Okay, seriously. I know many of you may be instantly put off by this meal 'cause it's a salad. And when you first change your lifestyle a.k.a. diet, it probably seems that the only thing you can eat is salad.
And after a week of salad you are so over it.
That's where I come in. I'm here to change the way you see salads FOREVAH! Or, you know, just give you lots of ideas to make them more interesting and delicious.
What I love most about this recipe, is that there are a million different ways you can make it...which not only guarantees a non-boring meal, but everyone in your family can have something a little different to suit their tastes without a bunch of extra work and time in the kitchen!
Another benefit of salads? Most of the ingredients are RAW. Why is that important? Because raw foods are sooooo good for you. Heating food over 118 degrees Fahrenheit destroys many of its nutrients and causes chemical changes that create acidic toxins, including the carcinogens, mutagens and free-radicals associated with diseases like diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and cancer.
Cooking also also destroys the live enzymes that aid in digestion and health.
There's much more I could say about this, but it gets kinda science-y, so I'll save it for another post. But...people who eat a primarily raw food diet, report more energy, better sleep, less brain fog, and regularity (bowel movements).
And I'm sure it goes without saying, but I'll say it anyway...make sure you're eating ORGANIC (as much as you possibly can).
Okay, are you ready to build your epic cobb salad?
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| Yay Bacon! |
Pick your protein
Chicken
Eggs
Bacon
Fish
Steak
Other??
Pick your greens (to ensure maximum non-boringness is achieved, choose at least two different types of greens)
Baby spinach
Baby kale
Arugula
Romain lettuce
Endive
Chicory
Iceberg lettuce
Loose-leaf lettuce
Pick your toppings
Avocado (yessssssss. in my opinion, all foods all the time should contain avocado)
Tomato
Cucumber
Carrots
Sliced Cabbage
Beets
Radishes
Peppers - red, green, yellow
Onion
Scallion
Parsley
Cilantro
Olives
Artichokes
Go Wild - add some fruit
Mango
Strawberries
Blueberries
Pineapple
Raspberries
Add some flair
Raw sunflower seeds
Raw walnuts
Raw almonds
Raw pine nuts
Raisins
Don't forget the flair! Flair can take a salad from good to amazing.
Dressings
Here's where people often go horribly wrong. We think we're doing a good think by eating salad. But if we dress it up with something that comes out of a bottle, we're adding sugar, wheat, and a whole bunch of preservatives and other crap.
Oil and vinegar is always a great choice.
If you're not ready to go that plain, here are a couple options you can make yourself - and they take just minutes!
Honey Mustard - This is a dressing I whipped up one afternoon when I was running low on salad ingredients and I felt like I needed a little extra flavor. I never really measure anything so I will do my best to convey the quantities. Only make what you will use immediately. When this refrigerates, it gets really thick, which can be helped by heating it, but I never think it quite mixes well again.
Olive oil - this is your base so you will have more of this than anything else. Maybe a few tablespoons.
Yellow mustard - medium-sized squirt
Honey - medium-sized squirt
Sea salt and pepper to taste.
One glove crushed garlic (optional. if you're really pressed for time, skip this)
Combine all ingredients and mix together vigorously with a whisk. Taste it and add a little more honey or mustard as needed.
Or you could try Elana's Pantry's version of Honey Mustard.
Or...
Creamy Avocado Dressing from Elana's Pantry.
Elana's Pantry actually has several dressing recipes. Try them all and see which ones are your favorite!
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