Pasta-less salad!

Pasta-less salad

Here’s another attempt to take back week nights! It’s Monday, and we can’t forget to fuel our bodies with delicious, whole foods. Here in Mississippi summer is officially upon us. I’ve really been craving pasta salad, but it’s already too hot to even boil water so the spiralizer saved the day. I wanted this salad to have that traditional Zesty Italian dressing flavor but without all of the store bought additives. I combined fresh and dry Italian herbs and tried to get close. This “pasta” salad is just as delicious and filling as the carby kind. All of these ingredients were easy to come by at Kroger, and while there is a bit of involved chopping, this is mostly a straightforward salad. Eat well tonight, friends.

Ingredients
Salad
2 raw zucchinis either spiralized or chopped into very thin one inch rectangles*
1/2 cup black olives finely chopped
1/2 a red pepper finely chopped
1/2 a yellow or orange pepper finely chopped
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes chopped in half
1/2 red onion finely chopped
4 pieces of bacon cooked, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces (optional)*

Zesty Italian Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons red white vinegar
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp of any fresh or dried Italian herbs on hand – oregano, parsley, thyme
1 tablespoon fresh basil chopped or 1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 teaspoon salt & pepper each
1 clove garlic minced (optional)
3 tablespoons grated parmesan (optional)

Directions: Prepare 4 pieces of bacon! I prefer the oven for ease and speed – typically about 20 minutes at 350 but if you are celebrating meatless Monday, this salad is just as good without the meat. Chop all veggies and mix with your hands in a large bowl. Sprinkle chopped bacon on top or mix in.
Make the dressing: Add all ingredients into either a salad shaker or mason jar and shake until combined. Toss the veggies with the dressing and either chill for 30 minutes or serve immediately!

*Makes about four servings and is even better the next day after veggies have marinated in the dressing!
*Grilled chicken or shrimp would also taste great in this salad! I just happened to only have bacon on hand, and I like to have a protein of some kind in every meal.

How I Learned to Love Salads

One of the biggest lessons I learned from the whole30 is that often eating whole requires tedious organization and preparation. Because of that, I’m hoping our blog will be a place to help folks eat wholly with speed and ease. My newfound love of salads has been a lifesaver. To some this may be surprising because while I’ve always been a veggie lover, I’ve never been a huge lover of my own salads because no matter which delicious, fresh vegetables and homemade dressings I put on them, they’ve always lacked an element of “heartiness” for me. Before the whole30, my favorite go-to fast dinner was a huge pan of roasted veggies with roasted pecans or almonds for protein. In making this lifestyle change, I discovered that my love for a pan of roasted veggies is about the warm, rich, heartiness that unfolds when earthy vegetables are roasted. It seems like I should have learned this years ago but by adding any combo of warm, roasted veggies to those cold, crisp greens, salad takes on another meaning. Rich, hearty and filling. This can truly be done with any veggies you have on hand and meat or cheeses can be added based on dietary needs and restrictions. After many re-creations of Danielle Walker’s beet & bacon salad from the fabulous grain-free cookbook “Meals Made Simple,” I’m learning that veggies roasted with bacon take on all kinds of decadence. Use what you have, use what’s fresh, ready and easy. Here’s a recent roasted veggie concoction I made for a surprise visitors and have since recreated a couple of times. It’s whole, hearty and easy!

Roasted eggplant & bacon salad with easy honey dijon dressing
Ingredients (Makes 2-3 large salads) 
Greens of choice (spinach, field greens, fresh romaine or any combo)
1 eggplant – peeled and cubed into 1 inch cubes
1 sweet potato with skin on rinsed and sliced into thin, round chips
6 pieces of bacon (optional for roasting and topping salad)*
1 avocado
1 yellow onion sliced into rings
1 tomato thinly sliced
3-4 eggs (optional for extra protein)
Salt, pepper & olive oil for seasoning

For the dressing
1/4 cup Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons homemade dijon mustard or store bought (Homemade mustard recipe coming soon!)
1 tablespoon of raw honey (leave out for whole 30)
Pinch of salt & pepper

What to do: Pre-heat oven to 375. After eggplant is peeled and cubed, spread it evenly on large baking sheet. On one side of the baking sheet, lay sweet potato chips evenly. Try not to overlap. (Note: You need a pretty large baking sheet to fit both eggplant and sweet potatoes and can use two pans if necessary but extra dishes, no thanks!) After evenly placing, eggplant and sweet potatoes on pan, lay slices of bacon over top the veggies. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes until bacon is crisp. While veggies roast, chop tomatoes, onions and avocado. Remove sweet potatoes and bacon and set aside. Eggplant should be still on the pan, toss and spread and then place back in the oven for 5-8 minutes until crisp and brown.

While the tomatoes & the onions can also be roasted, I think they both have better flavor when sauteed. In a small sautee pan, heat a teaspoon of olive oil on medium heat, sautee onions first, for about 4-5 minutes until strongly aromatic, soft and golden. Set onions to the side. Throw in tomatoes and sautee for 4-5 minutes until soft and golden on the outside. If you like heavy protein meal, fry a quick egg in the same pan. To fry, crack egg in pan, cover immediately and let fry for 5 minutes and then take off heat immediately for runny centered egg.

Dressing: Whisk vinegar, mustard and honey together. Slowly drizzle in olive oil and whisk until combined. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.

Deck it out: Layer on the goods. Stat with the greens, drizzle the dressing on the greens, then add your roasted veggies, onions, tomatoes, chopped avocado, bacon and egg on top. The yolk mixes with the dressing for a magical combination.

*Note on bacon: true whole 30 bacon should be cured without sugar. In our rural region, this is impossible for us to find. Both MM and I prefer no sugar or additives when possible but are flexible on this rule.