The Everything Salad Book (22 page)

PER SERVING

Calories:..........159

Fat:..........8.5 g

Protein:..........4 g

Sodium:..........201 mg

Fiber:..........3.5 g

Carbohydrate:..........18 g

This unusual salad is both beautiful to behold and exquisite to taste. Use a delicate touch with the flowers and petals to prevent bruising or ripping.

1. Whisk egg whites, water, and almond extract together in a small bowl. Use a small, sterile paintbrush to lightly coat each flower and petal, front and back. Use tweezers to help hold the delicate flowers and petals.
   

2. Sprinkle sugar over each flower and petal, front and back. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Let dry for 10 hours, gently turning the flower and petals over after 5 hours.
   

3. Toss greens and arugula together in a large salad bowl. Sprinkle with orange juice and salt. Toss well to coat. Add rose petals to bowl and toss gently to mix. Split salad between 4 plates and garnish each plate with 3 sugared pansies.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........50

Fat:..........0 g

Protein:..........5 g

Sodium:..........157 mg

Fiber:..........1.5 g

Carbohydrate:..........6.5 g

Use homegrown organic flowers to ensure the ingredients are safe to eat. Remove any stems, leaves, or stamens from the flowers. Cut off the bottom of the rose petals to remove the area where the petal attaches due to its bitter taste. Place the flowers or petals in cold water to rinse, letting the flowers soak for 5 minutes. Gently shake the flowers/petals to remove excess water and place on a paper towel to dry.

This intricately flavored salad is best served before or after the entrée to avoid overwhelming your taste buds. Add strips of cooked chicken breast with light lemon-pepper seasoning to turn the salad into a full meal.

1. Whisk lemon juice, oil, orange juice, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper together in the bottom of a mixing bowl. Whisk until salt dissolves. Slowly pour oil into dressing and whisk until emulsified.
   

2. Add fresh apricots, fennel, dried apricots, and celery to the large bowl. Toss well to coat with dressing. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator. Let mixture marinate for 10 minutes.
   

3. Gently toss iceberg lettuce, oak leaf lettuce, and alfalfa sprouts together in a large salad bowl. Remove apricot mixture from fridge. Gently toss apricot mixture into salad, scraping the sides of the mixing bowl to make sure you get as much dressing as possible. Toss well to mix and coat. Garnish with a sprinkle of orange zest and serve.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........111

Fat:..........7 g

Protein:..........1.5 g

Sodium:..........209 mg

Fiber:..........2.5 g

Carbohydrate:..........12 g

Alfalfa sprouts used in salads are light, sweet, and crunchy baby sprouts with thin white stems topped with tiny green bulbs. The sprouts are harvested as early as 3 days after sprouting, so they are often grown on a pad right in the packaging. Remove the sprouts from the pad and rinse well before using.

The mellow flavor of jicama complements the tart apples and sweet cabbage to give this recipe a sophisticated flavor.

1. Stir mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, shallots, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a small mixing bowl. Mix well.
   

2. Toss green cabbage, apple, jicama, red cabbage, and parsley together in a large mixing bowl. Pour dressing into slaw and toss well.
   

3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 30–60 minutes before serving. Mix well before serving.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........140

Fat:..........11 g

Protein:..........1 g

Sodium:..........161 mg

Fiber:..........2 g

Carbohydrate:..........10 g

Jicamas, root vegetables native to Central America, cannot be peeled like an apple or potato and will only cause frustration if you try. The best way to peel the “Mexican turnip” is to slice off the top and bottom, and then use a knife to cut away strips of peel from top to bottom.

This recipe also tastes great with traditional coleslaw dressing instead of ranch dressing. To lighten things up, try using reduced-fat cheese and low-fat ranch.

1. Mix the broccoli slaw, celery, sunflower seeds, almonds, and cheese together in a large bowl.
   

2. Drizzle salad dressing into the bowl and toss to coat. Serve immediately or chill in fridge for up to 12 hours before serving.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........291

Fat:..........25 g

Protein:..........8 g

Sodium:..........373 mg

Fiber:..........4.5 g

Carbohydrate:..........11 g

The radicchio adds a hint of bite to this recipe to help balance the mellow cucumbers. However, you can leave the radicchio out if you prefer a lighter flavor.

Toss everything except the dressing together in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with dressing and toss well to coat. Serve immediately or store in fridge for up to 24 hours.

PER SERVING

Calories:..........136

Fat:..........9.5 g

Protein:..........2 g

Sodium:..........162 mg

Fiber:..........3 g

Carbohydrate:..........13 g

Select ripe navel oranges for this salad, as their sweet juice is what really makes this recipe spectacular.

1. Use a sharp knife to remove peel and pith (white stuff) from each orange. Remove seeds and slice membrane from around each segment. Slice each segment in half. You should end up with around 2 cups of prepared orange segments. Discard peels, pith, seeds, and membranes.
   

2. Drain the water from the canned water chestnuts. Combine the prepared oranges, drained chestnuts, cabbage, onion, and radicchio in a large mixing bowl.
   

