Tasty Tuesday … The endlessly adaptable Salad Mix

by incahootswithmuddyboots
March 28, 2017
14 comments
Cooking, Photography, Tasty Tuesday ..., Vegan Dishes, Vegetarian Cooking

After running a few errands the other day I came home, made myself a cup of coffee and went outside to drink in some long overdo sunshine along with my java. The warmth and glow of this strange golden object in the sky felt glorious on my body and mind! It was as if a switch had been flipped inside my brain and turned on my spring mood. The depressing weather seemed all but a distant memory…


Until , the rain started up again…

 

Later on, I was faced with the nightly question as to what to make for dinner. The sunshine had felt so warm and soothing during the afternoon that I wanted the same feeling on the inside. So I ended up making huge bowl of finely sliced and diced vegetables to satisfy my internal sunshine craving!

This has become my favorite salad mix! It’s a great way to clean out the refrigerator and if you don’t add delicate ingredients like lettuce, the mix keeps well for a few days. The veggies I used are just the beginning! Spring is even making an appearance in the produce department. Think asparagus, sugar snap peas, fennel …

Really, use any fresh and local produce that you like! Perhaps you feel adventurous and add one vegetable you’ve not tried before. You might discover that you like it after all, like a handful of thinly sliced kale, or even beets! Pick up a golden one and add it to the blend. It tastes milder than the red ones, and adds a perfect crunch.

If you’ve ever read the ingredients on salad dressing bottles, you can guess why I don’t buy them. Growing up, salad dressing meant a little oil, vinegar and a pinch of salt to complement, not drown out, the textures and flavors of the salad ingredients. But here in the US, bottled salad dressing remains popular. There are a variety of toasted nut and seed oils available these days to add a new twist to all kinds of dishes. Sure, they are a little pricey, but a quality oil like that goes a long way, because you only need a little to get a giant flavor boost!

Last but not least, this salad mix can be served as a side dish, or as a main course if you add some beans, baked tofu or any other protein you like. My favorite tasty variation is adding some falafel and then drizzling some tahini sauce over the top. Super delish!

The slicing and dicing took me about 45 minutes start to finish, which isn’t bad at all considering that we had a ready-to-eat salad option for about 4 different salad-based meals! Not bad if you ask me! 😉

 

 

Here’s the recipe

  • cabbage, savoy and red are a nice mixture
  • red, yellow or orange bell peppers
  • carrots
  • radishes
  • celery
  • green onions
  • golden beets ( I don’t use red ones here because they tend to ‘bleed’ )
  • jicama
  • kale
  • sunflowers seeds or any other kind of nuts or seeds
  • dried cranberries, cherries, etc.

Wash all the vegetables well and dry off. Slice the cabbages, carrots, radishes, celery, green onions, etc. into very thin strips.
Peel the jicama and beets and cut them into match sticks.
Mix all the prepared veggies in a large bowl.
Take out what you are going to use for one meal and put it into a separate bowl.
Put the rest into a sealable container and refrigerate until needed.

Add a handful of toasted sunflower seeds or other nuts and some dried cranberries to the salad.

For the dressing, drizzle about a tablespoon of tamari, a tablespoon or two of toasted sesame oil and a tablespoon of good quality vinegar ( I used sherry ) over the vegetables. Mix until everything is distributed evenly.

Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

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My passions in life are vegetarian cooking, gardening, photography, writing, good books, traveling and nature. Thanks for stopping by, Sabine

14 thoughts on “Tasty Tuesday … The endlessly adaptable Salad Mix”

  1. The Snow Melts Somewhere says:

    Looks lovely! Every time I read one of your food posts, I think, “Can you please come over to my place and cook for me??? Pretty please?” 😀 Hahahah! Too bad you live on the other side of the world, otherwise you could start a catering service, I’d definitely pay you! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Missy says:

    Hey Sabine! Looks like we were on the same page today … what to have for dinner and coming up with salad. It is almost like eating sunshine, right? Have a great week!

    Like

  4. insearchofitall says:

    Looks good enough to eat. Everything but the onions of course. 🙂 Love salads. I’m trying to stay awake tonight until bedtime so I sleep all night again. Long day or I would have dropped by sooner. Hugs.

    Liked by 1 person

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