Five steps to making a good salad

It's been brought to my attention that my ice cream recipes have convinced a few of you that you're going to need to invest in new wardrobes. So, I have a solution to counteract that problem: raw vegetables. And lots of 'em. Even if you get bored with eating vegetables, I'm fairly certain you'll learn to love them if you follow the requirements to building a filling, big ass salad, listed below.

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1. I've said it once, I'll say it again: chop all of your ingredients. Don't like mushrooms? Chop 'em! Can't stand avocados? Chop those, too. Chopping the vegetables allows you to easily mask the flavors of the vegetables you don't like. Not to mention, it packs a variety of flavors= into each bite.

2. Eliminate the need for dressing by bagging your toppings. Place all of your chopped, fresh produce (except for the lettuce) into a plastic bag. Add a pinch of salt, seal, toss and let sit for 30 minutes - the vegetables will produce a liquid, which will act as your dressing. But if you absolutely have to use dressing, dilute it. I'm a sucker for Brianna's poppy seed dressing - and when I use it, it takes about 1/4 cup to coat my salad. That's a lot of unnecessary sugar, so I dilute the dressing using one part water to one part dressing. Works like a charm!

3. Always add fruit. Always. I'm partial to apples, berries and currants (or raisins) (or dates). Getting a bite of something sweet makes eating a big ass salad a lot more tolerable.

4. Use an entire serving of each vegetable.  I start with 4-6 cups of chopped greens then add 1/2-1 cup servings of each vegetable. Carrots, celery and tomatoes always get the full 1 cup, while vegetables such as cabbage, avocado and broccoli may only get 1/2 cup. When all is said and done, your salad should be so big that you have to eat it out of a mixing bowl.

5. Drink water. Lots of it. Yeah, this isn't necessarily a step to making a good salad - but I've come to find that the only way to guarantee a salad keeps me full for hours is to drink at least 32 ounces of water while I'm consuming it. Yes, this means you're going to have to empty your bladder a few times, but it's better than getting hungry two hours later.

Quinoa crunch salad

I can't believe I'm getting ready to say this, but.. 90˚ afternoons are making it hard for me to turn on the oven. I never understood why people shied away from using their ovens in the summer, and now I do - not everyone lives in a place with access to air conditioning. We, for example, live in a 110 year old warehouse. It was built before central air existed - and the windows in the main living area weren't exactly designed to hold air conditioning units - so we had to order one of those ridiculously tacky (not to mention, overpriced) standing units to help keep the main living area cool during the warm summer months. Thom fought me on this to no end. Probably because he knows that once the tacky cooling device arrives, I'm not going to walk around the house naked all day. But once he gets fresh baked goods in his belly, he'll forget about the nakedness. Unless he reads this post.

The upside to all of this heat is that it's allowing me to focus on healthier, vegetable heavy dishes. Like this salad. Which is simple to make and chock full of stuff that's good for you. I used one cup of quinoa to two cups of water and got four cups of cooked quinoa. Also, you can use any liquid sweetener you want; agave nectar, honey, date syrup, etc. Just make it, you won't be sorry.

QUINOA CRUNCH SALAD

4 cups cooked quinoa 1/4 cup shredded coconut 1/2 cup crushed almonds 1/4 cup dried currants 2 green onions, chopped 1/2 cup  chopped broccoli

1/4 cup diced mango 1/4 cup edamame 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted 1-2 tbsp lime juice 1 tbsp coconut nectar Salt, to taste

Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl. Yes, it's really that easy. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Will keep for 3-5 days.

Yield: 6-8 side servings

Sweet cabbage salad

I intended on sharing the cherry rhubarb pie recipe this morning, then I realized it's been ages since I've posted anything healthy. And since the photos I got don't do the adorable, little pies justice, it was the perfect excuse to share something healthy here today.

Since we moved into our new place, Thom and I have hosted several small gatherings. Which (surprise!) always focus on good, hearty grub. The recipes are (usually) inspired by what I'm craving at the moment, and are always very vegetable heavy. This time around we made walnut encrusted tempeh, sweet cabbage salad, quinoa pesto salad, Indian potato salad (geeze, that's a lot of salads) and a raw fruit tart. Oh, and according to some, the greatest oatmeal cookies in existence. But that's debatable. And no, you will not find the recipe on my site because I haven't posted it yet.

