A MONTH OF SALADS - Day 14

Our lunch counter at the clinic. What you can't see is the lovely lass I get to share my lunch with on Thursdays. Sorry about the shadow. 

Today's salad is a #notsaddesklunch kind of day. I am at the clinic, in between clients, and thought to do the write up on the salad of the day. My aim was to make something under 10 minutes that would use up mainly ingredients in my pantry and stuff in the fridge. Nothing new, nothing fancy, just a simple delicious and nutritious offering that is easy to take to work so that I can enjoy a meal with my colleague while we nosh.

Top left to bottom left, clockwise: milk kefir, garlic, sardines, lightly steamed broccoli, avocado, fuji apple

While I was cooking my veggies for breakfast this morning, I put half a head of broccoli in to steam lightly in order to lessen the goitrogens (thyroid-supportive thing in my case). I always keep a stash of these Raincoast Trading sardines in spring water for days like this; I like these because the cans do not have BPA in the lining, and the fish are stored in simple spring water, there are no additives. Thanks to a former colleague Ray I got turned on to sardines: he said they're the original tuna salad! I tried them and thought well yes now they are. Sardines are lower down the food chain, and much smaller than tuna; the mercury and other heavy metal concentrations in the little guys are significantly lower than that found in Tuna, being a higher-up-on-the-chain kinda fish.

So in the salad bowl went my drained can of sardines. I added in a half an avocado, about 2 tbsp of milk kefir (you could use yogurt or creme fraiche if you'd like), pinch of sea salt, grind of pepper, about a tsp of curry powder (this is essential) and a tsp of ground coriander seeds, few glugs of olive oil, about a tbsp of lemon juice and one little clove of garlic, minced. I mashed it all together, along with a little heat (I added two of my fermented jalapeños but you could add chili pepper, or chopped fresh jalapeño, hot sauce, whatever!). 

The mashed ingredients cited above, with the steamed broccoli.

Once this was all mashed together, I tossed on top the blanched broccoli, a diced apple and diced up two stalks of celery, mixed it all up. I adjusted the flavours to be a bit more lemony and upped the curry powder a bit. Because that's how I roll. And that, my friends, is lunch served. As long as you include creme fraiche (with berries, vanilla powder, green tea powder and maple syrup) and a little package of seaweed crackers. All you need now is a lovely friend to share the meal with; sharing meal times with a loved one can really go miles in supporting better digestion. Did you know this? Sharing a meal with a friend instead of a smartphone ensures your nervous system is properly engaged to do the work it takes to digest. It also relieves stress to be with ones you love whilst you eat; stress has been shown to inhibit digestion. So take a break, my pretties! And in more ways that one, make sure your work lunch is a #notsaddesklunch everyday.

A MONTH OF SALADS - Day 13

La salade for today is a lunch thing, a delicious lunch thing if I may add. It all started with inspiration from my good neighbour Cait who brought over extra bean sprouts she wasn't planning on using.  My lovely friend shared with me that she made a Thai-inspired salad from one of the Whitewater Cooks cookbooks. I did some digging around, and thought well YES that is a brilliant idea! (Cait, she has lots of good ideas. I am a lucky lucky neighbour and friend.) Knowing I had to be out of the house for most of the afternoon and all evening today, I thought to make the salad for lunch instead. And the post today is the end result: HEAVEN. Thank you Cait for the sprouts and the idea. Thank you Shelley Adams from Whitewater Cookbooks for all the inspirations you have provided for countless food-lovers and -makers. You are both gems.

Of course, being a nutritionist I had to tweak things to up that nutritional ante. I am also notorious at being unable to follow a recipe, nor be exact. It's more based on tastes and tweaks my friend, so go ahead and play with your food, willya?

You'll find the scrumptious recipe here (thanks to Canadian Health & Lifestyle for the post). What I swapped out:

FOR DRESSING: instead of the sweet chili sauce, I threw in about 4 of my fermented jalapeños; I only had 2 tbsp of rice wine vinegar so I added 2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar to equal the 4 tbsp required in the recipe; I used coconut aminos instead of the soy sauce (in order to lessen the ill effects of soy); I added in some fresh turmeric root in addition to the ginger because I had some and my liver asks for it all the time; I omitted the vegetable oil as I found it didn't need any oil when all blitzed together already. But you could use olive oil instead of vegetable oil to up that omega 3 count. HOLY SHNEIKERS THIS DRESSING IS KILLER. Be forewarned.

