Simple Salad Ideas for a Busy Life

Summer means fresh fruits and veggies, so what better time than to get creative in the kitchen and experiment with a new yummy salad?! Salads are perfect for the summer since they are so cool and refreshing. Keep it interesting with different options so no one in the family ever gets bored of eating healthy, and soon enough you’ll have everyone craving new ways to get their greens!

#1: Green Goddess Salad

INGREDIENTS:

SALAD:

• 1/2 cup organic quinoa
• 1/2 cup organic wild rice
• 1 cup lettuce
• 3 carrots (chopped)
• 5 sliced strawberries
• 1 avocado sliced
• 1/4 cup pistachios
• 1/4 cup chives
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 2 stems of basil
• 2 stems of oregano
• 2 stems of parsley

GREEN GODDESS DRESSING:

Recipe from ‘It’s All Good’ by Gwyneth Paltrow

• 10 basil leaves
• 3 tablespoons chopped chives
• 2 tablespoons cilantro
• ¼ cup Italian parsley
• Leaves from 1 sprig of tarragon
• 2 scallions, white and light green parts only, roughly chopped
• ½ ripe avocado
• ¼ cup Vegenaise or mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons honey or xylitol
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Juice of 1 lemon (about ¼ cup)
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup water
• ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

#2: Seven Seed Slaw

INGREDIENTS:

Equal parts seeds: (I use 1/4 cup of each seed because I enjoy this dish extra seedy but you may choose to start with 1/8th of a cup of each seed)

• 1 head of purple cabbage
• Poppy seeds
• White sesame seeds
• Black sesame seeds
• Fennel seeds
• Mustard seeds

DIRECTIONS:

Shred coleslaw in a food processor or cut by hand. Next, toast all of the seeds on a dry pan until fragrant. This step is important. Toasting the seeds bring out a beautiful flavor that you otherwise will not achieve. Toss in coleslaw with your favorite vinaigrette dressing. I toss in apple cider vinegar. (A cream based dressing will also go really nice with this dish if you want to try an alternative).

#3: Sweet Chile Quinoa and Wild Rice Salad

INGREDIENTS:

SALAD:

• 1 cup quinoa, cooked
• 1 large red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 cup peas
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 handful baby spinach
• 1/2 cup almonds (optionally toasted) – toast in dry pan over medium heat until fragrant

SWEET CHILI DRESSING:

• 2 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
• 2 tbsp maple syrup or raw honey
• 3 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp red chili flakes (more to taste)

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, whisk Sweet Chili Dressing ingredients. In a large bowl, add salad ingredients, pour dressing over and gently toss to combine.

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[kofi]