When the summer weather blew in, it instilled in me a renewed desire for salads. Something about salad just screams SUMMER!
I can completely understand why many people think salads are boring; have you seen the salads they offer at popular fast-food chains, or even at some fancy steakhouses? Sorry, but a few pieces of tasteless iceberg topped with anemic tomatoes and watery Italian dressing does not a yummy meal make. (Don’t get me wrong; it is better than nothing. I’m happy they’re at least making an effort.)
Yawn.
Thanks to the above specimen and his friends, I used to think I hated salads. But that was before my horizons expanded with the discovery that a salad has so much more potential than simply iceberg and dressing. For example, you can mix up the greens! Chard, kale, arugula, kohlrabi, bok choy, collards… the possibilities are endless. And who says you must go with the standard oil-n-vinegar dressing? Get creative—hummus, soup, peanut sauce, smashed berries, mayo, ketchup, or salsa all make terrific salad toppers.
You can even forgo the dressing altogether, opting to top your salad greens with leftovers.
Above, a salad topped with: Fall’s Favorite Curry.
And who says cooked veggies can’t be included in a salad?
Live up to your potential, salads! Be all that you can be!
Now about that perfect summer meal…
Colonel Mustard, in the Kitchen, with the Knife
What was your favorite board game as a child? Clue definitely topped my list (along with Monopoly!). I even read all the chapter books. (Yes, there are Clue books.) I always insisted on being the nefarious Miss Scarlett.
*Insert evil laugh here*
Every time I use mustard, I think about Colonel Mustard from that game. And for this particular salad, Mr. Mustard’s friends—Mr. Green Greens, Mr. Plum eggplant burger, and Miss Scarlett peppers came to help solve the following mystery: How can such a simple salad taste so good? Therefore, last night’s dinner is dedicated to Colonel Mustard and the rest of the Clue gang.
Monster Mustard Salad
- 1 cooked veggie burger of choice
- huge handfuls of mixed greens and ripped-up Swiss Chard
- 2 tablespoons good-quality mustard
- Girl-Meets-Grill peppers
Put all the greens in a bowl, grill the peppers, crumble the burger, drizzle on the mustard, then mix away! Serves one.
Chocolate-Covered Mustard-Covered Meal of the Day
Dinner fit for a burger queen:
(Colonel Mustard Salad with Mr. Green Greens, Miss Scarlett Peppers, and Mr. Plum Eggplant Burger, accompanied by fresh strawberries and two slices of toast blanketed in peanut butter.)
Close up of the salad monster, before I stirred in the mustard. But when I attempted to mix it, I discovered this salad was just *too* big. It left me no choice; I had to get out…
The Big Kahuna salad bowl!
I could eat a salad every day for the entire summer and not get bored.
Marianne says
We had Video Clue that me and my sister would play waaaay too often! It was hilarious. Actually, just watching the video was funny, you didn’t even need to play the game.
My fave salad greens are red leaf lettuce, romaine, and baby spinach. Although it would be fun to add more exciting greens, I have serious issues with the bitterness of them raw.
veganhomemade says
Giant salads! I’m thinking I might go on a plan in August where I eat a giant salad for lunch every day, so I’ve been kicking around ideas. I’m totally down with your cooked-veggies-in-salads idea too, I made my own version of a Stir Fry Salad, and just last night I had a roasted potato and fava bean salad for dinner.
I really like any kind of greens, although I probably use baby romaine and spinach most often. For toppings, it’s really anything – from whatever raw salad worthy veggies I can find in the fridge, to something more composed like a fajita salad. And dressings…so many choices! I like a good old homemade balsamic vinaigrette, or an agave mustard, or tofu-based ranch, or just extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Dang, now I want a big salad.
vegetalion says
That is so funny! I was always professor plum; I have a clue-based entry, too! ^_^ Awesome
http://vegetalion.blogspot.com/2008/11/professor-plum-cake.html
tdats says
maybe im weird, but i like ketchup on my salads :p makes it taste like a veggie burger or something haha. but im def going to have to try this colonel mustard salad!
i LOVED clue when i was little. i always asked to play it at friends houses. and when harry potter got famous, i got the harry potter version of clue 😀 (but it’s not as good as the original, fyi 😉 )