Happy Canada Day. Welcome Back to Day 1 of Plant Based Eating. I forgot to mention yesterday in my first post that I live in Canada. I’m in Ontario, Canada — which of course anyone who is familiar with Canadian Geography, knows this doesn’t really narrow it down considering that Ontario is a very large province.
More specifically, I’m about an hour away from a small town called Fort Frances. It’s a border town to International Falls, Minnesota, USA. So I’m pretty lucky in the sense that we are able to enjoy cross-border shopping very easily. It comes in handy for online shopping too. For those Canadians reading, you may understand this frustration knowing the price difference in certain products, or the rate of shipping and duty you may have to pay to enjoy US products.
Any who — To celebrate the birth of our Country, I’ve decided to make a bright and colourful salad featuring both kale and brussels sprouts.
For the dressing, I had some oranges in the fridge and was struck with some Asian inspiration when i saw the soy and rice vinegar in the fridge door. Also, the fact that hubby was going to share this salad with me for lunch — Asian flavours is a safe bet with him. He’s not a fan of anything fruity, or red for the most part, but that’s a whole other post for a different day 🙂
This salad was really quick to assemble, especially if you have access to a mandolin. What a great, speedy,… blood seeking tool! If you’ve ever caught yourself on a mandolin you know what I’m talking about. I’m embarrassed to say I’ve lost a finger tip (just enough to take the skin and a bit more off — yikes) and a couple finger nails. Don’t worry, I’ll end this depiction now since we’re talking about food. Point of the story being — be careful! And don’t be lazy like me and not use the guard that comes with the device. Stay safe. 🙂
Oh — Before I forget, I have to explain of the title of my salad: Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad Workout, so the first part is explanatory — but Workout?!? Perhaps your used to eating copious amounts of raw, cruciferous vegetables, and you know of the jaw action (aka chewing) required. By the end of our huge salads, both hubby and I had aching jaws. Oye. This salad is equal to a “100 squat workout” for your mouth. Enjoy.
- 3 cups thinly sliced brussels sprouts
- 3 cups thinly sliced kale
- 1 carrot shredded
- ½ cup Toasted Almonds
- 2 oranges juiced (about ½ cup)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- ¼ tsp ground pepper
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- Toss the sliced brussels sprouts with the sliced kale and shredded carrot
(The thinner you can slice these tougher vegetables, the easier it is to eat) - For the dressing, combine all ingredients (orange juice, sesame oil, garlic, maple syrup, rice vinegar, soy sauce, pepper, and sesame seeds) in a glass jar (or other similar container) and shake well to combine.
- Pour the entire dressing over the salad and stir well (or if you don't mind getting a bit dirty, "massage" the dressing into the salad with your hands)
- Garnish with toasted almonds.
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