This Quickie Parkside Salad proves a few things: you don't need greens to have a salad - a healthy, tasty, fast lunch is possible - and you never have to be bored with veggies.
Since I just returned home from Arizona last night (wrap-up post this weekend) my fridge is a bit empty. I was craving a big veggie-packed salad, but with no fresh greens available I had to get creative. Here's the tasty concoction that emerged. Protein-packed, colorful, super fast and full of flavor. And the bright yellow and green summer colors remind me of a sunny parkside picnic..
Speaking of picnics.. As I flew across the country yesterday - pretty hungry and jet lagged - sick of basic bags of nuts as "airplane food" I found a little box called Go Picnic at one of the Arizona airport stands. Hummus and Crackers - gluten free and vegan. It was awesome. Soy nuts, dark chocolate, trail mix, hummus, crackers and in-box games - around 420 calories per box, lots of protein. Great vegan travel find! Has anyone else seen this?
Anyways..
This salad I quickly made today was pretty tasty. I luckily had a fresh ear of corn in the fridge (so sweet and summery), some frozen organic petite peas, fruit-juice packed mandarin oranges, spices, a pinch of perky chopped parsley and some frozen falafel balls which I quickly heated.
F r i d a y. I decided to ditch my desk for a few hours today, and munch this salad while watching French Open tennis. Kitty by my side. (The same kitty who had been hissing at my husband the past few days because she hates it when I leave). She's angelic now though.
And rest assured, Nelly was quite excited to see me return home. So excited she could barely keep her eyes open in celebration.
Happy Friday everyone! Don't miss my Thermador adventure wrap-up post this weekend.
The recipe..
Parkside Salad
vegan, serves 1-2
1 cup frozen peas, heated
1 ear corn, heated, kernels removed
½ cup mandarin oranges
2 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
a few dashes spices (your call - I used a southwest blend)
black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar (you could also use lemon juice)
½ cup parsley, chopped
2-4 falafel balls, broken into bits
optional: assorted baby greens tossed in as well
optional: 1 tablespoon hemp or olive oil drizzled over top
Toss well. Serve.
