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A little sweet, a little salty, and a little crunchy….

Since I’m all gross and sweaty every evening after my kid’s swim team practice (it’s so hot outside already!), I’m really in the mood for salads so thought we’d keep going with this salad theme for the week.  I am very fortunate that my kids do like salads, and fortunately they are really simple to throw together.  And, I almost always have at least a few of the ingredients around the house.

So, most of the time, we start with a big bowl of spinach because it’s so mild and nutritious…


“Hey Tate, what does spinach do to our bodies?” My sweet pasty little hunk.  He’s very proud…

 
I think for us, the key to a good salad is to use something that is a little sweet such as a fruit. We like to use ONE of the following:
 
  •  strawberries (great with feta and roasted walnuts or almonds)
  • apples (feta and any nuts)
  • pears (love with some feta)
  • raisins
  • cherries (goes great with pistachios)
  • grapes

Then, we like to add a little crunchy (or salty) like roasted nuts/seeds so we’ll add ONE of the following:

  • sunflower seeds
  • pine nuts
  • walnuts
  • almond slivers
  • roasted flax seeds
  • pistachios

And then sometimes we also like to add either a little bacon or some feta.  Either of these is almost guarenteed to make a salad yummy!

 

A good standard salad dressing we like is:

  • 1/4 EVOO
  • 1 tbsp balsamic
  • dash of celtic sea salt
  • dash of garlic (sometimes)

When I’m making this strawberry salad (see above) with roasted walnuts and feta, I’ll use a few drops of stevia in the dressing. The sweet and salty makes this my kid’s favorite salad!

Oh, and quick note about the kale (with nutritional yeast) I’m so obsessed with.  So I have tried many different temperatures and cooking times and I think I’ve figured out my favorite combination.  So, I’ll preheat the oven to 300, cook the kale (with EVOO, nutritional yeast (and cashews if time), and a dash of apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and salt) on a cookie sheet with parchment paper for 15 minutes.  Then, I’ll turn the oven off (keep the kale in the stove) and I’m ready to start my day.  Then by lunch, or even more a mid morning break, I have a great snack waiting! Love this stuff!!

 

 
 
  • landriav - test commentReplyCancel

  • Chris Colwell - speaking of Kale…..I found out an interesting fact that I’m sure Lan would never know, but the Kale will last in your refrige in a tight container for 10 DAYS!!!!! Yes you read that right. I made the Kale last week before we went to LA and my husband was not crazy about it. I ate as much as I could in 2 days and could not stand the thought of throwing it away so I thought I would put it in the fridge and see what happened. I just ate the rest of it this afternoon. YUM! as always.ReplyCancel

    • landriav - Hey Chris! So good to know, and you’re right, would have never guessed, or had the chance to test, but so great for others to know. Thanks for posting that. I’m like you, I cannot stand to waste food!! How was LA?? Hope to see you soon!ReplyCancel

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