This week was our first week of school, and I wanted to have things in the fridge for quick eats during the week. I found a Thai Crunch Salad with Peanut Dressing from Once Upon a Chef. It was easy to make a cup of dressing to keep in the fridge along with a container of the dry salad. I mixed a salad as I wanted it and it lasted all week as breakfasts and snacks for Bob and I.
I made a few adjustments to her "California Kitchen' inspired recipe. The main differences being that, 1) I processed my own almond butter (not a long time, just until it was at a spreadable texture) instead of using creamy peanut butter; and 2) I omitted the sugar.
I made a few adjustments to her "California Kitchen' inspired recipe. The main differences being that, 1) I processed my own almond butter (not a long time, just until it was at a spreadable texture) instead of using creamy peanut butter; and 2) I omitted the sugar.
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Ingredients:
DRESSING
1/4 cup almonds, processed to spreadable.
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons light olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce (with no added sugar)
2 tablespoons honey
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1-inch square piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
SALAD
4 cups chopped cabbage (I used red because it's what I had.)
1 cup shredded carrots (julienned 1 large carrot and went with that)
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces (red makes for a very pretty salad)
2 cucumbers (I cut them in half and scooped out the seeds so the salad wouldn't become watery.)
1 cup sprouts
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped nuts of any kind
Directions:
1. Chop up all the veggies, toss them together in a bowl and set aside.
2. Process the almonds in the food processor until the desired consistency is reached.
3. Add all the other dressing ingredients to the food processor with the almonds, EXCEPT for the cilantro (not a big deal, if you add them at the beginning it turns the dressing green.) Process until smooth.
4. Add the 2 tablespoons of cilantro and pulse a few times until there are little green speckles throughout the dressing.
5. Add the dressing to the salad and toss to coat everything.
6. Add the chopped nuts of any kind to the salad and toss one more time.
7. Enjoy!
Ideas for Eating:
Eat it throughout the week by storing the veggies and dressing separately in the fridge. Just mix the veggies, dressing and a few chopped nuts together each time you want a salad.
DRESSING
1/4 cup almonds, processed to spreadable.
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 tablespoons light olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce (with no added sugar)
2 tablespoons honey
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1-inch square piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
SALAD
4 cups chopped cabbage (I used red because it's what I had.)
1 cup shredded carrots (julienned 1 large carrot and went with that)
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces (red makes for a very pretty salad)
2 cucumbers (I cut them in half and scooped out the seeds so the salad wouldn't become watery.)
1 cup sprouts
1/2 cup loosely packed chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup chopped nuts of any kind
Directions:
1. Chop up all the veggies, toss them together in a bowl and set aside.
2. Process the almonds in the food processor until the desired consistency is reached.
3. Add all the other dressing ingredients to the food processor with the almonds, EXCEPT for the cilantro (not a big deal, if you add them at the beginning it turns the dressing green.) Process until smooth.
4. Add the 2 tablespoons of cilantro and pulse a few times until there are little green speckles throughout the dressing.
5. Add the dressing to the salad and toss to coat everything.
6. Add the chopped nuts of any kind to the salad and toss one more time.
7. Enjoy!
Ideas for Eating:
Eat it throughout the week by storing the veggies and dressing separately in the fridge. Just mix the veggies, dressing and a few chopped nuts together each time you want a salad.
BONUS! Reading Recommendation!
Check out "French Kids Eat Everything' by Karen Le Billon.
"Moving her young family to her husband's hometown in northern France, Karen Le Billon is prepared for some cultural adjustment but is surprised by the food education she and her family (at first unwillingly) receive. In contrast to her daughters, French children feed themselves neatly and happily—eating everything from beets to broccoli, salad to spinach, mussels to muesli. The family's food habits soon come under scrutiny, as Karen is lectured for slipping her fussing toddler a snack—"a recipe for obesity!"—and forbidden from packing her older daughter a lunch in lieu of the elaborate school meal.
The family soon begins to see the wisdom in the "food rules" that help the French foster healthy eating habits and good manners—from the rigid "no snacking" rule to commonsense food routines that we used to share but have somehow forgotten. Soon, the family cures picky eating and learns to love trying new foods. But the real challenge comes when they move back to North America—where their commitment to "eating French" is put to the test. The result is a family food revolution with surprising but happy results—which suggest we need to dramatically rethink the way we feed children, at home and at school."
Check out "French Kids Eat Everything' by Karen Le Billon.
"Moving her young family to her husband's hometown in northern France, Karen Le Billon is prepared for some cultural adjustment but is surprised by the food education she and her family (at first unwillingly) receive. In contrast to her daughters, French children feed themselves neatly and happily—eating everything from beets to broccoli, salad to spinach, mussels to muesli. The family's food habits soon come under scrutiny, as Karen is lectured for slipping her fussing toddler a snack—"a recipe for obesity!"—and forbidden from packing her older daughter a lunch in lieu of the elaborate school meal.
The family soon begins to see the wisdom in the "food rules" that help the French foster healthy eating habits and good manners—from the rigid "no snacking" rule to commonsense food routines that we used to share but have somehow forgotten. Soon, the family cures picky eating and learns to love trying new foods. But the real challenge comes when they move back to North America—where their commitment to "eating French" is put to the test. The result is a family food revolution with surprising but happy results—which suggest we need to dramatically rethink the way we feed children, at home and at school."
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