May Days
Spring is well upon us. Warmer, brighter, the chirpy days of May call us out. A wonderful time for reconnecting with nature, what could be better than a scenic picnic lunch?! There is no need to fire up the barbecue or roast some more snacks over the bonfire. Spring, Summer, it’s time for Salad with a capital “S”! There ain’t nothing better than a cool crisp salad bar spread! Yeehah!
This is the time to bring out the vibrant colors of spring in all their glory. Ever since I can remember, nothing could please me more than a festive abundant spread of salads. I embrace my creative nature and thank Tziona again and again for the culinary creativity which she sparked within me.
On weekends and holidays, more often than not, you’ll find me playing in the kitchen, crafting my crazy concoctions.
Not everything goes, if you must know, even I have my guidelines...
My moto: more healthy, fresh and crunchy choices; less oils, less sweeteners.
Must not forget: don’t kill the vegetables; never suck the life out of your produce! Less cooking translates into more nutrients. Give your digestive enzymes a break: when they live, you live better!
If I must bring my pen and notebook to the playground, it spoils all the fun. I apologize for my imprecise notations. Tziona, I will forever be in your debt. Or like my friend Christine says: “It’s ok to be not ok!”
Some dishes do require precise measurements, but salad preparation is usually a worry free zone.
To begin my playdate I usually choose a theme, a vegetable or two and a spice, and “work” from there. More often than not I will google my ideas and see what others have done. I return to my pantry and refrigerator and begin to pull out my “game”.
Cauliflower
Today’s theme was cauliflower. I did not want to cook it and was searching for a different way to cut it. In the past I’ve used the S shaped chopping blade to make salads, pizza dough and cauliflower matzah balls. While surfing the web I discovered that others had used the large shredding blade to prepare a fresh cauliflower salad. Use the large shredding blade and I guarantee you’ll love the results.
To prepare quinoa, soak it overnight. Afterwards rinse well and cook like pasta in an abundant amount of boiling water. Don’t cook for more than 5 minutes. The quinoa should be a little crunchy, never sticky. Use a rice strainer to drain. I prepare an abundant amount and store the remaining cooked and unsalted quinoa in the refrigerator. It can be used for the next few days in other salads. It is also a wonderful addition to soup (add cold to your soup bowl and then pour hot soup on top).
Asparagus is packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It can be grated on a mandolina and used fresh. I’ve done that before but today I wanted to save worktime. I opted to steam the greens as this way the vegetable is not immersed in water or oil. I used my trusty two story (three pieces) bamboo steamer basket. Cut the asparagus stalk and “flower” on the diagonal into bite sized pieces. Choose to put the thicker stalks on the bottom basket and the “flowers” on the top basket. Place the set of baskets over a pot of boiling water and steam for about 7 minutes. Do not overcook! The asparagus should be crunchy, never mushy. Add cooked asparagus to an ice bath to cool. When cool, strain.
I used sprouted chickpeas which I boiled, however, soaked and cooked, frozen or canned chickpeas can also be used.
The ingredients (more or less) for the salad are listed here. Use the science of taste and to discover your optimum flavor.
Vegetables
1grated medium cauliflower
1-2 bunches of asparagus
1 c (sprouted) cooked chickpeas
2 c cooked quinoaDressing
1lemon, juice and zest
3 T whole sprouted tahini (any tahini will do)
2 T zatar spice (a Mediterranean spice mixture)
3 t salt
1 t honey
1 t mustard
½ t chopped dried zatar (or oregano)
1 chopped stalk of green onion
Cold water – add until the desired consistency is reached.Garnish
I garnished with walnuts right before serving. Sunflower or pumpkins seeds or any other nut would work great.
It is not an exact science, I’ve said it before. Feel free to change ingredient amounts and even add in more (or less). Make sure you taste your creation and fix the flavor accordingly.
Photos of your creations are welcome with love! Bon appétit!
If you have not yet read about the rocky part of my journey, you can read it here.
I would like to thank you for your patience in reading this post to its end.
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