When I go out to eat and I taste something I like, I always want to see if I can duplicate, or even improve it. Recently I went to Mod Market. Have you tried it? I like it because they use antibiotic-free meat, they have many gluten-free options, and all of their ingredients are GMO free. It’s healthy fast food. I ordered a Thai Chicken Salad. It’s made with mixed greens, cucumber, sliced chicken breast, and the best part…shredded, cooked yams and finely shredded dried coconut. Yum! The dressing was a little sweet for me so I dressed it with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
I like a plethora of textures and flavors in my salad to keep it interesting. I like my rendition of the Thai salad even better! I shredded a yam with the skin on for added nutrition. (Just scrub it with a vegetable brush, rinse, and pat dry). I cooked it in coconut oil and oh, the flavor! I wanted to eat the yam all by itself but I only took a bite (okay two) and restrained myself. I added it to the salad while it was warm which added to the variety…cool greens, warm, shredded yam.
Instead of mixed greens I used sprouted sweet pea greens that I found at Whole Foods. I’ve never tasted them before but they were delicious and added a unique flavor. I used chicken but you can use any protein you’d like; hard boiled eggs, salmon, roast beef, turkey, etc. And you can add whatever vegetables you happen to have in the fridge. There are no rules! I topped it off with a few peas, celery, radishes, cucumber and walnuts. I always like to add a few nuts or seeds to my salad for the crunch and flavor, and if you roast them in a pan for a few minutes they’re even better. Oh yes, and some flaked coconut that I put in the food processor to make it the consistency of parmesan cheese.
I’ve made the salad several times and if I don’t happen to have yams or don’t want to wait to cook them I’ve added sliced McIntosh Apples. I wait all year for McIntosh and Jonathan apples—my favorite!! They’re only available for a short time in the fall so I eat them every day while I can.
As the weather’s getting cooler, sometimes it’s more appealing to eat something warm like soup rather than a salad. But adding a warm vegetable or two can be a good way to transition to a fall salad…and enjoy the goodness of both raw and cooked vegetables!
Enjoy!
