Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Eat your veggies with every meal

Or make every meal full o veggies!

Armed with a pound bag of mixed greens from the farmers' market and a couple other fun salad toppings, I prepped 3 days worth of salads. Why? Because I actually had time to and that's just what I do!

I'm usually pretty good about bringing lunch to work. I've found that the only days I cave and buy lunch are the days I'm either too rushed to make a lunch or make a really lame rushed lunch. I love the rare productive evening where I can prep for the week :)

Yes, I take the term big salad seriously. Those are the large round containers. I like to prep a nice big salad base (greens and a few key toppings) that I can simply toss into a tupperware, add a couple other toppings and take with me to work. Super easy. 

Since mixed greens don't have much going on as far as texture is concerned, I like to add a variety of crunchy toppings. I see salads as a great way to experiment with new raw veggies. Like this guy, for example:
Blog friends, meet Watermelon Radish.

Not much of a looker until you slice into it...

Gorgeous. My radish wasn't as brightly colored as other specimens, but I still thought it was pretty. Since this guy has a pretty peppery flavor, I decided to shave some onto my greens for a slight crunch and bite. Whether or not it plays well with the fennel I sliced into the salad, is yet to be determined.

After the crunch factor was added, I tossed in a few of my standard salad toppings: corn, chick peas, pickled beets, arugula, and avocado. Then my salads were ready for the fridge. Dressings vary from straight balsamic vinegar to salsa to a scoop of hummus. Easy, fast and tasty when you're rushing out the door. Every so often I'll crumble some cheese onto my salad even though my doctor says consuming cheese on top of that much ruffage is just asking for trouble (sorry, TMI). 

March ingredients used: arugula, avocado, fennel, radish

I know I'm not the only salad lover out there. What are some of your favorite toppings? Any must try dressings?