To motive, educate and inspire, I’m doing a 30 day salad challenge in September. I know how hard it can be to keep up with a healthy lifestyle, especially coming back into the fall season and it’s many responsibilities. Fall is also a great time for a fresh healthy start! The challenge is for you, and myself, to add some more greens and living foods into our daily diets. I’m providing the recipes, shopping lists, health information and motivation for this challenge. You, just bring your effort! The fun start September 10, and registration closes September 7!
Why do I love salads so much? Let me count the reasons..
Health and Nutrition The most obvious reason is the health benefits. Greens, whole grains, veggies and herbs are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and enzymes. These are essential ingredients for building and maintaining a healthy body and mind.
Energy Salads make you feel light and energized. Chances are you haven’t got up from eating your meal complaining how bloated, heavy and tired you feel after a big leafy salad! Adding greens and living foods to your diet comes with the benefit of enzymes, allowing for easier digestion and elimination. Greens, vegetables, and other such goodies are also a source of fibre, which helps to keeps things moving along and creates satiety. Adding some healthy fats, such as olive, hemp, or flax oil, nuts and seeds will also help you feel full and curve those cravings for refined sugars and processed carbs.
Creativity The possibilities are endless. There are hundreds of ingredients to choose from and there really are no rules except to combine flavours and textures that compliment one another. You can make it with just 3-4 ingredients from your garden or build a salad with sophisticated complexity. You can let the ingredients shine or highlight them with an extra yummy dressing. Let your inner creative child out to play!!
Less Clean Up There is usually no heavy pots and pans to clean. I LOVE playing in the kitchen but I’m not a big fan of the clean up time..
Quick and Simple Salads can be super quick to make. You basically don’t need to follow many directions or complicated cooking methods. 5-10 minutes of washing, chopping, shedding and mixing usually does the trick!
This recipe is part of the free on-line event 30 Day Salad Challenge starting September 10, 2012.
To sign up follow the link: 30 Day Salad Challenge Registration closes September 7! Registration Closed
Belgian Endive, Fennel and Beet Salad with Pea Shoots
2 Belgian Endives
1 tomato
1 small beet
1 small fennel bulb
½ orange
8-10 black sundried olives
1 Big Handful Pea Shoots
Dressing:
Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
½ lemon, juice + zest
1.5 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp raw honey
½ cup olive oil
1 .5 tsp poppy seeds
Pinch of sea salt
How to make:
Remove stems from Belgian endives and cut in half. Give them a quick rinse and dry. If you can’t find endives, you can substitute Romaine lettuce, which has a similar mild flavour. Cut endives length wise into quarters.
Cut off the green top from fennel and use a mandolin or your knife to cut very thin slices. Shred beet. Cut tomato and orange into bite sized wedges.
Combine all salad ingredients into a big bowl and top with sun-dried olives and pea shoots.
To make the dressing, add all ingredients into a blender and buzz for a quick 10 seconds. This dressing recipe makes for more than 2 servings so save the rest for another salad day!
Makes 2 servings.
What are some of your favourite ingredients to add to a salad?
In health,
Annaliisa
