It’s Summertime and something tells me it’s gonna be an extra hot one. And not just because I’m pregnant, but because it’s already so hot here on Kauai. I’m craving all the cold things...smoothies, cold fruit, salads, ice anything, and cold showers. The idea of turning on the oven/stove makes me sweat so I came up with this salad; minimal cooking, lots of veg, and who doesn’t love a peanut sauce.
I call this a “Rainbow” salad because of all of the different colors from the veggies. There’s a reason they say “eat the rainbow”…including a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in your diet means you are getting a variety of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and phytochemicals. These micronutrients have many functions within the body that when deficient can lead to imbalance and illness. So, make sure you are getting a hearty helping of these magical plants at every meal. And make it diverse! Often when I talk to people about what they typically eat I notice it’s a lot of the same fruits and vegetables everyday. Try and get out of your comfort zone and incorporate new foods. Especially in season local produce, as they often have the highest nutrient content. Check out your local farmers market and stock up on heaps of organic local produce and think of the rainbow. This inspires me to make more salads, especially in the summer. I love to throw it ALL in there! Try different greens and herbs, make a yummy dressing and then top with some “booster foods” like hemp seeds, chopped nuts, and sauerkraut for a gut boost.
Ok, back to rainbow salad, I love a versatile recipe. You could really use any veggie or protein you prefer. Eat it as a salad or serve with rice/noodles, you could even chop up extra veggies to have on hand later for a stir fry. There are lots of options here! One night I made a salad and tossed it with cold gluten free noodles for dinner, the leftovers of the salad (w/o noodles) made for a great lunch. Oh, and the peanut sauce...you might want to just double the recipe and pour it on everything ;).
Chopped Rainbow Salad with Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, shredded
Purple Cabbage, shredded
Chinese Cabbage, thinly sliced
Red Pepper, thinly sliced
Carrot, shredded or julienned
Snap Peas, sliced
Kelp Noodles, chopped
Green Onion
Cilantro
Peanuts
Avocado
Directions: I didn’t include measurements here because honestly you can use as much or as little as you’d like depending on how many you’re feeding, as well as any veggie ratio you prefer. Toss the chopped veggies with kelp noodles and chicken (cooled) in a bowl then top with cilantro and green onion. I added the dressing, avocado, and peanuts when I was ready to serve, that way if there is left over salad it doesn’t get soggy.
The chicken I poached in water till cooked through. Place the chicken in a single layer in a pot and season with salt. Add enough water to cover the chicken by an inch or so. Bring the water to a boil and then reduce to simmer and cover with lid. It will take about 10-15 minutes to cook, keep an eye on it as you don’t want it to over-cook. Once it’s cooked through remove from the water and let it cool. Once it’s a manageable temperature you can start shredding. After shredding toss with a lime juice, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and sea salt (or fish sauce would be good too) to taste.
Peanut Sauce
Ingredients
¼ Cup Peanut Butter
1 tsp Grated Ginger
1 Tbs Lime Juice
2 Tbs Low Sodium Tamari
1 Tbs Honey or Maple Syrup
1 Tbs Rice Wine Vinegar
½ Tbs Sesame Oil
Sriracha or chili sauce to taste (optional)
Coconut Milk (optional)
Directions: I blended all of the ingredients in a mini food processor. If doubling the recipe (which I highly recommend ;) you could probably use a regular food processor or blender. And if you don’t have either, whisking by hand would work as well. I use this recipe as a guide, as I do most recipes. Feel free to adjust for your taste; salty, sweet, tangy, etc. I added the coconut milk at the end because it was a little too tangy. So, as always, taste as you go.
