A BIG Power-Packed (Vegan) Salad

A good, healthy salad is a Food Treasure! 

Year-round, my salad spinner is always in my 'fridge, filled with a fresh lettuce mix. If you don't have a good salad spinner, that would be my first recommendation. Washing the leafy greens and spinning them dry is easily accomplished. Mine was around $10.00 at Walmart, made by Progressive. The new ones look a bit different, but they work so well. "A good salad spinner" doesn't always equate to spending way more than this. 

My lettuce mixes alway include Romaine lettuce, cabbage, onion and other greens. If the mix will be used within a couple days, I'll add cucumber. Today my other greens are half a big bunch of fresh curly parsley. To that I added: half a red bell pepper, one sliced carrot, and -since I just ran out of cabbage- I used 4 big Brussels sprouts, sliced very thin, in place of that. 

About 1/3 of this fond its way into a big bowl for lunch. Then I added quite a few things. Drained, rinsed garbanzo and black beans - 1/2 a can of each, so I'll have the same left over for another big salad. There are also mushrooms, sprouted lentil, seasoned almonds, grape tomatoes, and half a big avocado.

The fresh, raw vegetables are good sources of vitamins A & C for sure, as well as many other nutrients. The canned beans, sprouts, almonds and avocado are full of protein and the entire salad has lots of great plant fiber.

I topped it with this favorite dressing, of mine and others, that I created long ago. I always have a 12oz-32oz bottle of it in my 'fridge. I'll graze on this for the next several hours.

If your stomach is sensitive to raw, you could steam the hard vegetables, then cool them a bit, before adding them to your bowl. In this salad it would be the carrots, onion and peppers. Salads are a great, clean reset for your body, if you find yourself eating less than healthy, and to get your food plan back on track. . .Lin

Half and Half Salad

No, there's no dairy here 😉 Although you could add cheese.

This salad is: 

half slightly cooked

and 

half raw vegetables

1 sm.-med. carrot

3 big radishes

1c chopped cabbage

2T fresh lemon juice

2T EVOO

garlic salt + pepper seasoning

Slice the carrot and radishes. Add the cabbage, sprinkle with lemon juice and olive oil then season. Steam a few minutes, or microwave on full power for 1 minute. 

Chop or slice the following, add to the bowl, then toss before serving:

1 green onion

6 grape tomatoes

2 tiny cucumbers

1/2 lg. avocado

Super easy, quick and healthy. . .Lin

Gazpacho-Type "Salad Soup"

I made a huge lettuce mix for salads the other day.

Just looking at the pictures makes my salad-loving heart happy 😊

However, now, as sometimes happens, after a couple salads, my craving for them has been replaced with yet more soup type foods. I need to listen to my body in this, since I, like many others have the type of digestive issues that can be triggered by raw vegetables. I was going to bag this, and give it to my neighbor, then had another idea. Salad Soup!?!

I love Gazpacho, which is a cold, uncooked vegetable soup that has its origins in Spain and Portugal. That can also irritate sensitive guts as well though, so I'm going to make a new version of this using cooked kale, steamed salad vegetables and a big can of stewed tomatoes, all warmed together on very low heat, then blended - either rough or smooth.

I'm going to my Granddaughter's later to spend time with her, and her youngest son and their pups. Later her husband and oldest boy will join us. My granddaughter and I will cook a roast-stew dinner for them tonight, and give them leftovers for a couple days. I'll also bring them some of this.

My favorite kind of day! Pups, Family, and Cooking with someone I love 🥰 

kale - stemmed, chopped, washed and simmered for 12 minutes

a big amount of prepped salad vegetables

28oz. good quality Stewed Tomatoes

some fresh garlic, peeled, crushed and chopped

When this is combined, steamed long enough for the carrots to be a bit soft. Then add the usual Gazpacho ingredients:

1/3 - 1/2c single source EVOO

1/4c fruity white Balsamic vinegar -or-

- an aged dark Balsamic vinegar for a heavier flavor

seasonings: usually Italian, basil, oregano, etc.

- I wanted it less herby for the children, so I just used a little finely ground black pepper, a pinch of cayenne, 1t turmeric, 1t rosemary, 1/2t sugar, and some parsley-garlic salt. After this group is added to the pot, warm it ONLY to a first simmer-bubble. Cover then remove from the heat for a half hour. Cooking and overheating destroys water soluble vitamins, C and B's. Blend now to either the rough or smooth consistency, however you'd like it.

If you only warm this, not heat it like you would with any other soup, at each serving, those vitamins will be preserved. Or, just eat the leftovers cold, since it's all already been cooked.

Serve garnished with some sour cream, plain full-fat Greek yogurt, and some chopped nuts, pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

Happy Souping - In all its many forms! . .Lin

A Big Salad Mix

1-2 bunches of Romaine lettuce

Cut it lengthwise twice, cut across the bunch then wash and spin these bite size pieces dry in your salad spinner. Then add any hard, crisp salad vegetables you like, sliced or chopped.

Today my mix includes:

Romaine, green cabbage, radishes, celery, carrot, cucumber and a long sweet purple-brown pepper. 

This will keep, covered, in the spinner for 5-7 days. Grab a big handful then add whatever other ingredients you like. Today it was tomato, avocado, feta cheese, a big sprinkle of nutritional yeast and Lemon-Olive Oil Dressing. Tonight I paired the salad with orange roughy that I pan fried in a little of the same dressing and butter. This is the first time I've had orange roughy! - It's great! Salad Season's almost here. Get ready! . . Lin

A Perfect Quick Salad

This Happened So Fast!

I realized I had one tomato that was blindingly RED - at the exact time that I was craving a salad. I had a couple beautiful pickling cucumbers (they only kind I ever buy), a kohlrabi, some green onion, all from my favorite Farmer's Market.

I also had avocado and cottage cheese. A little salt and pepper, a spash of white balsamic and it was ready. And SO good! . .Lin