Raise a hand if you’re often bored with the food that shows up on your plate. While a little boredom here and there is fairly common and not too worrisome, a steady diet of boring meals is actually dangerous.
That’s because boring meals can leave us feeling “blah,” rather than satisfied, comforted and nourished after a meal. And feeling “blah” about meals is a perfect setup to either opt for fast foods or finish a meal with a big bowl of ice cream or other treat–and our food world is filled with plenty of tempting options!
Meal Making Transformation is all about making healthy meals manageable enough so we can make and eat them regularly–and enjoy them fully. This is why my recipes are often just quick ideas to spark up your mealtimes. The following “recipe” starts with a green salad that we all know how to make but adds an easy Asian twist for something a little different.
Like many of the good meal ideas we come up with, this one started with some leftover ingredients: chopped ginger from making golden milk and cilantro from a Mexican meal. So:
- I added a lot of chopped cilantro to the salad base–which adds a lot of flavor and can be helpful for cleansing the body
- Instead of the usual lemon, garlic and olive oil, I dressed the salad with a combo of ginger, lime and safflower oil.
Voila! A quick and snappy variation on the usual green salad.
My Salad Base
- Red leaf lettuce and cilantro
Toppings
- Red and yellow peppers, red cabbage, toasted almonds
- Other options: Fried radish sticks, fresh pear, thinly sliced celery, pumpkin seeds
Dressing (Amounts are approximate; adjust to taste)
- ~1 tsp. fresh finely chopped or grated ginger, low-heat sauteed
- ~1 Tbsp. canola, safflower or other neutral-flavored oil
- ~1-2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Options: 1 tsp. soy sauce (for all or part of the salt), 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
Make It a Meal
- Top with chicken breast, white or aduki beans, steak or pork strips, or even white fish or shrimp
