Today's recipe is so easy, I am sure anyone could make this. And I am not just saying that either. It is really simple. Salad is an underrated dinner idea because people always assume they won't get full off them. But, let me tell you! Back home it was known that my family ate monster salads. In fact we had bowls especially for salads. And they weren't typical bowls either, haha. No they were bowls you would probably see in the middle of a dinner spread for a family of four. Okay, maybe not that big. But I assure you, it would probably be one of the biggest salads you have ever seen.
Salads are so easy because they are versatile, cheap and extremely tasty. In fact anyone can make a salad catered to their likes. You like nut and seeds? They go great on salads! You like chicken? Or pasta noodles? Well they go great on salad too.
Think of a salad like you would a pizza! You can top almost anything on them.
What is so good about salad?
I think sometimes most of us really like salad dressing. And I say this because this is where we get most of the taste from. So the dressing can really make or break your salad. But don't let this hinder you from eating salad. Salad if full of great nutrients. Leafy greens are a power house of good nutrients. Some being calcium, vitamin K ( high amounts in cooked and uncooked greens ), vitamin A , D, E, and C. It also serves a good dose of iron . There is good news on the salad dressing front however. In order to better absorb the vitamins A, D, E and K, it is better to eat your leafy greens with a dressing that contains a healthy fat, such as a hemp oil, flax or olive oil. This helps because vitamins A, D and K are fat soluble. Which means that they are stored in our liver and fatty tissue.
Salad is not high carbs or calories, but it is high in nutrition. Leafy greens are very nutritionally dense, high in fibre, vitamins and minerals. What more could you ask for?! One great thing about salad is that you could have a salad every night, but with completely different tastes every time! Here is a list of different leafy greens to keep your eye out for.
So, unsure what to put in your salad? Here is the deal. There is not limit to the veggies and fruit you put on your salad. Salad is a food you can get very creative with. And we can't forget about nuts and seeds. Nuts and seeds add your dietary fat and protein to the salad. And there is still more, remember legumes? Beans and chick peas are another powerhouse you can add to your salad.
Here is what you need to make a salad:
Bowl- If I am eating this for dinner, I use a med to large bowl.
Greens- Lettuce is a great base for people who haven't eaten much salad. It has a nice mild taste and is easy to pair with anything. You can also try using a garden mix. They are very easy to find.
Something crunchy- You don't have to put this in but I have really enjoyed putting nuts or seeds on my salads. Don't ever load with this though. I sprinkle nuts or seeds on top for a nice accent, but not the main feature. Try some of these out: walnuts, sunflower seeds, cashews, pecans, soy nuts ( non GMO ), crumbles wasa crackers or some nice crisp pieces of pear. The crunchy textures go great with salad.
Protein- Here is the tasty part. Some of this is the same as the crunchy so bare with me. I have mentioned nuts and seeds, chick peas and beans. These are great. But there are also options such as chicken, turkey, salmon and eggs. The cool thing about putting meat on your salad is that you don't consume too much meat. There is more balance with the veggies and meat. Bake or roast some chicken and toss that on. Salmon is a good option because it has the good fat in it. This also help absorb those fat soluble vitamins I was talking about ( A, D, E, K ). Hardboiled eggs are also very good on salad! Another idea for protein that I often put on my salad is quinoa. If I have some leftover I will simple toss a bit on my salads. It is super good. You can also consider hemp seeds. They are a great vegetarian whole protein.
Fruit- I will admit I am not a huge fruit in my salad fan, but I think many of you will really like it. Pears make a great salad addition ( paired well with pecans ). Strawberries, oranges and mango are all great additions too. This is the same as every other potential topping. Its not limited. It is up to you and what kind of taste you want.
Veggies- The sky is the limit. Take a walk through a famers market you are sure to find something you like. One thing I have learned is to grate my veggies. This works great with carrots, beets, broccoli stalks and other root veggies. You can also use the grate trick with apples, pears or hard nectarines.
Dressing- Here is some advice... don't ruin a good salad with the dressing. Choose a dressing that has some good fats ( hemp, flax, olive oil ) and delicious flavour. You might not like what I am going to say, but the easiest way to do this is to make it. Its cheaper and you get to choose which flavour you are having without having to buy a million different dressings. A vinaigrette is very simple to make. Most of the ingredients you probably already have around the house. Plus you can use it for more than salad.
Here is a recipe for a simple vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons minced shallots
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1/2 cup light olive oil
- Mix together with a blender or mix well by hand. ( found at epicurious )
1/2 cup of either organic milk or Silk almond milk
Juice of one Lemon
2 T tahini
1/2 t fine sea salt
1.5 T nutritional yeast
2 cloves of garlic
1 t dijon mustard
1.5 T poppy seeds
Blend it!
I hope you try out a salad for dinner! You won't regret it. And you don't have to start off crazy. do something you are comfortable with first. Then start to get more daring. Before you know it, you will be a salad master.
Let me know of any combos you try out!
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