Category Archives: Salads

Raw Brussels Sprouts Salad with Almonds and Lemon Dressing

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brusselssalad

For me, Brussels Sprouts are a fall or winter vegetable, but, recently, I had bought a bag of them because I wanted a raw salad. This is something easy to put together because for some reason I’ve been feeling a little lazy lately. This is a nice light side dish, or afternoon snack.

  • 1 Bag of Brussels, trimmed and thinly sliced
  • 1/4 C raw almonds, chopped
  • 3-4 TB Olive Oil
  • 2 TB Mayonaise
  • Juice of one lemon
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2tsp of dried mustard powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the dressing: Start with 3 TB of extra virgin olive oil (honestly, I didn’t measure the ingredients for the dressing, but eyeballed it.) Add lemon juice and mayo, garlic and mustard powder. I used my tiniest whisk to combine the ingredients. Taste it and adjust to your liking.

Slice up those Brussels, add them to a large bowl, add chopped almonds and toss with your dressing. Add a little bit of shredded pecorino Romano if you’re feeling it.

#summer #dinner #BrusselsSprouts

Kale, Chickpea and Shaved Pecorino Salad with Lemon

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Firstly, I realize that I have several kale recipes on my website. BUT, in my defense, they are all delicious. Though, in having so many recipes, I think I’ve become a Brooklyn stereotype. But, hey, I don’t care because my appetite at lunch yesterday while working from home was sated.

  • 1 bunch of dinosaur kale, thinly chopped
  • A handful of raw almonds, toasted, then chopped
  • 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed*
  • 2-3 tsp of olive oil
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • shaved pecorino
  • salt and pepper to taste

Note, I find that if I massage the kale with the oil I use less oil. So, then, massage olive oil into the kale leaves until they are well-coated, add remaining ingredients and toss. You can add some lemon zest too, but, for me, the juice was just perfect.

*Now that I think of it, this would kick it up a bit if the chickpeas were roasted in the oven and then cooled slightly. Hmmm…next time!

Raw Cauliflower Salad, or, Almost Tabbouli

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I wanted to make a grain free summer-inspired salad. Like I mentioned before, I’m not paleo or grain-free and wanted to try a recipe for those who are (I’ve also made a cauliflower fried rice, here). I am happy to report that I don’t miss the bulgur here at all in this recipe! I can imagine many variations of this salad with different flavors. The cauliflower can be a stand in for rice, quinoa, bulgur or couscous. It’s crunchy (can also add chopped almonds for extra crunchiness) and light. Perfect for lunch, paired with some hummus. And, that’s exactly what I’m going to do right now.

  • 1 head of cauliflower, stemmed, cleaned
  • 1 C chopped parsley (Italian or curly)
  • 1/2 C, or, a handful of grape tomatoes, sliced in half
  • juice of 1-2 lemons (my preference was two)
  • 2 TB of extra virgin olive oil
  • 6-8 scallions, sliced
  • 1/8 C Kalamata olives (optional)
  • French feta, sprinkled over top (optional)
  • S/P to taste

Rinse and clean head of cauliflower, cut into florets. Add florets to food processor and pulse until the cauliflower resembles small grains (it won’t take long). Add cauliflower to large bowl, add remaining ingredients and stir together. Serve cold.

cauliflower tabbouli

Another take on raw kale salad

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I entered a local online bake sale via Instagram yesterday. I baked my mom’s Toffee Bars recipe. Fingers crossed! In order to counter the amount of sugar I consumed yesterday, I needed something savory and, a bit more nutritious (hey, I had to sample the bars!). Enter, my go-to lunch when working from home: raw kale salad with random raw vegetables and toasted spicy hazelnuts (these are the DuChilly variety which don’t have that bitter taste and are quite addictive. I got them in Seattle at Pike Place Market last Fall when I was there with Mary). The key is after chopping the dino kale, massage the olive oil into the mix so you can evenly coat the kale and not use so much oil.

A Few Notes

In this instance, I used a orange pepper. Previously, I used red and yellow, just because I’ve been hooked on the sweetness of peppers lately and, for color. (Yea, I’m weird like that). I’ve also used the florets of the broccoli before, but tend to like using the stalks instead because I like their crispness. Lately, I’ve used roasted, spicy hazelnuts in this salad, but, raw ones or almonds work too. Overall, I want a crisp, light, and colorful salad to remind me of warmer days. As for the olive oil and red wine vinegar, use your best judgment. I tend to like a lighter, not heavy dressing on the salad.

Raw Kale Salad

  • 1 bunch of Lactino Kale, washed, chopped
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 1 broccoli stalk, trimmed, sliced
  • 4-5 radishes, chopped
  • 1/2 of a orange pepper (or red or yellow for color), diced
  • 1 Half of an avocado, diced
  • 1/4 C. toasted hazelnuts (or almonds), chopped
  • 1/3 C garbanzo beans
  • 1 TB, plus a splash of extra virgin olive oil
  • A few dashes of red wine vinegar

Rinse the kale and then finely chop it, add to your bowl. At this point I add a few dashes of olive oil and then massage it into the kale leaves so they are coated. Add remaining ingredients, toss with more olive oil if needed and another dash or so of red wine vinegar.

Kitchen Sink Kale Salad

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Sometimes I just want a crunchy salad for dinner. I know, I’m SO exciting that way. I realize that kale is pretty much played out around here, but it’s still nutritious and I still love it. So, sue me. This salad comes together quickly and is best with a nice glass of white…or red, or whatever you prefer.

Salad

  • 1 pkg. mixed kale
  • 1/2C sugar snap peas
  • 1/2C radishes, thinly sliced
  • 1/2C carrots, thinly sliced
  • 1 ear grilled corn, cut off cob
  • 1/2 avocado, cubed
  • 1/4C toasted almonds, chopped
  • 1/2C chickpeas
  • 1/8 – 1/4C finely grated Pecorino (optional)
  • 1TB Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Dressing

Juice of one lemon, a couple quick drizzles of extra virgin olive oil (if needed) and a splash of white balsamic vinegar—all to taste.

I find it helps if I massage the olive oil into the kale leaves before adding the other ingredients, that way, you use less oil and all the leaves are evenly coated. If you find you need more olive oil, then add sparingly before tossing the salad. Oh, and I’ve been “grilling” an ear of corn directly on my gas stove burner. Brilliant, I tell you!