Conscious Eating Part 41

SALADS.

There is an infinite number of vegetable salads that can be made. My approach is to find a balance between a few components that one can clearly taste, yet with enough variety to continue to be delicious and interesting each day. There are three approaches that enable one to taste each vegetable or fruit in a salad. One is to put each item on the salad plate separately with its own dressing. Another approach is to cut the vegetables in big enough pieces that they are readily identifiable and tasty. A third approach is to grate one major foreground component such as a beet or a carrot and put it over a background component. The main two background components I use are a nest of sprouts in the bottom of the salad or several different lettuces. This approach allows one to experience a predominant taste above others in a salad. I then add one or two secondary components such as avocado squares, hot peppers, bell peppers, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, or tomatoes. My choice of the secondary tastes and energies is influenced by the chosen dressing of the day. If the dressing is a seed-based dressing, I usually do not use nuts and seeds on the salad. If the dressing is a light dressing, or even a thin tahini dressing, then I might use nuts or seeds in the salad. I may then add one pungent herb or vegetable such as arugula or kale. Salads can be a complete balanced meal when accompanied by a seed salad dressing or garnished with nuts and/or seeds.

Salads are mostly light and cool, which makes them especially balancing for P and K and a pleasant summer meal. However, with the masalas like Winter Heat used in dressings, there is no salad alive that will not warm one to the core and also be balancing for V. During the cold seasons, the salads are balancing for P and V, and for K with the addition of heating dressings. Cooling dressings will be okay for P in the winter, but may unbalance V and K. In the summer, I mostly use cooling dressings, and these salads are balancing for P, V, and K. A heating dressing in the summer may unbalance P. Salads are easiest for P and K to a.s.similate, but V will also do well with salads if adding more oily, warming dressings, avocados, and soaked nuts and seeds. The additional water and oil component of the soaked nuts and seeds keeps Vs from getting too dry and flatulent. Dressings with a little hing added will help prevent a wind imbalance for V. Warming vegetables, like beet and carrot, also help to balance V and K. Cooling vegetables, such as zucchini, squash, and cuc.u.mber, help to balance P.

Most of these salads take about ten minutes to prepare. For myself, I don't really use "set" recipes. I begin by intuiting my "color needs" in a Rainbow Diet way. I then ask myself, "Do I want to pick a beet or carrot from the garden? Is the arugula ready to harvest?" Whether I choose a cooling or heating dressing will depend on how I feel at the time.

Mexican Cabbage Salad

Balances K, unbalances V and P Spring, Summer, and Fall 2 cups carrots, grated 1 cup cabbage, sliced cup arugula, chopped 2 Tbs lemon juice 1 Tbs oregano Tbs chili powder Tbs allspice Celtic salt to taste Mix ingredients and serve with a light dressing.

Cabbage Cole Slaw

Balances P and K, unbalances V Summer 1 cups purple cabbage, shredded 1 cups green cabbage, shredded 1 cup Chinese cabbage, shredded cup celery, finely chopped cup Herb Dressing (see Salad Dressings: Light Dressings) Combine ingredients and store in refrigerator for one hour to allow for the blending of flavors. Serve on individual cabbage leaves.

Carrot Slaw

Balances P and K, unbalances V Summer 1 cup green cabbage, shredded 1 cup purple cabbage, shredded 1 cup carrots, grated 3 Tbs raw apple cider vinegar 2 dates, pitted Blend the apple cider vinegar and the dates, adding a small amount of water if necessary. Toss the vegetables in this dressing. Serve.

Remarks: The carrots and the apple cider vinegar help to balance V, but are best taken in small amounts by V.

Beet Slaw

Balances P and K, unbalances V Spring, Summer, and Fall 1 cup beets, grated 1 cup green cabbage, shredded cup jicama, grated 3 Tbs raw apple cider vinegar 2 dates, pitted Blend the apple cider vinegar and the dates, adding a small amount of water if necessary. Toss the vegetables in this dressing. Serve.

Creamy Cole Slaw

Balances P, neutral for V and K Spring, Summer, and Fall 2 carrots, shredded small head purple cabbage, shredded small head green cabbage, shredded 3 tsp raw tahini 1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar 1 tsp raw maple syrup 1 tsp mustard seed, soaked Celtic salt to taste Blend all ingredients, except for the vegetables. Toss the vegetables in this dressing and serve.

