i am not a big fan of salad, yet i eat it every night for dinner. there are two kinds of salad: the kind with mostly lettuce and fancy dressing, and the kind that i make. lettuce is not my favorite thing, yet i put some into my salad. it's just boring and i don't really like eating cold food in the first place. i am not so sure how i got started with salads for dinner. perhaps it was because i knew i should eat more salad and raw veggies. perhaps. i tried eating them for lunch but it wasn't filling enough and i was hungry soon after. plus it didn't give me much energy. dinner is a time when i can easily eat too much, if the food is in front of me. the problem/solution is salad, it's not filling so i eat a whole big bowl of it.
my salads vary from day to day, depending on my mood and what was on sale at the store. i always include a little bit of lettuce and lots of cabbage. the rest, includes but is not limited to the following:- carrots (shredded!)
- kalamata olives
- cheese - mostly parmesan, but i also like feta and pepper jack
- radishes
- avocado (when i can afford it!)
- protein - beans (black, garbanzo, edamame), grilled meat (chicken or steak)
- corn
- roasted red peppers
- bell peppers
- poached egg
- tomatoes
- roasted beets
i've never really been a huge fan of dressing. i do enjoy the japanese-style dressings you get at japanese restaurants. i guess it's ginger based? i dunno but i like it. i've had many dressings that i enjoy like sam choy's oriental, green goddess, and sometimes ranch. at home, i stick with simplicity. oil and vinegar. i've got a few different oils that i use: olive oil, flax oil (omega FA!), macadamia nut oils (from my sister), sesame oil, and chili oil. i don't use them all, if anything i'll mix two. for vinegar i use red wine vinegar (for something light), balsamic vinegar (for a more rich flavor) or rice vinegar (for an asian style). and really the most important part i think is salt and pepper. you have to put the right amount. salt livens up the flavors you have and pepper adds a little kick.
sometimes i make a seaweed salad instead. i've got some dried wakame that i just reconstitute for 5 minutes in cold water. i chop up some carrots, cucumber and daikon if i have it, drain the wakame, throw it all together with some sushi vinegar and a teensy bit of sesame oil, let it sit for a bit and then eat it. it's wonderfully fresh and easy. sometimes you just want to eat seaweed!
