T'is the season for treats and sweets! As a result, you may become a little sluggish as your system works hard to keep up.
Here is a crunchy salad that will work well on its own as a complete meal. Delight your eyes with the festive colours and thrill your body with taste and nutrition.
Vroom-Vroom Salad Ingredients
Beets, slivered- Carrots, shredded
- Celery root, slivered
- Cucumber, thinly sliced
- Green or purple cabbage, shredded
- Jicama, shredded
- Kale, finely torn
- Radishes, red or daikon, thinly sliced
- Red onion, thinly sliced
- Small tomatoes, chopped in half
- Parsley, finely chopped
- Frozen edamame beans, thawed, not in pod
- Olives - I like Kalamata
- Pomegranate seeds
- Cashews, toasted
- Sunflower seeds, toasted
- Pumpkin seeds, toasted
- Fennel seeds, toasted
- Blueberries, frozen or fresh
- Cranberries, dried
- Olive oil
- Red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Putting it together
You'll want to use your food processor or mandolin, if you have one. The finer, thinner you can cut up your ingredients, the better this salad tastes. You'll notice that I don't tell you how much of each ingredient to add. If you're feeling uncertain about how much of each ingredient to add, start small. Adjust as you gain more confidence.
- Toast cashew nuts. You can either do it in the frying pan, over medium-low heat, or in the oven. Just be sure to shuffle often.
- Toast pumpkin and sunflower seeds. If adding fennel seeds, do so about half-way through.
- Prepare your dressing. I've done this two ways:
- Mashing up the blueberries, then adding oil, vinegar and salt and pepper.
- When your salad is prepared, add the ingredients, adjusting to your taste. I encourage you to do #2 to help you trust yourself when it comes to cooking.
- Place all the ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Let sit about 20-30 minutes before serving, stirring once or twice to blend the flavours.
- Enjoy the get-up-and-go (in more ways than one) from this salad. Vroom-Vroom!
Sign up here to receive notification each time I publish a new entry in Cooking with Confidence.
More Cooking with Confidence:
This looks so good.
It is so satisfying. It’ll have you coming back for more.
Aloha Marianna,
It’s so nice to tweet together about “exotic” ingredients from Hawaii for your Vroom-Vroom Salad, but it would be so much nicer if you were here so we can make it together!
So that we don’t forget for when you visit 🙂 …
You’ve been “dreaming of all that wonderful produce grown in the enriched soil of Hi. Tomatoes, onions, lilikoi, avos, papaya”.
I tweeted: “Pineapples, too!” and then started thinking: “mangoes, star fruit, lychees and macadamia nuts!”.
Of course, if we wanted to be bad, we could have this with a side of fried breadfruit chips. Oh so delicious and cooked up a local gentleman at the farmer’s market.
Looking forward to more of your recipes!
Jackie
I’m in, Jackie!
Of course, we’d have to make a stop at Island Lava Java Waikoloa. After that, I think I’d better go for a big swim. 🙂
It’s always a pleasure when you come by to visit. Next time, I’ll brew a pot of tea. What’s your pleasure?
Hello Marianna,
Genmaicha (green tea with toasted rice) is a favorite! On the container, it is called: “Tea of Inquiry”. Mysterious sounding, isn’t it?
There’s a tour and tasting at the Onomea Tea Company (certified organic teas near Hilo, HI) that would clarify all questions about tea. Along with the tasting, they serve home made scones. We should go!
Ahhh, the Island Lava Java at Waikoloa — due to your reminder, I dropped by this week for a cup of hot Kona coffee and their luscious “pull-aparts” topped with cream cheese icing. Paradise!
Sending aloha your way.
Jackie
Sounds perfect on this dark and wet Fri. I think there’s an evening flight leaving from here. 🙂
I love Kona coffee & cinnamon anything. Tea, too. Wonder if fortune tellers use those tea leaves? LOL!