3. Whisk orange juice, lemon juice, soy sauce, and sesame seeds together in a small bowl. Whisk oil into bowl. Mix until emulsified. Drizzle dressing over coleslaw and toss well to coat. Serve immediately or chill up to 4 hours before serving.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........121

Fat:..........5 g

Protein:..........2 g

Sodium:..........114 mg

Fiber:..........4 g

Carbohydrate:..........19 g

The quickest way to toast sesame seeds is in a skillet on the stove. Add the seeds to a small skillet over medium heat to toast. Stir seeds often and remove from heat when they turn golden. Let the seeds cool before using them in a recipe or storing them for later.

Serve as a salad with barbecued pork ribs or with juicy steaks. If you want to sweeten the recipe up a bit, replace the yellow onions with white and the green bell peppers with red or orange.

1. In a small container with a cover, combine the salad oil, cider vinegar, white sugar, salt, paprika, dried mustard, and celery seed. Cover and shake until well mixed.
   

2. In a large serving bowl, combine the cabbage, bell pepper, onion, pimientos, and black olives; toss gently until well mixed.
   

3. Pour the dressing on top and toss gently until well covered. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........119

Fat:..........9 g

Protein:..........1 g

Sodium:..........677 mg

Fiber:..........2 g

Carbohydrate:..........10 g

Lime and jicama are a classic combination. In fact, one of the most popular ways to eat jicamas is raw with a little lime juice and red pepper sprinkled over top.

1. Toss cabbage, jicama, and onions together in a large mixing bowl.
   

2. Stir lime juice, sugar, salt, paprika, and red pepper sauce together in a small bowl. Mix until sugar and salt dissolve fully.
   

3. Drizzle dressing over coleslaw and toss well to coat. Cover bowl and chill coleslaw for 30–60 minutes before serving. Mix well before serving.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........28

Fat:..........0 g

Protein:..........1 g

Sodium:..........107 mg

Fiber:..........2.5 g

Carbohydrate:..........7 g

This dieter-friendly coleslaw has a refreshing crunch and full flavor ideal for any summer barbecue.

1. Whisk the vinegar, mustard, sweetener, celery seed, and rosemary together in a large mixing bowl. Whisk oil into bowl and mix until emulsified.
   

2. Add green cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, celery, parsley, and onions to the bowl. Toss to mix and coat.
   

3. Cover bowl with lid and chill in fridge for at least 20 minutes before serving. Mix well before serving.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........39

Fat:..........1.5g

Protein:..........1 g

Sodium:..........182 mg

Fiber:..........1.5 g

Carbohydrate:..........5 g

The dish now known as coleslaw finds its roots with Dutch settlers in the Americas. Hearty cabbage was a popular garden item for Dutch farmers and koolsla, or cold cabbage salad, was a popular easy dish. The salad caught on in America, and with the invention of mayonnaise in the eighteenth century, soon evolved into the basic dish that's still used in modern times.

This is a creamy and crunchy slaw that is great for picnics and road trips. Good substitutes for the lime juice include apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, or orange juice. Good substitutes for the poppy seeds include sesame seeds or hemp seeds.

1. In a blender place the cashews, lime juice, lime zest, and salt and blend. Slowly add the water until it blends to the consistency of whipped cream.
   

2. Toss the jicama, fennel, and cabbage with the prepared cashew cream and poppy seeds. This recipe will stay fresh for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........302

Fat:..........21 g

Protein:..........8.5 g

Sodium:..........332 mg

Fiber:..........7.5 g

Carbohydrate:..........27 g

This coleslaw has a sweet, tropical twist. Jicama is a good substitute for the carrot. Fresh pineapple juice could be substituted for the water. This is a good side dish to serve with a veggie burger.

1. In a medium bowl, sprinkle salt onto the grated cabbage and carrots and stir.
   

2. Using a food processor or blender, blend together the cashews, ¼ cup dried coconut, ¼ cup pineapple, and agave nectar. Add just enough water so you can blend it.
   

3. Toss together the remaining pineapple and dried coconut with the grated cabbage and carrot. Add the blended dressing to the bowl and stir until well mixed. Serve immediately.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........373

Fat:..........25 g

Protein:..........7 g

Sodium:..........192 mg

Fiber:..........6 g

Carbohydrate:..........36 g

Soaking cashews in water for several hours makes a difference in texture if you're trying to turn the nuts into butter without loading up on oil. As the cashews absorb the water, their flesh becomes softer and mixes fluidly when blended to create a creamy butter. Using dry cashews can result in a gritty texture and can keep the nutty flavor from blending with other ingredients.

Use as a unique complement to backyard barbecues or as the perfect potluck surprise.

1. Peel the avocado, remove the pit, and chop the meat into ¼-inch pieces.
   

2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the orange juice, curry powder, cumin, sugar, and vinegar. Add the oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified.
   

3. In a large bowl, toss the avocado with the slaw mix. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Chill until ready to serve, and season with the salt and pepper.
   

PER SERVING

Calories:..........55

Fat:..........3.5 g

Protein:..........2 g