Whoever coined the term “Culinary Arts” was on to something…
Mother Nature has blessed us with a colorful bounty of nutritious and delicious goodness and when it comes to salads, more is better…as in more color, more ingredients, and therefore more nutrients. This week I was feeling inspired by the rainbow of hues at our local market and, as I always do, was trying to find new ways to make my meals go the distance. I only have one day a week available for meal prep and therefore I employ the KISS method (Keep It Simple Sweetheart); a side of quinoa from dinner the night before becomes a “thickener” in an egg bake the following morning; leftover roasted vegetables become the topper on a rich green salad; leftover cut fruit is frozen into single serving size bags and used in our daily Shakeology smoothie. You get the idea. So, in an effort to make my leftover “grains” go the distance, and incorporate the beautiful spring fruits and vegetables in season, I went to my most reliable resource for food inspired works of art: www.halfbakedharvest.com . I can’t take credit for these recipes but I can share them with you and encourage you to create your own works of art, making substitutions based on what you currently have in your fridge/pantry – just as I did. I cannot stress enough, do not stress by what (ingredients) you don’t have….use it as an opportunity to get creative and make it your own.
First off: The Mean Green Detox Salad
Ingredients
Lemon Tahini Dressing
2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce or tamari
juice + zest from 1 lemon (use only half of the zest)
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
salt + pepper, to taste
Directions: Add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk until combined. Taste and adjust salt + pepper to your liking. Alternately you can add the ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. The dressing can be made a week in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to use.
Salad
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cups Tuscan kale, roughly torn
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
1/4 head purple cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup fresh parsley + cilantro, roughly chopped
hemp seeds + chia seeds, for topping
2 red grapefruits, segmented
2 ripe, but firm avocados, sliced or chopped
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spread the chickpeas out on a towel and dry them completely. Add the chickpeas and coconut to a baking sheet and toss with the soy sauce, sesame oil and cayenne pepper. Toss well to evenly coat. Roast for 20 minutes and then stir the chickpeas around and roast another 10 minutes or until the chickpeas are browned and the coconut is dark brown. Remove from the oven. Save any leftovers for snacking on later! Add the kale to a large bowl and drizzle with 1 teaspoon olive oil and a big pinch of salt. Using your hands, massage the kale for 2-3 minutes until the kale is well coated and has slightly softened. To the bowl add the broccoli, cabbage, parsley and cilantro. Toss well. Add the dressing and continue to toss until all the veggies are coated. Add the grapefruit segments and avocado. Gently toss to combine. At this point, you can cover and store the salad in the fridge for up to 24 hours or continue on with the recipe. Divide the salad into bowls. Top with the crunchy coconut chickpeas and the vegan parmesan cheese (recipe below) and a sprinkle of chia + hemp seeds. EAT!!!
Vegan Parmesan
1/2 cup raw pine nuts
2 teaspoons raw sesame seeds
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
Salt, to taste
In a food processor or blender, combine the pine nuts, sesame seeds, nutritional yeast and a pinch of salt. Process until you have fine crumbs that resemble parmesan cheese. Taste and season with more salt if desired. The vegan parmesan can be made a week in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to use.
*Vegan Parmesan adapted from The First Mess.
And second…Very Berry Dream Salad with Chili Mango & Peanut Vinaigrette
Chili Mango and Peanut Vinaigrette
1 ripe medium mango, peeled + diced
1 inch knob fresh ginger, peeled + diced
1 fresno chili pepper, seeded + diced (we omitted this for the kids’ sake) 🙂
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons sweet thai chili sauce
1/2 cup canned coconut milk (we used lite)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
In a blender or high powered food processor, combine the mango, ginger, fresno chili pepper, peanut butter, sweet thai chili sauce, coconut milk, olive oil and rice vinegar. Blend until smooth and creamy. If the vinaigrette seems a bit thick, thin with water. Stir in the chopped basil and season with salt + pepper. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week in a glass jar.
Salad
4 cups baby spinach
4 cups mixed berries (I used raspberries, blueberries and blackberries)
2 cups cooked grains (I used barley and quinoa)
2 cups fresh sprouts
1/2 cup toasted peanut, chopped
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 mango, peeled + diced
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 avocado, pitted, peeled + sliced
4 ounces goat cheese or feta cheese, crumbled (omit if vegan)
1/2 cup edible flowers (optional)
Directions:
Combine the spinach, berries, grains, sprouts, peanuts, pine nuts, mango and chia seeds. Top with avocado slices, goat or feta cheese (If using) and edible flowers. Drizzle generously with the mango vinaigrette. Serve with extra vinaigrette.
I will continue to be on the hunt for delicious salads that also serve as a work of art and share them with you here! In the meantime, please do yourself a favor and go follow @halfbakedharvest on Insta for some serious cooking motivation and inspiration!!!
Jen Thorn Fit 