Chop Chop!

Happy Tuesday Folks!
Here's our weekly guest blogger Nida!

If you're looking for a light, fresh and healthy treat, the chop chop salad is a perfect solution! Full of nutritious, mineral and vitamin rich vegetables, this crispy creamy salad will please your palate and is a pleasure to plate as a side or meal :) For beautiful plating, use an empty 8 oz. can that has both top and bottom removed or ring mold. Place mold in the middle of a salad plate and pack the salad into the can about 3/4 full, pressing down lightly to pack in. Slowly lift up the can while pushing the salad down with a spoon, which will leave a tall stack of salad on the plate. Garnish with a sprig of dill and mint, or a few tarragon or sorrel leaves. Nice served chilled.

Here is a recipe by Mimi Kirk - well enjoyed in our home. Its fresh, bright and contains lots of essential vitamins and minerals!

Chop-Chop Salad

What You need:

1/2 yellow squash
1/2 zucchini
4 stalks asparagus
1 cup broccoli
7 string beans
1/2 parsnip
1-2 small carrot
1 cup red cabbage
1/2 turnip
1/4 fennel bulb
Fresh whole herbs such as mint, tarragon, sorrel, and dill for garnish
Note: If you have celery on hand then I use those as an alternative if i am missing one of the above vegetables.

Directions

Chop all vegetables into small, even pieces.

For the Dressing

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½  cup tahini
¼  bunch of fresh parsley
¼  cup apple cider vinegar
1/3  cup cashews
3–4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup coconut aminos or gluten free tamari
Himalayan salt to taste
Freshly milled pepper
2–3 tablespoons maple syrup or sweetener of choice
1 tablespoon or less water, added slowly while blending if thinning is necessary

Directions

Place dressing ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Place all salad ingredients in a bowl and add desired amount of dressing. Some people like a small amount and others like it very wet. The vegetables hold up very well with dressing. You could also serve extra dressing on the side for each guest to add his or her own.

Nida Kazmi