Mixed Greens and Sprout Salad

Balances P, K, and V All Seasons 4 leaves Romaine lettuce 4 leaves b.u.t.ter lettuce 4 leaves red leaf lettuce 4 leaves arugula 1 tomato, chopped 1 avocado, sliced 1 cup sprouts, mixed: alfalfa, sunflower, buckwheat, and clover cup parsley, chopped cup seed dressing of your choice (see Salad Dressings: Seed Dressings) Tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Add the vegetables, except the avocado, and toss with the dressing. Garnish with the sliced avocado and a sprig of parsley.

Remarks: Parsley is a slightly warming diuretic that balances K, unbalances P, and is tolerated by V in small amounts. The avocado and seed dressing help to balance V and P. For fall and winter, choose a heating seed dressing to further help calm V.

Spinach Salad

Balances P,K, and V All Seasons, best Summer 1 large handful spinach 1 carrot, grated cup cauliflower, coa.r.s.ely ground 10 walnuts On top of spinach, sprinkle carrots, cauliflower, and walnuts. Serve with your favorite dressing.

Remarks: Spinach is cool, light, and dry, with a slightly heating after-effect. It can be unbalancing for V and P if eaten in large amounts.

Spinach-Avocado Salad

Balances V, P, and K All seasons, best Summer 1 bunch spinach 1 avocado, sliced 1 tomato, diced 1 handful alfalfa sprouts handful dulse, soaked cup Curry-Apple Dressing (see Salad Dressings: Light Dressings) Toss all ingredients, except avocado, with the dressing. Garnish with the sliced avocado.

Remarks: The avocado adds to the balancing effect on V. Alfalfa, clover, and seed sprouts can be eaten in normal amounts by V when they are combined with balancing foods such as heating vegetables, herbs, salad dressings, soaked nuts and seeds, and avocado. When alfalfa, clover, and seed sprouts are well-balanced, this combination can be eaten in normal, meal-sized amounts by Vs.

Wilted Spinach Salad

Balances V, P, and K All Seasons This is the same recipe as above, except for the choice of dressing and the wilted spinach. Warm some Sweet Dill Dressing (see Salad Dressings: Light Dressings) in a saucepan until hot to the touch. Turn off heat and drop in six spinach leaves for 30 seconds. Place them on top of the spinach salad and pour the hot dressing over the entire salad.

Remarks: This is a warm salad which still remains essentially raw, give or take a few enzymes.

Sprouted Pea Salad

Balances P and K, neutral for V All Seasons 1 handful arugula 1 cup carrots, grated cup peas, sprouted cup guacamole (see Sauces, Spreads, and Dips) cup pumpkin seeds, sprouted 1 handful alfalfa or clover sprouts Toss the greens and carrots and top with guacamole and pumpkin seeds.

Remarks: Peas are cooling, heavy, sweet, and astringent. They are neutral for V and balancing for P and K. A hot guacamole helps make this combination balancing for V, P, and K.

Carrot-Dill Salad

Balances P, K, and V All Seasons, best Summer 1 cup carrot, grated cup jicama, grated 1 Tbs fresh dill Enjoy with your favorite dressing.

Remarks: This is a cooling summer salad that helps to balance P in hot weather. Although jicama is balancing for P and K and unbalances V, the overall effect of the salad is balancing for all three doshas. A warm dressing will help balance V.

Cuc.u.mber-Dill Salad

Balances P, neutral for V, slightly unbalances K Summer 1 large cuc.u.mber, sliced 1 cup sunflower seeds, sprouted cup fresh dill 1 Tbs raw apple cider vinegar Celtic salt to taste Mix all ingredients. Serves 3-4.

Daikon-Ginger Salad

Balances V and K, unbalances P Fall, Winter, and Spring 1 daikon, grated cup lemon juice cup ginger, finely grated tsp cayenne Let the grated ginger marinate in lemon-cayenne juice for several hours. Pour the marinade over the daikon and serve.

Remarks: Daikon is unbalancing for P in large amounts.

Daikon-Cuc.u.mber Salad Balances K and V, neutral for P Summer 1 cuc.u.mber, sliced into rounds 1 daikon, finely grated cup Lemon-Dill Dressing (see Salad Dressings: Light Dressings) Spread the daikon over the cuc.u.mber slices and pour the dressing over the combination.

Jicama Salad

Balances V and K, and neutral for P All Seasons 1 jicama, grated cup lemon juice tsp cayenne (less for P) Pour cayenne-lemon juice over grated jicama and serve.