Nothing is probably more therapeutic than picking out items, adjusting and experimenting with ingredients, and immersive hands-on cooking. They say ‘cooking is an art’ and they are right, whoever they might be.
After sitting in front of a computer screen all week, I like to cook cozy meals for myself on the weekend. It is relaxing. I enjoy the process more than the actual meal because when I sit down, I know precisely what is on my plate with full control over portions and nutrient value, which supersedes takeouts and eating out.
In winter, my small balcony garden produces plenty of greens, allowing me to whip up a leafy winter salad almost every weekend. This recipe calls for rocket, kale, Batavia lettuce, and Swiss chard. The greens are then paired with a handful of beans and sweet potatoes soaked in lemon mustard dressing to make a hearty and healthy weekend lunch. I thought to share the recipe with my readers so that you can also benefit from this rainbow bowl.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Difficulty Level: Easy
Note: You can use canned beans and chickpeas. I usually soak the beans 2 hours before making the salad and boil them in a pot for about 30 minutes on low-medium heat.
Ingredients:
(For Salad)
- A whole head of Batavia lettuce (about four cups when shredded)
- Half a cup of kale and Swiss chard
- One cup of rocket arugula
- One cup of mixed beans boiled (Red beans, kidney beans, black beans, and chickpeas)
- One cup of sweet potatoes (cubed and oven-roasted)
- Half a cup of button mushrooms cooked
- One small onion julienne cut and vinegar-soaked
- 2 tablespoons of chopped dried cranberries
- One small head of broccoli (one cup)
- One cup of diced cabbage
- Salt
- Pepper
(For Lemon Mustard Dressing)
- One cup of extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of two big lemons (about 6-8 tablespoons)
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Three garlic cloves confit
- Two tablespoons of Dijon mustard
- One tablespoon honey
- Zest one lemon
- 3 tablespoons of parsley or coriander
Instructions:
- Roast the potatoes: Before starting on anything else, preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and roast the potatoes. Cube sweet potatoes, season with olive oil, salt and pepper, and put them in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes
- Prepare ingredients: While the sweet potatoes are roasting, prepare the rest of the ingredients. Shred the leafy greens or chop, whatever you prefer. I prefer to shred them into bite-sized pieces. At the same time, heat a pan and dry-cook broccoli florets and sliced mushrooms separately. While half of the vegetables are cooking and others are being shredded, I soak one julienne-cut onion in vinegar to give it a tang
- Make the Dressing: Once the ingredients are ready, make the dressing. I simply put everything inside a small blender and mix it into a smooth consistency. You can add the ingredients in a mason jar and use an immersion blender for the job. Taste check for salt and pepper and put more in if needed
- Combine everything: Pour the dressing into a large bowl and add the rest of the ingredients on top of it. Then give everything a nice mix using a spatula, and serve.
That is pretty much it. With only 30-45 minutes, you will have a delicious bowl of green goodness with lots of protein, vitamins, and fiber. The sweet and tangy dressing brings everything together and the crunch of fresh greens makes it so savory that you can devour all of this in a single sitting.
Let me know if you try this leafy winter salad recipe.
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