You guys are in luck...

Because I just made the best salad of all time.

It was hearty. Easy. Nutritious. Gluten free. Vegan. And delicious. 

I adapted the recipe from "A Pinch of Yum", a site that I came across when I googled my last night's food craving. This is what I do in my evenings, I get a hankering for something, then google until I find the best and easiest recipe. Then I usually add my own touch of something. And then we devour it. And now my routine will include posting it here and passing it on to all of you! 

The inspiration came from the napa cabbage sitting on my counter from our CSA foodshare box. I knew I wanted something crunchy, nutty, and delicious and so I came up with a Thai Salad with Sesame Garlic Dressing.

Now, don't be immediately scared off by the napa cabbage. These are carried on a regular basis at the local Superstore and you don't have to do anything fancy to prep them. Just cut into shreds.

Thai Salad with Sesame Garlic Dressing
INGREDIENTS
For the dressing:

• ⅓ cup grapeseed oil
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce (or wheat-free tamari or Braggs sauce)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste or shredded ginger

For the salad: 

• A bed of anything green... spinach, kale, chard, beet greens, lettuce
• Shredded napa cabbage
• 2 carrots shredded
• 2 bell peppers (1 red, 1 yellow)
• 1 cup cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds
• You can add in other veggies too! Green onions and purple cabbage would both be great. And if you don't have the cilantro, don't worry. We actually skipped this last night and the salad still tasted great.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Puree all the dressing ingredients in a food processor/Magic bullet/Ninja blender until smooth.
2. Toast sesame seeds in toaster oven.
3. Cut up the greens, cabbage, carrots, peppers, and cilantro leaves into thin strips or shreds.
4. Toss the greens, cabbage, carrots, peppers, cilantro, and sesame seeds together until well combined. Drizzle with the dressing, toss gently a few times, and serve immediately.

We also made a quick potato leek soup as a side... a stormy night called for a warming, comforting soup. It was super easy, quick, and delicious too! Get your kids to help you peel the potatoes and the process will be much faster!

Potato Leek Soup
INGREDIENTS

• 2 lb white potatoes peeled and diced
• 3 leeks cut in half and diced
• 4 cups vegetable broth (you could use chicken broth if you're not concerned about the meat)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp grapeseed oil (or butter if you aren't a vegan)
• Add in a pinch of marjoram too if you would like.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Fry leeks in oil on medium heat for 10 minutes, try not to let them brown too much.
   
2. Add potatoes, broth, bay leaf, thyme, and salt
3. Bring to boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
4. Remove the bay leaf and use a hand blender if you want to quickly puree some of it for a smoother soup.
5. Sprinkle with some pepper (and if you were my brother, some Red Rooster hot sauce) and enjoy!

 

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