FOR THE SALAD: Instead of using the cooked rice noodles, we used a peeler to get long noodle-like shreds from about 2 lbs of carrots and blanched them in water on the stove for about 8 minutes, until they were similar in texture to rice noodles; didn't add the sesame oil; instead of the candied nuts and seeds (which would surely be delicious), I toasted pumpkin seeds and added them along with crushed brazil nuts to the salad as is. (Brazil nuts are high in selenium - a nutrient super-important in supporting the thyroid and its function, and one of those highly-sought-after antioxidants that are so important in our body's daily detoxification work.). And our veggies reflected more the state of our crisper: we had in the mix the blanched carrots, shreds of cucumber, radishes, yellow pepper, bean sprouts and radish sprouts. We garnished the dish with thai basil I cut a-la-chiffonade and tossed on top some smoked salmon. 

Might I say this is one of the best lunches I have had in a long time. I think it might have had a lot to do with the company: my bestie came over and we chatted and visited whilst we prepared the goodies and tucked right in. Wednesdays are one of my favourite days of the week, for that very reason.

Orchid Lime Salad with tweaks, courtesy of Shelley Adams at Whitewater Cookbooks

A MONTH OF SALADS - Day 12

I just wrote this eloquent write up and it all disappeared into the ether. So I will be brief. It was a not-home-til-6-pm night here, and so I whipped this baby up. It's a somewhat busy set up, but if you have a few set of hands to help out on different tasks, I think you'll get it done in no time flash. This is a favourite from my mother-in-law who serves this every summer when we are out at the cabin; it's a true crowd pleaser, and the soggy leftovers make for a good lunch the next day. Would I lie to you?

The original recipe.

I tweaked the original recipe in order to up the nutritional ante and make this one nutrient-dense. Let's start with the base:
1 head romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
Any greens from the garden or crisper you're looking to get rid of (I used sorrel and radish sprouts)
4 tomatoes, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced (Thanks local lovelies Broxburn for the good veg!)
3 green onions, sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese

Mix together and set aside. (Know that you can add any other kind of veggies you have on hand; I've done it with shredded beets, snap peas, tomatillos, I mean the sky is the limit.) 

Meanwhile, heat up a fry pan on the stovetop and add:
1 pound of ground beef (preferably free range or organic)
1 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
Saute until cooked through.

Add
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
pinch of salt and pepper

When sautéed nicely, set aside to cool. 

Next up, make the Caesar Salad dressing from Day 4 (recipe here) minus the garlic, and add a bit more lemon.

To this, add:
1/2 cup creme fraiche (substitute sour cream if you can't find or make your own creme fraiche)
2 tbsp ketchup (I like to use my fermented ketchup or you could use some fermented salsa too)

Add this dressing to the salad, along with the cooled seasoned ground beef and mix all together. On top, it's optional but you can add extra crunch by adding either crushed up kale chips, or like we did, a bag of these beans & rice chips. A nice sprouted corn chip would also be tasty. Play with your food! 

Next up, sit down, and maybe have some hot sauce on hand. You know what I'm going to say. I use one that I ferment myself. (Who wants to host a class?) But it's just because I found a steal of a deal on a shwack of hot peppers from The Apple Lady. (Thanks Liisa!) But you can use whatever is your favourite hot sauce and know that it will indeed, kick it up a notch. Tuck in my friend. And come up for air once in a while. Otherwise I'll miss your face.

A MONTH OF SALADS - Day 11

Day 11. First day of week 3. I made a salad! Well now of course I did. I'm in the groove now, there ain't no stoppin this train! Today's salad was a whip-it-together-while-the-pork-chops-grill kinda day with a full hour in between arrival apres-school and departure-for-soccer. Love these nights. My aim: to use up the leftover watermelon in my fridge. My mission: to make it tasty and reminiscent of something I would see at Ottolenghi's (ok a far cry for SURE, but let's say instead INSPIRED by Ottolenghi's.). Final result: pretty good!

Local suppliers Hotchkiss featured prominently in this salad.

Whisked the dressing together first, to make sure it was tasty enough: about 1/4 cup good quality olive oil, added about 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses (you can find this at any Middle Eastern shop, my favourite being Shaganappi Grocer on 17th Ave SW, just west of 36th Street on the south side), about 2 tbsp red wine vinegar to up the sharpness, juice of one lemon, pinch of sea salt and grind o pepper, and adjusted til it tasted right. Chopped in this mess some fresh mint from the garden, parsley too, added these here local delicious radish sprouts courtesy of Hotchkiss Produce, some of their pea sprouts too, and chopped up some watermelon, I would say maybe 2 cups. I forgot to mention, while I was putting this whole thing together, I put up 1 cup water with 1 cup bone broth on to boil, and threw in a cup of sprouted quinoa in there to cook for 15 minutes. Cooled it. Then added that to the salad mess. This was the result.

Take that, Monday night. We were even on time for the soccer game tonight. And my girl KICKED IT! Good lord above, sometimes I think I have the best seat in the house watching this one through her days. Salad on, my friends. And thanks to those who have been sending me pics of their dinner table salad offerings! I am inspired!

