The “Work” Salad
Everyone has their weak food moments. I can tolerate the 10pm munchies, but when I’m at work, I need diversion, and eating a tossed salad with some bottled fat free dressing is the quickest way to get me to down a Reese’s cup, some ‘tater chips or some such other “quickie” fix. I need a little fat, a little sugar, something crunchy, and something spicy in my food to thwart the carbo-noid, so I created this salad, the ingredients for which can be bought weekly. Nothing but the lettuce need be refrigerated. The protein fills you up quickly, the fat makes you feel full, and the sugar contained in the balsamic vinegar and honey give you a little fix. Because I make this salad without benefit of a full kitchen, the measurements are approximate.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups-ish Romaine or other lettuce you like
1 handful (about 1/4 cup) almonds
1 big dollop (about 1/4 cup) prepared hummus
1/2 handful sunflower seeds
1 ripe pear
1/4 teaspoon flaxseed (optional)
Throw all ingredients into a plastic bag or wax bag, toss with a bit of dressing (recipe follows), and put ingredients on a plate.
You may wish to add a little extra dressing after it’s on the plate.
Salad Dressing (makes enough for several salads):
In a jar with a tight lid, shake together the following ingredients:
1 (sugar) teaspoon of dijon mustard
1 teaspoon (or squirt) of honey
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
notes: If you’re on Steve and Maya’s “raw” diet, you can get raw sprouted hummus from Whole Foods or Berkeley Bowl. Also, the dressing is great with baby carrots and celery sticks, and the like if you need a before-dinner snack.
thanks for the great food ideas…I forward them to my friends. keep up the great and extremely creative food creations, they’re awesome.
yum! today this salad is “breakfast” before I catch the train to Davis, excellent! Thanks Tsan!
this looks HELL OF GOOD, and i will eat it tomorrow. and the day after, and so on. because i am a creature of lunch habit.
thanks tsan!
Yummmm. I needed some new salad ideas!
Tsan, will you adopt me?
Drooling.
I know a killer home-made salad recipe I use all the time. It’s low fat and VERY satisfying. A real taste sensation. Thought I’d share. It’s from the “Seasonal Detox” book. I make it up in a mason jar and keep it for 2-3 weeks.
KUMARI DRESSING
1.
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup walnut oil (or: one of these oils: canola, flaxseed, hempseed, avodado, or pumpkin oil)
- 1 whole, peeled garlic clove (don’t cut)
- 1 and a half tsp curry powder
- 1/2 tsp of each of the following dried herbs/spices:
dill, cumin, marjoram, mint, oregano, rosemary, sage, tarragon, thyme, turmeric
- 1 TBS capers, chopped
2.
- 1/3 cup lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar or wine vinegar)
- 1/4 cup mustard (honey mustard or stone-ground)
- 3 TBS soy sauce (tamari or ‘liquid aminos’ is best)
- 1 tsp maple syrup
1. Combine (1) in a wide-mouth jar with a lid. Shake to coat herbs and spices with oils.
If possible, let stand refrigerated for 2 hours.
2. Combine (2). Add to oils and herbs in jar. Shake well. Keep refrigerated. Can be combined with yogurt for a variation.
Yum Pam!