Citrus-Herb Maple Tofu and Arugula Salad

Maple and soy sauce marinated, sweet, herb-seasoned tofu over fresh arugula and spinach with cinnamon-nutmeg orange slices and fresh avocado. In under 30 minutes. It's a delicious big fresh flavorful salad meal!

Citrus Salad

Got a case of the Mondays? This vibrant, refreshing salad should snap you out of it! It makes for a great reviving lunch; or, it could even be a breakfast salad. The citrus flavors are great for waking you up!

This was my first time using kumquats, so I was pretty excited to satisfy my veggieosity and test them out in this delicious salad...

Big Salads!

Often, I actually prefer my salads to those I can get at restaurants. It's not because I make any kind of amazing dressings or extra-special ingredients. It's because I like "salads with lots of stuff in them!"

My ideas of the anti-salad: soggy salads (ie- salads so overdressed you might as well be sipping dressing), "the wedge" (really! Who had the awful idea of chopping a head of iceberg in half and slathering some creamy dressing all over it and calling that a salad?!), or even worse- those iceberg lettuce salads from steakhouses of the 80s with 3 wedges of boring tomatoes and a few thickly sliced cucumbers. Yawn. What a waste of a vegiportunity! I like my salads to SING with vegetables.

What I love about salads is they can be made QUICKLY. And, when done properly, they are healthy, filling, and delicious. Here are my tips for making a good salad:

• Variety- Not just in the 'toppings' but in the lettuces. My favorite salads usually have at least 2 different kinds of lettuce (although a good kale or spinach salad doesn't have to- but if you're using something basic like romaine, or -God forbid- iceberg- definitely mix it up a bit. There are some good baby lettuce mixes you can buy pre-packaged, but make sure they are fresh). Adding some fresh herbs, like dill or basil, can also be a nice flavor addition.
  
• Color- this is another way to test the above- if you have a colorful, beautiful salad, chances are you've got some good variety in there (as well as different nutrients you need!)
  
• More veggies! I often like having chopped fresh steamed asparagus, zucchini or squash, sauteed mushrooms, beets, chic peas, jicama (for a nice crunch!), or sprouts in my salads.
• Nuts, fruits, & seeds- (what my husband calls twigs & berries) -Adding some dried or fresh fruit, healthy nuts, or seeds can go a long way to spicing up your salad. My new favorite is pomegranate seeds, which also pack a high punch of antioxidants. Trader Joes has some really good dried fruit options. Here are some ideas: raisins, cranberries, apricots, chopped figs or dates; mandarin oranges, grapefruit, strawberries, blueberries, apples, avocado; walnuts, almonds, cashews, or sunflower seeds.
  
• Proteins(s) - Since I'm veggie, I like using beans, edamame, tofu, or tempeh. Adding some protein to your salad ensures it will keep you full, and takes it from a side to a meal. Items with healthy fats also go a long way towards keeping you full (like avocados and nuts), in addition to just making the salad really yummy!
  
• Freshness- Using fresh ingredients should always be a rule of thumb! The only real exception to this is some frozen veggies *can* be acceptable in a salad - corn is often ok, or peas, and sometimes artichoke hearts.
• Keep the dressing light! Don't drown your salads!!! Dressing shouldn't be the highlight of the salad, or the only thing you taste when you take a bite.
  

Some "Big Salad" meal ideas:

• Mandarin oranges, fresh dill, avocado, green apple, atop baby greens with a light dressing
  
• Middle-Eastern: hummus or chic peas, olives, feta, cannellini beans, sauteed zucchini, asparagus, atop fresh baby spinach with a balsamic dressing
  
• "Salsa salad": Black beans, sour cream, shredded cheese, tomatoes, avocado, jicama, atop shredded mixed iceberg and romaine lettuces, with salsa as the dressing
• Summer salad: strawberries, blueberries, edamame, sprouts, orange grape tomatoes, sunflower seeds, atop baby arugula with a citrus or honey-mustard dressing

The salad pictured above has avocado, tempeh, pomegranate seeds, carrots, tomatoes, snow peas, edamame, and baby arugula blend. I used Brianna's dijon honey mustard dressing, which is awesome!!

Speaking of salad dressing, I usually look for low-fat dressings that will complement my salads rather than over-power them. Some of my favorite store-bought dressings:

• Brianna's Honey Mustard
• Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette
  

While I do like making my own salads, these places have some of my favorite salads in the Bay Area (which, I might add, is a pretty darn good area to be in if you're a vegetarian or vegan who loves big salads with fresh ingredients!):

• Blue Barn Gourmet in San Francisco's Marina/Cow Hollow (Yelp)
• The Plant Cafe Organic in San Francisco - Embarcadero and Marina/Cow Hollow (Yelp)
• Paisan in Berkeley (Yelp)
• Crepevine - multiple locations in the Bay Area (Yelp)

Butternut Squash and Arugula Salad

From: Bon Appetit culinary series, Sur La Table cooking class

This salad is absolutely delicious, a wonderful start or side to a fall meal. Often I find arugula too bitter, but when paired with these ingredients, it's perfect. The roasted butternut squash is amazing.

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• One 2lb butternut squash, peeled and seeded and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 4 and 1/2 to 5 cups)
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• Pinch of dried crushed red pepper
• Coarse kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp orange juice
• 1 and 1/2 Tbsp of walnut oil or other nut oil
• 1 and 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 4 ounces of arugula (about 8 cups lightly packed)
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsley chopped
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries
• 2 tsp pomegranate molasses (this is a thick pomegranate syrup that is honestly hard to find- apparently it's in some Middle Eastern markets- ummm....where are they?- and online at adrianascaravan.com - it's delicious, so if you end up finding it, I'd buy some; if not, you can try substituting other items as a dressing- a balsamic vinegrette may work, but it's not as good...)

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Toss squash, olive oil, and crushed red pepper on large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Roast for 15 min. Using spatula, turn squash over. Continue roasting until edges are brown and squash is tender, about 15 more min. Sprinkle with more coarse salt. Note: This can be done 2 hrs ahead, and let stand at room temp.
   
2. Whisk orange juice, walnut oil, and lemon juice in a large shallow bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add arugula, walnuts, and pomegranate seeds (or cranberries) and toss to coat.
   
3. Spoon the warm or room temperature squash over the salad. Drizzle with the pomegranate molasses and serve.

Notes: I'd actually recommend buying the pomegranate molasses. It's only 5 bucks online, and wow, it really makes the salad. It's a unique ingredient that could be used in other dishes as well to add a nice pop. This is an easy salad to make, with the only real time commitment being the squash. If you're having trouble cutting it, you can cook it a little bit (about 10 min) to soften. Also, note the "do ahead" option if you are having guests over and don't want to be cooking and entertaining.