A MONTH OF SALADS - Day 8

Here in southern Alberta, the week has been a hot one. Not that I need excuses, but when the weather is this sunshiny (yes that's a word), I like to make this salad. I think in our house, this Vietnamese-flavoured noodle salad could be consumed once a week and it would be fine. One has to meter these goodies out, so that they are still celebrations and as loved as they should when you pull them out of your sleeve!

This morning, when I was thinking of this salad, I had this image in mind. Vietnam is a place I have longed to visit for over three decades. It is a place I will see one day. A big part of the attraction of course for me is the food. I just imagine hanging out in a spot like this, waiting for the flavour punch to hit me square in the face. You?

That will be me on the left, in the black shirt. Can't you taste the anticipation?

This is the kind of salad that is a good fit for bigger groups, especially families. At our house, we have one eater who is more particular about the flavours and textures than the other two, and so this is a way to encourage her to eat more vegetables. I chop all the fresh veg I have in the house that will work, put them in little piles on the table, and she gets to pick at least 3 from the bunch, 3 different colours. That's the deal. And she gladly obliges!

Brussels sprouts kimchi-style salad, chives, peppers, celery, basil, radish, carrot, sorrel, toasted coconut smiles, Vietnamese dipping sauce, Korean Sweet Soy Sauce and roasted peanuts.

You aren't limited to those veggies presented here: think outside the box! Grated beets, sliced cucumbers, ribbons of lettuce, small shreds of cabbage, barely-steamed green beans, peas, bean sprouts, broccoli sprouts, fermented carrots and daikon with garlic and ginger; variety and colour is key. The nice thing with this is that everyone can personalize their own noodle bowl; a sure-fire winner when there is a crowd. Don't forget crunchy toppings, as this element is essential. At this house, we like chopped up toasted coconut slices, and roasted peanuts. You could try crumbled up kale chips, or the traditional deep-fried shallots you can buy at your favourite local Asian-food grocer. 

The quintessential ingredient to making this a Vietnamese-inspired noodle bowl is to include the famous Dipping Fish Sauce. It's an easy thing, doesn't really need a recipe. But for those who do, put 3 tbsp of fish sauce, 3 tbsp of rice vinegar, 2 tbsp of coconut sugar with about a half cup of water in a pan, and heat til it's nice and melded together, not boiling. Let it cool. Just before you serve, add a few garlic cloves, minced, and if you're game, some heat via jalapeño or bird's eye chili, whatever you got, and a few tbsp of lime juice to liven it up. Tweak to taste. 

We cooked some pumpkin/ginger/brown rice soba noodles until al dente, (you could easily shave ribbons of carrots to use instead of noodles if you're going GAPS or AIP or grain-free styles) rinsed through cold water, topped with the veggies on the platter and a few medallions of just-BBQ'd bison spicy sausage (thanks to Olson's Highcountry Bison) and some roasted peanuts and shredded coconut. The adults opted for the Dipping Fish Sauce; the youngest among us aimed for the sweet chili plum sauce in a bottle. Can't win em all folks.

To each their own.

As I was busily preparing two different kinds of kimchi for next week's Fermenting Kimchi class (there are spots left! Check it out here!), I over-estimated ingredients and had a bit left over. I decided to mash the extra veg along with flavours much like one of the kimchi samplers for the class next week (Thank you Dolly + Oatmeal!) and came up with a fairly quick and simple salad to top our noodle bowls with:

BRUSSELS SPROUTS A LA KIMCHI STYLES SALAD

2 cups Brussels Sprouts, shredded

1/4 cup shredded daikon radish (or red radish if you can't find daikon)

1/2 cup shredded carrots

green onion, sliced

one apple, cored and diced

1" ginger, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1" of turmeric root, minced (optional)

1 tsp fish sauce (optional, but really delicious)

1 tsp fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp sea salt

grind of pepper

2 tsp coconut sugar

1 tsp seaweed (like this kind from Harmonic Arts)

1 tsp Korean hot pepper spice (or any kind of hot peppers you have, or omit if you're sans-nightshades or AIP)

Toss it all together a few hours before you plan to eat it, in order to have the flavours meld. Eat up! Lovely on a noodle bowl, or in a wrap, or on rice, or wherever you need good food. 

I tend to go toppings-crazy. Brussels Sprouts Kimchi Styles Salad.

Thanks to Olson's Highcountry Bison for their fine sausages, and to Dolly + Oatmeal for the scrumptious Brussels Sprouts Kimchi recipe (an absolute obsession) and to west coasters Harmonic Arts for all the love and goodness they put into their foods and offerings. Let me know if you're game to join on Tuesday morning to make some kimchi! I'd love to see your sweet face there.