The BIG Salad Challenge

George loudly explains, “What I would like to know is, how does a person who has nothing to do with the Big Salad claim responsibility for that salad and accept the thank-you under false pretences?”

I don’t know how many times I have had people tell me that they don’t “feel full” or aren’t “satisfied” eating a salad as a meal. Hog-wash! They aren’t making their salads big enough! As I sit here typing I have a belly full of veggies and am fully satisfied. The average North American diet has waaay too few vegetables and way too much processed crap. Lack of time, convenience, dislike, don’t know how to cook, the excuses are endless. The truth is salads are a fast and easy way to get vital nutrients into your body. There are so many variations and ingredient options that they never have to become boring.

Being at the tail-end of Toronto’s warm weather I thought this was a perfect time to begin a 15 day big salad challenge. Soon enough our bodies will be craving warm roasted veg so, while the sun is still shining, grab your salad bowl and join me for the next 15 days!

I’ll warn you that I will not be measuring, nor will I be counting calories. The goal is to fuel your body with a generous amount of nutrients and lose the food-stress. It should go without saying that as much as possible I have used organic ingredients. Organic or otherwise, I wash all produce in a water/white vinegar solution, allowing it to soak for a couple minutes before rinsing.

Day 1:

Ingredients:

Boston Bibb

Green Kale

Cucumber

Julienned and roasted butternut squash (see recipe below)

Sliced beets

Green onion

Sheep’s Feta

Balsamic dressing

Directions:

There is a little bit of prep for this salad. The kale (see kale prep here) and the squash can be made ahead of time in a big batch so when it comes time to assemble your salad it’s quick and easy.

Lay some Bibb leaves on a plate, add prepped kale on top. Top with sliced cucumbers, beets (sliced very thin), chopped green onion and crumbled feta (don’t go overboard with the feta..like I did..)

Add about 1 tbsp of dressing. I used Litehouse Organic Balsamic but you can go one step better and make your own dressing. The flavour of the roasted veg and the feta allow you to use much less dressing than you would think. Start with as little as possible and add more if you need it.

Squash recipe: 

One squash, skin and seeds removed, julienned.

2 tsp Tumeric, 1 tsp ground ginger, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp cayenne pepper

1-2 tbsp avocado oil

Oven preheated to 425F. Toss squash in spices and oil. Roast for 15-20 minutes. The thinner the julienne the shorter the cooking time. The squash will be soft when finished. Store in a glass container in the fridge.