Need
food on the fly? Fast food is your answer! And believe it or not, fast food does
not need to be pre-cooked, prepackaged, full of preservatives, or from a chain restaurant.
In fact, one of my fastest meals comes straight from the fridge: it’s super fresh,
fast and full of nutrition. This wonder-meal is salad.
Salad
can emerge in a variety of forms, but if you super-size it and load it with
protein and nutrients your salad can even take the place of a full meal. People
might wrinkle their noses or laugh at the idea of a salad as a meal, but it is
surprising how filling it really can be with the right ingredients. The first
trick is knowing what to put in your salad, and the second trick is having your
salad ingredients on hand at all times so that you can make it when you are in
a hurry, instead of resorting to other, less healthy means. Salads are do-able
and so delicious! Here is how you do it.
SALAD
GREENS
To
start, you will need to get some leaves. There are a number of options
including romaine, butter lettuce, iceberg lettuce, spinach, “spring mix,” etc.
I am not a fan of iceberg for its wateriness, especially if you are trying to
make a meal out of it. In fact, Romaine lettuce has anywhere from two to ten
times as many nutrients as iceberg lettuce, depending on the vitamins and
minerals being examined. A good rule of thumb to go by is the greenness: the
greener the vegetable, the more nutrients it generally has.
COMPLIMENTARY VEGETABLES AND PROTEIN
The
complimentary vegetables can be normal like carrots, tomatoes, and green
peppers, but branching out will make your salad unforgettable. I like beets,
apples, yams, artichokes, and so much more! The success of a salad is in the
pairing of items. You can learn what works best from recipes, but I usually do
it by trial and error.
Now
you need to choose a protein. It could be anything from the very obvious meat
choices like bacon, sliced ham, turkey or chicken, or delicious cheese, but
beans of any kind, egg, and tofu are often cheaper alternatives, and are just as
delicious.
CRUNCH
AND GARNISH
The
next step is to find your perfect crunch and/or garnish. Personally, I don’t
feel like a meal-salad is complete without some nuts or croutons. In a perfect
world, I would like to have a stash of pecans, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds,
pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, and sliced almonds on hand at all times for this
cause, but I usually just have pecans. This is mainly because nuts can get
pricey, but check out the bulk food section to battle these high prices.
A
tasty additional step is to toast the nuts. Toasting them creates a chemical
reaction, which causes the nuts to evolve into buttery, toasty,
taste-bud-blowing bombs of yum. Also, if you fry up a can of chickpeas with
some salt and garlic they make a great crispy crouton-like topping. Yum!
Store-bought
croutons are okay, and homemade ones from old bread are delicious, but they are
not quick unless you pre-make them. Croutons are best made from slightly stale
bread, but you can use fresh bread too. Take the bread and cut it into small
cubes, and fry them on the stove until they are crispy. It’s healthier to use grapeseed
oil, but I use butter for that extra-rich yummy flavour sometimes, too. Take
them off the heat and add a pinch of salt; mix them up and you’re done!
I
recommend that if you are not the kind of person that has a lot of vegetables
on hand at one time, you should buy some canned things. Artichoke hearts,
beets/pickled beets, and beans are great for salads, and last forever when you
buy them canned. Firmer vegetables and fruits, like apples, carrots, and yams,
seem to last longer, so they might be a good choice for you if you are not quick
to use your veggies. I also find that I have one or two salads that I eat over
and over that I love. Don’t feel pressured to have something new every day –
sometimes just switching up the type of lettuce is enough to give your salad a
whole new feel.
Here
are three salad dressing recipes which can be paired with your favourite
vegetables to make your perfect healthy fast food meal.
Chow
chow thrifty friends!
Ruby
Balsamic Blast
1/2
C olive oil
1/4
C balsamic vinegar
3
Tbsp ketchup
1tsp
oregano
1/4
tsp thyme
1/4
tsp salt
This
super tasty, tangy-sweet recipe is a classic. Try it with some romaine or curly
endive, beets, red onion, feta, and pumpkin seed.
Citrus
Cream Dream
1/2
C mayo
3
Tbsp oil
1
1/2 Tbsp lemon juice
1
Tbsp mustard
1/4
tsp salt
This
is great with all sorts of combos, but my total favourite is, spinach, hard
boiled egg, green onions, bacon bits, croutons, and toasted pecans. Use your
dressing sparingly; it is easy to overdress with this one.
Oh
Orient!
1/4
C soya sauce
1/2
C olive oil
2
Tbsp red wine vinegar
3
Tbsp honey
1
tsp fresh ginger
1
clove garlic
This
is a really fun recipe that you can do so much with. Try pairing it with butter
lettuce, grated carrot, cucumber, radish, tofu or chicken, and sesame seeds for
a delightful, western-oriental meal.
Leanne
comes from a long line of food lovers, and has been cooking since she was eight
years old. She has spent many years creating the perfect chocolate chip cookie.
In spite of all of her food experimentation, to this day her favourite meal is
still a delicious bowl of popcorn.
//Leanne Kriz, columnist
//Leanne Kriz, columnist
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