We can do better than this.
Let's talk about salad! The leafy stuff is integral to a paleo eater's diet, and it's important to become excellent at preparing them. Too many times I've wandered the produce section aimlessly, clueless about where to start.
Why not hit the salad bar?? Unfortunately our local store doesn't have one. Salad bars are great in a pinch, but most are filled with pre-made salads, dressings, and toppings that are questionable in terms of salt and sugar. Eating well is about control, and I always feel best when I know exactly what's going on.
In this entry I've formulated an arsenal of go-to salad recipes that I can, 1) remember, and 2) easily create. These are my personal favorites, and are inspired by great salads I've had at restaurants over the years. The ingredients are simple and easy to remember. Another bonus: I'm not a big fan of recipes so there's no measuring involved. Yay!
Caveats: these recipes, like me, are not 100% paleo (but darn close). Also, the list does not include a "garden salad". I have come to shiver at them, or what restaurants have made them into: iceberg lettuce, cucumber slices, tomato wedges, and ranch dressing. Of course even this pile of blah can be modified into something better but it still kind of bores me.
Shrimp or Salmon Caesar. The easiest to make in a hurry because shrimp and salmon can be purchased unfrozen and take only take minutes to cook. I prefer to saute the shrimp, and to broil the salmon. I know it's not paleo but I sprinkle a tad bit of Old Bay on the fish/shrimp. I'm from Maryland. I can't help it!
Shrimp Stuffed Tomatoes (Salad). Inspired by Rachael Ray but modified to be healthier. Take a big ripe summer tomato (preferably from you or your friend's garden), core it and slice it 8 times from the top down without cutting the whole way through. This gives you a tomato flower of sorts. Chop the shrimp and mix it with celery, a hard boiled egg, steamed cauliflower, olive oil, and season with Old Bay. Pile that onto the tomato flower, serve over greens, and enjoy.
Simple Salad with Apples: chicken, apples, walnuts, dried cranberries, and homemade honey mustard dressing (equal parts honey and mustard).
Simple Salad with Grapes. Just like the aforementioned but slightly different: chicken, grapes, walnuts, and homemade honey mustard dressing.
Roasted Veggie Salad: inspired by Donna's in Baltimore, this is incredible (especially during winter) and can be prepared with your choice of veggies. It seems to me the vegetables were always a little brown and crunchy, so you can experiment with leaving them in the oven a little longer if you like the crispy texture. I prefer onions, cauliflower, broccoli, and sweet potatoes. I think Donna's used to serve it with tuna, which was great, but many sources of protein would compliment this perfectly.
Greek Salad: romaine, a variety of olives, tomatoes, and onions. Easy.
Pepper Salad: inspired by an old friend who served this at sandwich shop in Ocean City, Maryland. Green and red peppers, avocado, fresh ground pepper. Mixed greens are preferable. If you want to be bad, add some fancy croutons and a small scoop of bleu cheese dressing. Either way, amazing.
Baked Potato Salad: inspired by the Princess Restaurant in Frostburg, Maryland.The Princess makes this with a regular white potato, but sweet potatoes are more nutritious. Bake a potato, then split it open vertically and horizontally. Assemble a basic salad and pile it onto the potato. They used something with cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli, and cheese. Use whatever suits your taste. The warm and cool temperatures and the contrasting textures of the soft potato and the crunchy vegetables is delightful!
Oh how I miss spending hungover mornings here...
yummmmmm.
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