Crunchy

CAL-SALAD

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.‎

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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 quinoa‎

Dressing

‏‏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.‎

If you liked what you read and you are not on my mailing list, you can sign up ‎here.‎ You will be among the first to receive my e-book: 16 Wayz to Navigate Your Health.

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