Please, Not Another Excuse.

I’m pretty sure (no data but a solid gut feel here) that most people would agree that eating a salad might be good for you. If you are reading this, then perhaps you feel the same. Then why don’t we eat more of them? Here are the excuses I hear and at some points in my past life, more than which I am proud, that I’ve also used for why salads aren’t top on our menu…

1. It is just too boring, I’m not a rabbit.
2. A salad won’t give me enough protein, and I must have protein.
3. I don’t have time because it takes about 15 – 30 minutes to chop up a nice salad. (Okay, so writing that even makes seem like an even more LAME excuse!)
4. It is not salad season and I live in the Northeast.

1. I used to think that salads were boring too, until I started to play with some combinations. A current favorite of mine is greens (whatever is in my garden or provided by my CSA), Kalamata olives, walnuts and dried cranberries. Dressed with either a nice olive oil & vinegar or with one of my dressing creations below. Simple, delicious. No excuse. There are hundreds of salad creations that can be created. Ever tried counting them??
2. Protein…contrary to popular belief, chicken, steak, tuna or salmon are NOT the only ways to get protein in your diet! Some of my favorite protein-packed, animal friendly toppers are garbanzo beans, quinoa, lentils, sunflower seeds, almonds or even marinated grilled tofu or tempeh. These choices are protein packed, good for you, don’t require a dead animal lying on the top of your salad (sorry, bad visual L) and 100% delicious.
3. No one has extra time – but I’ve learned that I have to MAKE it. Yes, you can too. If it is a priority and on your calendar, it will happen. Pick a day or two that you can spend an hour or so doing some prepping. Washing greens is super simple, but does take a little time. Do it in advance and store in Ziploc bag with a paper towel in it. Be sure to get as much air out of the bag as possible before sealing it. Sure, if you have a fancy “food saver” or special green bags those will work too. Chop some harder veggies like celery & carrots in advance (cucumbers and some of the softer veggies go bad faster). I always have some onion in a bag chopped up (but remember to use a chopped onion in about 5 days max). Planning and prep will keep you & your fridge filled with choices for salads. Each day you can make a different creation to keep it exciting. No excuses that it will take so long. Oh, and the last time I checked…to make a meal with meat and stuff you will probably invest even more time with the cooking process. I’m just sayin’…
4. True, there are some times of the year that I won’t even consider slicing a tomato on my salad, so you need to consider seasonal veggies. Winter brings some nice root veggies and squash that when roasted can make a delicious topper for some greens. Don’t be afraid to keep the salads simple – too many ingredients can take away from a delicious salad anyway. I like the salad I mentioned in #1 above because it is always possible to find those ingredients…even when you do live in Pittsburgh, PA and have a winter season that doesn’t encourage a lot of veggie growth.

Below are some simple and delicious dressings that I make that are vegan and refined-sugar free. Note that some of these recipes call for honey which I do not use but instead sweeten primarily with dates or fresh herb stevia (The real stevia plant I grow in my garden, not that funny white stuff that comes in a green packet. What is that anyway & why is it white??).

Raspberry Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup organic olive oil
• ¼ cup organic apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. dried organic basil
• ½ cup organic fresh or frozen red raspberries
• ¼ cup water
• 2 Tbsp. organic raw honey (optional) or 1 date, pitted (optional)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in the blender in the order listed.
2. Select Variable 1 and slowly increase speed to Variable 4.
3. Blend for 30 seconds.

Lime Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• ½ cup organic olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice (juice of 1 – 2 limes)
• 2 teaspoon organic Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon organic garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon organic ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon organic ground black pepper

Directions:

1. In a jar with a lid, shake together all ingredients.

CCreamy Garlic Lime Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice (from 1-2 limes)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. pure maple syrup or raw honey
• 2 tbsp. almond milk
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. ground pepper

Directions:

1. Pour all ingredients into the jar with 1/2 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. ground pepper.
2. Screw the lid on tightly and shake until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• 1 cup olive oil
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp. organic Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ¼ tsp. dried oregano
• ¼ tsp. dried basil
• 1/8 tsp. black pepper
• 1 date, pitted (optional)

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients in the blender and blend until thick and creamy

Sweet Herb & Red Wine Vinegar Dressing

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup organic olive oil
• ¼ cup organic red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
• ¼ cup organic lemon juice
• 2 TBSP fresh stevia leaf
• 4 cloves organic garlic, peeled
• 1 small organic shallot, minced
• 2 Tbsp. fresh oregano
• 1 ½ Tbsp. fresh thyme
• ½ tsp. jalapeno pepper (optional)
• ¼ tsp. sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth

Tahini Dressing

Ingredients:

• Juice of one large lemon (or 2 TBSP organic lemon juice)
• 1 organic garlic clove minced
• ½ cup water
• ¾ cup organic raw sesame seeds
• 1 tsp organic pure maple syrup or honey
• 1 tbsp + 1 tsp organic apple cider vinegar
• 1 and ½ tsp organic tamari soy sauce
• 1 tsp organic coriander powder
• 1 tsp organic cumin
• 2 tbsp organic hempseed oil or olive oil
• ¼ tsp sea salt

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients and puree until smooth. Stays fresh in the fridge for one week.

Creamy Basil & Dill Dressing

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw cashews that have been soaked for one hour
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup organic lemon juice
• 1 tsp. organic garlic powder
• 1 tsp. organic onion powder
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh dill
• 1/8 – ¼ tsp. sea salt

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth

Dill Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup organic olive oil
• ½ cup organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar
• 2 large garlic cloves, peeled
• Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 TBSP organic lemon juice – I use “Santa Cruz” brand)
• 2 tsp. organic Dijon mustard
• 1 large green onion (white part only)
• 15 sprigs of fresh dill (stems removed)
• ¾ tsp. Himalayan sea salt
• 1/8 tsp. organic black pepper
• 1 date, pitted (I usually run it under hot water to take the thick skin off and the pit comes out easily)
• 2 TBSP fresh parsley

Directions:

• Add all of the ingredients, except the Parsley, to the Vitamix and increase speed gradually to high. Blend for about 30 seconds (or until everything is emulsified.
• Add the parsley last and pulse to blend in.