Lunchbox Post

At least one day a week I have lunch/dinner at work. Most likely it is a packed lunch and more often than not it is a salad. Salads are easy. Easy to throw together, easy to store in the refrigerator until my half hour break, and easy to eat. Well, easy to eat, but not so easy to eat fast. I am usually chewing until the last minute before I go back to the grind.

Another reason I chose salads is that they are an easy energy boost, and I don't have to bother heating anything up in the microwave. We don't have one at home, and I'd prefer not to use one at all. Although I do on occasion. Besides the work microwave is usually pretty grim looking.

So every week I turn to my old favorite, and staple, Apple Pie Salad. I was introduced to this recipe by my mom, from a cookbook she owns (not sure which one it was),

but this is my variation.

Chop up three apples. These portions will typically feed both Matt and I for one meal, with this being the main dish. If you serve this as a side, it should feed 4-5.

Mix with 1 cup of old fashioned rolled oats.

Sprinkle generously with cinnamon. I'm not sure of the exact measurement I used, but I would suggest starting with a couple teaspoons and if you need more, go for it. Sprinkle on just a bit of Nutmeg as well. Cardamom is also a nice addition to the mix.

Chop up 6 or more dates and add them to the bowl along with a handful of raisins.

Pour on a bit less than 1/4 cup of maple syrup. Be careful to not get to much syrup as it tends to create a sickeningly sweet soggy mess with the oats. You just want a touch of sweetness.

Mix it all together with a fork or spatula.

Feel free to add on to the salad. Perhaps toss in some pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, or walnuts. You could try adding some pear to the mix as well. I added 2 tablespoons of chia seeds for some added protein.

Pack it up and your off to work.

Apple Pie Salad

serves 2 as a main dish and 4-5 as a side

3 apples, chopped

1 cup rolled oats

2 teaspoons of cinnamon, plus more to taste

pinch of nutmeg

1/8 cup plus 1 Tbs maple syrup

6 or more dates chopped

1/4 cup raisins

2 Tbs chia seeds or any other additional nuts

or seeds you would like to add

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Enjoy!

Starting the Year off Right

One of the many self proclaimed goals I have made a mental tally of is this - eat more greens, and vary the types of greens I eat. I consume a lot of spinach, in the form of daily green smoothies. Usually spinach is the only green leafy vegetable I eat in the course of a week. The benefit of eating a wide variety of greens, is that they contain different nutrients. Therefore eating a variety of them allows you to get access to all that nutrition.

So today, I pulled a bunch of kale out of the fridge and got to work creating a delicious salad. Kale salad might sound quite daunting, but here is a way to make raw kale so delicious.

1. Choose the freshest looking bunch of greens. Since it is January and I do not have access to fresh local kale, I painstakingly choose the best looking bunch of organic kale that I can find at the grocery store. I also prefer to buy lacinato or dinosaur kale over the curly kind. I find that it is easier to work with. Either type will do.

2. Wash and dry the kale and remove the leafy part from the stem. This will also create a more pleasant salad as the stems are tougher to chew.

3. Gather the leaves tightly together and cut into thin strips.

4. Pour on about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle on some sea salt.

5. Use your hands to coat every piece with the oil and salt. This step is really important as the oil and salt work to break down the toughness of the kale so that it is easier to eat and digest.

Lemon juice can also be used as opposed to salt, and also helps to break down the kale.

Now you have a lovely base for a salad. You can store prepared kale in the refrigerator for a few days for quick and easy meals. The longer the greens sit, the softer they will become.

5. Toss together a salad of the prepared greens and whatever else you would like to add. You can top them with another salad dressing if desired. I added a splash of coconut vinegar to brighten up the flavor of the salad.

The other ingredients I used were roasted red pepper slices, chopped baby portabella mushrooms, hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, and some fresh ground pepper.

The possibilities are endless once you have your salad base. You could use apples, nuts, and a dash of maple syrup for a sweet fall salad, or fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and lemon juice for a delightfully tangy salad. Get some kale and get creative.

Here's to a year full of a leafy variety!