I love the beautiful greens in this arugula tomato salad, but I decided to add cooked wild rice and pine nuts, it gave this beautiful simple greens salad a richer more filling flavor.
Arugula is a spicy green that gives a salad a perky spicy flavor.
I started to make this Arugula tomato salad just using arugula, spinach, and cut up cherry tomatoes. I loved the look of this bright green healthy salad but I wanted more flavor.
I decided to add wild rice and additional healthy vegetables to my salad such as sliced celery, red cabbage, parsley. blanched almonds, pine nuts, and some wild rice. The salad was filling and satisfying.
You might be thinking. "Wait"- that doesn't look like just wild rice in the photo. You are right. When I went to make the salad to photograph, I only had brown rice. Thus this photo of the salad is with brown rice but the recipe is made with wild rice.
The wild rice is delicious, but if you don't have any you could substitute brown rice like I did.
I love the taste of the balanced almonds and the pine nuts.
I'm always looking for new ways to keep salads interesting. I think the wild rice adds an exotic touch to this delicious salad.
What is salad without a dressing?
I've been dressing my salads with a low calorie no oil dressings lately and loving it.
Let me explain why. For years, I've been noticing that many of the doctors who are writing diet books are suggesting a no-oil approach. Partly because of calories and partly for heath reasons. Initially, it sounded absolutely crazy to me; however, the more I've been reading, the more I realize they have a point.
The Oil-Free Thoughts
1. Oil is a processed factory-made product that is very concentrated.
2. It is very high in calories and calorie density
3. It has no fiber and very few nutrients
4. It's questionable (depends on which research you look at and which doctor you follow) if oil is actually good for us- yes this includes olive oil.
4. Most agree that natural fats such as avocado, nuts, olives, and seeds are very good for you and I do include them in my diet.
I've decided to try no-oil cooking and salad dressings.
I've found great websites, Youtube demonstrations and recipes for inspiration.
My Favorite Websites and Youtubes for Oil-free Recipes
My favorite oil-free ideas and recipes come from Plentiful Kiki (link) but I love her YouTube videos the best! followed by High Carb Hannah. - Both of their recipes are based on the McDougall Diet (link) and the book The Starch Solution.
Forks Over Knives (link) is another site that has a variety of oil-free recipes
Fit for Life based on Dr. Joel Furhman's diet (link) also advocates oil free cooking.
I made a very simple salad dressing that I find flavorful and delicious.
Ingredients
I use 1/4 cup of dijon mustard
1/4 cup of rice vinegar
Directions:
Whisk them well together and pour on the salad and toss
The salad looks refreshing with lots of textures.
ReplyDeleteI have used evo for years but now use a bit of mayo, Dijon and cider vinegar.
ReplyDeleteHi Judee, This is an easy and tasty way to eat a delicious, oil-free salad and pinned this post. I rarely use oil in salad dressings for the reasons you mention. I prefer a thick salad dressing so I use a can of organic white-colored beans (cannellini or great northern) or an avocado flavored with parsley, basil, or other green herb and lemon juice . Keep up learning and thanks for the links.
ReplyDeleteI know it's a little unusual to put rice in a green salad, but I love it and do it all the time. Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteAll those vegetables look very delicious! I would like it with only the tomatoes and arugula, or with everything together.
ReplyDeletebe well... mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I love the idea of wild rice scattered in a salad! I will have to remember this!
ReplyDeleteWe call arugula rocket! I have now idea why!
ReplyDeleteThat’s another great salad idea to take camping or traveling. We use brown rice in a salad too with cashews and raisins.
ReplyDeleteYum! I am definitely in the interesting salads camp and will put a wide variety of beans, nuts, and grains == almost anything tasty -- on a salad! I've even eaten salads for breakfast. I am definitely going to try the combination of Dijon mustard and rice vinegar for an easy homemade dressing. I've been trying to get away from the bottled commercial dressings.
ReplyDeleteThis salad looks wonderful. I cannot wait for fresh cherry tomatoes from my garden. I like your idea of combining vinegar and Dijon mustard as the salad dressing. I’m going to try that.
ReplyDelete