The name of this salad can be a bit deceiving - it's not that sweet. And it's a bit tangy. However, guests devoured it and that's all that matters. Did I mention it takes mere minutes to prepare? Or that it's perfectly crunchy and pairs well as a side to any summer dinner? Think cole slaw, only fancier. And not covered in mayonnaise.

If you don't have sesame oil, you can use almond oil, olive oil, etc. - but the toasted sesame oil adds a really great flavor to this salad. In fact, I don't think I'll ever make it with any other oil, ever again. Use 1 tablespoon of a liquid sweetener of your choice - agave nectar, coconut nectar, honey, etc. If you don't have time to let the salad marinate for 30 minutes, you can serve it immideately - but allowing it to soak in the plastic bag causes the cabbage to soften ever so slightly.

CABBAGE SALAD

4 cups chopped green cabbage 1/4 cup fresh peas 2 green onions, finely chopped 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp liquid sweetener 1 heavy pinch fine sea salt 1/4 cup slivered almonds, chopped

Add the cabbage, peas and green onions to a large, resealable plastic bag; set aside. In a small bowl, stir together the oil, vinegar, liquid sweetener and salt. Pour into bag of cabbage, seal, toss and then let sit for 30 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes. When ready to serve, mix in almonds. Keeps in refrigerator for up to two days. Thereafter, it starts to lose it's crunch.

Yield: 6 servings

How to make a big ass salad

When it comes to salads, I don't mess around. In fact, I like to think I have salad-making superpowers. Know someone who hates vegetables? Send them to me and I'll make a vegetable lover out of them. Which, I promise, does not involve locking them in a dimly lit closet with a basket of vegetables for days on end. Well, it might. But anything to get them to eat vegetables, right?

There's a common misconception that salads aren't filling, which I think solely depends on where you get the salad. How many of you have ever fallen victim to those salads they serve in restaurants? Did you ever go home and make yourself a second dinner? Don't be ashamed. I've done it. In fact, I think I do it every time I get duped into ordering one of those overpriced bowls of lettuce from an establishment that ropes me in becuase it's literally the only edible thing on the menu, to me. Well, friends, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but, those salads? They're not filling becuase they're not big ass salads. In fact, I'm 115 pounds soaking wet and I would need to eat about three of those things to get full. You're not alone.

The trick to a good salad is to chop all of the ingredients - including the lettuce. That way, every bite is filled with a variety of vegetables. Not to mention, you can kiss the days of getting fork-fulls of lettuce goodbye. This recipe is for the salad in the last photo, which left me smiling and satisfied (that's what she said). If you don't watch The Office, you probably should. While I'm giving advice, you should also find a dermatologist who can remove a mole without leaving a scar. Mine is part of the reason I refuse to move away from Denver. 

Restaurants with big ass salads: Watercourse Foods - Denver, Colorado // Northstar Café - Columbus, Ohio

Psst, more big ass salads here and here. Oh, and sorry for saying ass so much, dad.

BIG ASS SALAD (GF)

2 handfuls mixed greens 1/2 head romaine lettuce 1 large carrot 2 stalks celery 1/2" slice of onion 1/4" slice of red cabbage

1/2 avocado 1/2 cucumber 1/2 gala apple 2 tbsp nutritional yeast 2 tbsp chia seeds 1/2 c. tempeh crumbles

Chop the mixed greens and romaine; add to a big ass bowl and set aside. Slice the carrots using your vegetable peeler; I usually just slice across the top so they're perfectly round. Cut the celery into thin slices, and chop the onion and cabbage as fine as you can. Cut the cucumber and avocado into 1/4" cubes. Slice the gala apple thinly then cut into small pieces. Add all vegetables to the big ass bowl. Top with nutritional yeast, chia seeds, tempeh and, if you're like me, lemon juice and poppyseed dressing.