Step Up Your Salad Game
I love using simple condiments like good quality olive oil, fresh or dried herbs, and spices, as a way to increase my every day polyphenols, anti-inflammatory, and antioxydant boosters… I often make a big jar at the beginning of the week, and change every 3-4 day’s… it’s a time saver.
Miso Ginger Dressing
Half a cup extra virgin olive oil
Half a cup water
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp ginger, fresh, peeled
2 tbsp miso
2 tbsp mustard
2 tbsp soja sauce
Sumac Dressing
1-2 tbsp garlic powder
1 fresh lemon
2 tbsp red wind vinegar
Half a cup olive oil
1-2 tbsp fresh mint leaves
2 tbsp sumac
salt + ground black pepper
Lime and Chilli Dressing
Zest and juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 deseeded red chilli, chopped finely
Embrace Soja/Tofu
if you havent already - Lean into a more plant-based eating habit, especially for the evening meal. Dont get me wrong, I love chicken, eggs, and steak, but soja is one of those plant based high in protein (including all essential amino acids) and, like chicken, offers that same mild base for recipes. You can fry it, air-fry it, sauce it, slip into soups - There’s no limit.
Ingredients
1 block extra firm tofu
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari (or coconut aminos)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 spoon garlic powder
1 spoon chili flakes
1 spoon cumin
1 teaspoons smoked paprika
4 spoon sesame oil
Instructions
Drain any extra liquid from tofu by placing something heavy on top for 20 minutes.
Pat the tofu dry with a clean dish towel.
Place the tofu in a large bowl and use your fingers to break the tofu into roughly bite-sized crumbles.
Stir in the soy sauce, vinegar, salt, garlic powder, chili,, cumin, paprika, and 2 spoons of oil.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoon olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Add the tofu and cook on medium high for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking up large pieces into bite sized chunks and stirring occasionally, until browned and lightly crispy and the liquid evaporates.
(The timing depends on the tofu brand.)
You can do this in the oven as well - spread out on a baking tray - cook for 30’ at8170. Flip over crumble half way through cooking.
Add crumble on basmati rice, salad, soup, stir fry, boudha bowl… or eat just like that…
Just roast more vegetables
it’s easily manageable: toss some vegetables on a roasting pan once or twice a week, with oil and garlic - with the hopes of inspiring yourself to prepare something else to go with it - You can then toss them into a salad or add to stir fry, or simply reheat with some melted cheese… At least you’ll be increasing vegetable/fiber/vitamin intake, which is always a good thing.
Feed your Gut - Ferment
kimchi, sauerkraut, pickles (any fermented vegetable really…) are so good for your gut - the microbes in our guts have been linked to everything from arthritis to autism… it’s a great way to use up vegetables that might otherwise go to waste and to create tasty add on’s that can go into sandwiches, salads and more. If you don’t know where to start go to coop and ‘spice kimchi’.