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| Moroccan Carrot Salad |
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| Grilled Squash & Zucchini Salad |
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| Spring Vegetable Salad |
One of the biggest problems I've been tackling recently is vegetables. Let's be honest, there's only so many ways that one can cook broccoli, green beans or squash before getting tired of them. After alternating between sauteing (can that be a gerund?), grilling, steaming and roasting with various spices I had fallen into a serious vegetable rut. Obviously, veggies are packed full of fiber and vitamins so they're absolutely necessary in a meal; I just needed to reinvent some ways to prepare them to get me excited again. Many people's first instinct in a veggie salad is to coat it in mayonnaise. I'm terrified of mayonnaise and avoid it at all cost for a myriad of reasons including but not limited to an egg allergy and the nagging intuition that I'm directly negating the positive effects of veggies by covering them in some sort of oil based lubricant I'm sure works better than WD40. Ergo, I've developed some healthier, lighter and fresher options for fresh vegetable salads and hope they help get you out of a rut as well!
Moroccan Carrot Salad
1 bag carrots (about 1 1/2 lbs), grated
1/2 cup roasted salted cashews
1 lemon, zested & juiced
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
splash apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
1. Grate carrots (use a food processer if possible - this takes a LONG TIME by hand - trust me!)
2. Whisk vinegar, olive oil, salt pepper, curry, lemon juice and zest together in a small bowl.
3. Combine carrots, cilantro, cashews & vinegarette. Toss well & chill for 30 minutes - 1 hour before serving.
Serves 6
Grilled Squash & Zucchini Salad
2 zucchini, halved
2 squash, halved
1 onion, sliced razor thin
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/2 tsp dried dill, or 1-2 tsp fresh dill
splash apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
1. Heat grill pan or grill to medium heat and spray with nonstick spray. Place squash and zucchini halves on grill cut side down.
2. Grill for 10 minutes until nice char marks appear on veggies. Turn and grill for an additional 10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Slice zucchini and squash into 1/4 inch slices.
4. Using a mandolin or food processor on the thinnest setting slice onion. Add to zucchini.
5. Whisk remaining ingredients together and pour over top of veggies. Toss to coat and serve room temperature.
Serves 6
Spring Vegetable Salad
1 lb green beans, ends trimmed
1 1/2 cups fresh peas or 1 small bag frozen peas, thawed
4 oz parmesan cheese, shaved
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil plus 1 tsp
3 tblsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup italian parsely, rough chopped
salt & pepper to taste
1. Fill a large pot half way with water and heat until boiling. Blanche green beans by adding to boiling water and cooking for ~5 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain beans and add to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking process (if you're less picky about losing color you can skip this step!).
2. Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium heat with 1 tsp olive oil. Add peas and saute for 3-4 minutes until also crisp tender.
3. Chop cloves of garlic and whisk with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper until smooth.
4. Combine beans, peas, parsely and vinegarette. Top with parmesan shavings.
5. Serve room temperature or slightly chilled.
Serves 6
salt & pepper to taste
1. Grate carrots (use a food processer if possible - this takes a LONG TIME by hand - trust me!)
2. Whisk vinegar, olive oil, salt pepper, curry, lemon juice and zest together in a small bowl.
3. Combine carrots, cilantro, cashews & vinegarette. Toss well & chill for 30 minutes - 1 hour before serving.
Serves 6
Grilled Squash & Zucchini Salad
2 zucchini, halved
2 squash, halved
1 onion, sliced razor thin
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/2 tsp dried dill, or 1-2 tsp fresh dill
splash apple cider vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
1. Heat grill pan or grill to medium heat and spray with nonstick spray. Place squash and zucchini halves on grill cut side down.
2. Grill for 10 minutes until nice char marks appear on veggies. Turn and grill for an additional 10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Slice zucchini and squash into 1/4 inch slices.
4. Using a mandolin or food processor on the thinnest setting slice onion. Add to zucchini.
5. Whisk remaining ingredients together and pour over top of veggies. Toss to coat and serve room temperature.
Serves 6
Spring Vegetable Salad
1 lb green beans, ends trimmed
1 1/2 cups fresh peas or 1 small bag frozen peas, thawed
4 oz parmesan cheese, shaved
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil plus 1 tsp
3 tblsp red wine vinegar
1/2 cup italian parsely, rough chopped
salt & pepper to taste
1. Fill a large pot half way with water and heat until boiling. Blanche green beans by adding to boiling water and cooking for ~5 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain beans and add to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking process (if you're less picky about losing color you can skip this step!).
2. Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium heat with 1 tsp olive oil. Add peas and saute for 3-4 minutes until also crisp tender.
3. Chop cloves of garlic and whisk with oil, vinegar, salt and pepper until smooth.
4. Combine beans, peas, parsely and vinegarette. Top with parmesan shavings.
5. Serve room temperature or slightly chilled.
Serves 6
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