland and boring. One way I like to mix them up is with puffed grains, they add some interesting texture and a unique lightness. Plus, I find that the addition avocado and other fruits highly increase my desire to eat a salad (along with increasing my intake of vitamins). Continue Reading →
Strawberry Pecan Salad
This is one of my most beloved summer meals. I recommend getting fresh greens, ideally from a local farm or market because the leaves are so tender and soft when they are just picked. The maple and balsamic in the dressing really accentuate the sweetness of the strawberries and the buttery pecans add a grounding earthy flavor. Continue Reading →
Crispy Prawns with Citrus Poppyseed Cucumber Salad
It’s an exciting day, I had my first round of ripe cherry tomatoes from the garden! There weren’t many yet but they make a good addition to this cucumber salad which is very refreshing and nicely balances out the crispy prawns. Which, by the way are sooo good, they kind of taste like popcorn shrimp, except that they are much healthier than the original which usually calls for larger quantities of nutrient devoid refined oil and a thick white flour based coating. Continue Reading →
Mexican Bean Salad
This is a very vibrant salad with lots of different vitamins and nutrients. The beans are a great source of folate, calcium, potassium and B vitamins. They are very dense and help your body utilize leptin, a hormone that signals to your brain that you are satiated. A salad like this a more food safe option for BBQs than mayonnaise based or dairy heavy salads, because it can sit out longer. Continue Reading →
Broccoli Bacon Salad
Once upon a time I went vegan for a few years. During that period green vegetables made up a large component of my regular diet. I fell in love with them all, except for raw broccoli. This salad definitely changes that. In the winter I like to use raisins for this but since it is summer, grapes make a very good substitute. This can be made the day before serving because it is even better after some time in the fridge to marinate. Continue Reading →
Beery Lobster Potato Salad
This is a bit of a weird combination, but it features two of my favorite foods (potatoes and lobster), and it makes for a nicely indulgent but unpretentious meal. It can be served warm like a German potato salad or served cold like an American one and it’s even better on the second day. Continue Reading →
No Peanut Pad Thai Salad
This is a more western version of Pad Thai, without the usual fish sauce and tamarind paste but it makes a satisfying summer salad. Don’t get me wrong, I love peanuts even though they are nut imposters- they are actually legumes. Now I don’t have any qualms with legumes either, but I try to avoid peanuts because they are highly prone to developing aflatoxin. As scary as it sounds, aflatoxins are naturally occurring but carcinogenic mycotoxins produced by a fungus that likes to contaminate peanuts.
Cornmeal Crusted Potatoes and Sausage with Caesar Kale
Potatoes are one of my absolute favorite foods and I find this to be one of the best ways to cook them. They stay soft and fluffy on the inside while getting crispy on the outside. The sausage also imparts lots of flavor and it is important to get a good quality one without a ton of cheap additives like soy, dairy products, wheat and MSG. I like to use dinosaur kale for the salad because it is a very rich dark green but you can use any kind of kale or the traditional romaine. Continue Reading →
Tabbouleh en Beige
Tabbouleh is a traditional Middle Eastern salad, usually very green with much more parsley. This version is predominantly beige from the millet with little specs of green, but I promise it is not lacking in taste. I like to use millet instead of the more traditional bulgur since it is gluten free and very rich in several important nutrients including iron, magnesium and phosphorus. Continue Reading →
Exotic Yam Chickpea Salad
A little bit Moroccan and a little bit Thai, this salad is light but filling. Continue Reading →