Good Morning,
Yesterday’s post was all about resurrecting a family favorite from the food archive of Mom Anne and more recently, Grammie Annie. Did I tell you that I have two beautiful grandchildren who are the future of a vegan world? Yes, they are vegan and healthy and happy. The littlest one is happily eating all the wonderful food his parents are providing him without understanding the significance of the tasty bits he is devouring. That comes later, because the oldest who is now five and a half is learning what being vegan is all about, why it is such an important way of life even though not everyone is embracing it yet.
But I digress. This will be a great subject for a later post, when I do some more research and sort it all out in the jumbly [auto correct is telling me with that annoying little zig-zaggy(also not a real word) red line that zig-zaggy is not a real word, but I don’t care, I like it!!!!] place I call my mind. In the meantime, I must ask my daughter, the Busy, Happy Vegan, if I may post on my blog some pictures of my grand-chiblets (stop with red line, already LOL!).
Back to yesterday’s post and the cold and not wanting to have a salad-wanting something warm to eat–and so on and so on ( I was planning to write Yada, Yada, Yada, but I am starting to be afraid of the little zig-zaggy red line).
Supper last nite was a different story.
Main Meal Salad, here we come.
This is what I did.
Let’s shake it up and start with the finished product -Voila!!!
Salad Dressing -I make my own. Have you ever really looked at the ingredients in bottled salad dressing?-Yuck!!! And the fact that it is good for a year or more, is very disturbing to me!!
Balsamic Vinaigrette from Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, page 17
Tips for making Vegan salad Dressing-a lot of them are nut based, so one could use a handy dandy immersion blender like the one I have.
Handy dandy immersion blender(forgot to include the whisk in the photo)Check out the picture for the Salad Dressing ingredients-looks yummy huh!(the tall bottle is balsamic vinaigrette). And oh yes, season with pepper. Store in the fridge for 4-6 days. Mine is usually consumed before then.
Main Meal Salad:
Sometimes I follow a recipe and sometimes I make it up. Last nite I made it up with the fresh items in my fridge and in my fruit bowl.
Ingredients and Method:
I used a large mixing bowl, because there is always a lot of volume in my Main Meal Salads.
Into this mixing bowl I put some spinach and romaine lettuce. Notice the handy dandy lettuce knife in the right hand side of the bowl. This is a great stocking stuffer I received from the Vegan Santa in my life-does the job and is supposed to keep the lettuce from developing rust.
Massage one chopped avocado into the greens. I learned this from the chef at Summerlea Golf Club. This method gives the salad a rich texture and taste and also keeps the avocado from oxidizing (turning brown) if one has to make salads ahead of time. Take your rings off first because hands are needed for this messy job.
Now come the TWO, TWO VEGAN MEALS IN ONE bit. I added the leftover rice and veggie filling from Vegan Burrito Nite along with the balsamic vinaigrette and topped it off with tomato and Chia Seeds.
I have a handy hint for everyone out there who likes the idea of a Main Meal Salad at least once a week. Buy yourself a couple of the large salad bowls that are so popular now. They are usually white like the ones in my picture. I know, I bought some new dishes (they were on sale, folks and I bought only four), but they really do serve a purpose. They encourage one to make the effort to eat well and then one is rewarded with the result, which is, another positive step on the path of good health and kindness.*
* I borrowed this idea of encouragement and reward from my dear sister who is an avid and accomplished golfer. One day, out on the golf course she told me that she always buys a pecan tart at the turn (for non-golfers this is the end of the front nine and the beginning of the back nine). “Why do you do this?, I asked her.”Well,” she relied, ” depending on my game, it is either encouragement or reward”. So, there you go. Thanks, little, but wise sister friend of mine.
GRAMMIE ANNIE’S VEGAN VIEW
Vegan food by popular belief, takes a long time to prepare. Sometimes, it does and sometimes it is just a case of throwing a few fresh ingredients in a bowl and you are good to go. In both cases, the end result can be good, healthy food that is made in a kind and loving way(cruelty-free).
In doing so,we are respecting ourselves as well as our non human animal friends whose lives are saved when one eats vegan today and hopefully tomorrow too.
Until next time
May all beings be happy and free.
Anne
TWO, TWO VEGAN MEALS IN ONE
Those salads look DELICIOUS, and I am glad the lettuce knife is being used. I keep meaning to try your avocado salad tip. Will have to get on that!!
They were quite yummy and filling too! Wonder what is next for supper-tune in!