I LOVE SALAD.
Now I know what you’re thinking…
“Who loves salad? It’s just a sneaky way that parents world wide came up with hiding vegetables!”
So I guess I better be transparent so that you’re not disillusioned: I also love vegetables (more on that another time). But I will clarify my love of salad…
I love SASSY salad. Salad with character. Salad that dares to be different. Salad that stares at you from your plate igniting your imagination, bombarding you with colour and begging you to dig in. Goodness, I’m getting excited just thinking about it!
This summer I ate a lot of salad. It’s a summer staple for me really. But because we were house sitting most of the time, and busy with work and play, our salads generally consisted of a bunch of spinach compiled with peppers and tomatoes and finished with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Pretty plain. Pretty boring.
So now that I’m back at school and in my own (albeit new) kitchen, with my own pantry to chose from and the grocery store a stone’s throw away, I have been indulging deliciously sassy salads!
At first I thought I’d write a post compiled with some different pictures and call it a day. But there is far too much fun to be had in salad so it will have to come in a few parts.
First up:
(As usual, get creative! I give full permission to go nuts with your own substitutions…we all know I never follow recipes by the book either!)
2-3 leafs romaine lettuce torn into pieces, washed and spun in a salad spinner
1/3 green bell pepper, chopped
1/3 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1/2 roma tomato, chopped
1/2 ripe avocado, chopped
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp dried cranberries (unsweetened)
A sprinkle of sesame seeds
Layer peppers, tomato and avocado over the bed of lettuce. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds and cranberries overtop, followed by the sesame seeds. Top with your dressing of choice (see today’s below).
Makes a large salad for one, or a small salad for two.
Mum’s Special French Dressing
1/4 organic liquid honey
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup oil
1/2 white vinegar
Combine all ingredients in a glass jar and shake to combine. If the honey is being stubborn and refusing to mingle with the others, throw the jar (without the metal lid!) in the microwave for ten seconds, or use a small whisk.
Refrigerate leftover dressing so that it’s on hand for your next sassy salad!
An Appetite for Running 