{new year's resolution} salad days of January
after all the food and drink consumption of the holidays what you really need in the new year is a fresh {food} start: these salads offer just that-crisp, (mostly) raw, minimally processed, vitamin & mineral loaded, lean & green goodness in a bowl. ever since my friend margo added chunky grapefruit sections to the salad she served at book club a few weeks ago i've been obsessively adding them to all of mine. although it takes a bit of patience to peel and section the grapefruits, the flavor and texture they add is well worth the effort. if you make a weekly supply of lemon vinaigrette, you'll be able to enjoy a good salad without much effort every day. the ingredients are (or should be) staples in your kitchen: good quality extra virgin olive oil (my preference is olive oils from California), fresh lemons & limes, shallots, dijon mustard, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. beyond these basics you can add a touch of raw honey, cayenne pepper (for heat), fresh chopped herbs like thyme or tarragon, crushed raspberries, freshly grated parmesan cheese, or a touch of cumin or curry powder. play around with the dressing based on the ingredients going into the salad, drizzle over (don't over dress) just before serving, toss well, and.....crunchhhhhh!
simple spicy romaine salad with ruby red grapefruit~below:
romaine lettuce, baby tomatoes, feta cheese, ruby red grapefruit sections, and red pepper flakes-for dressing: lemon vinaigrette
{mung} bean sprout salad-a favorite: quick & easy {mung} bean sprout salad with spicy soy ginger dressing:
-2 tablespoons rice vinegar
-2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
-1/4 cup soy sauce
-1-2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds (for top)
-1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or sriracha sauce (spicy)
-1-2 teaspoons raw honey
-1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
quickly stir fry sprouts in 1 teaspoon hot vegetable oil on high for 2-3 minutes, then toss with dressing and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
pictured above: read oak lettuce, ruby red grapefruit, avocado, tomatoes, & stilton blue cheese with lemon vinaigrette~(lemon vinaigrette recipe-omit anchovy) ; haricots vert salad with pomegranates, walnuts, & feta cheese (optional) with shallot vinaigrette~(shallot vinaigrette recipe)
spicy brown rice & lentil salad (below): recipe
{for many more salad recipes click here}