Shape-shifting salad – an easy versatile prep for busy times
Shape-shifting salad? It took us a while to come up with a name that would describe this amazing concoction that nourished us for a solid week. It can also be called a mood salad or a weather salad – hot or cold, depending on the forecast. Let me tell you – this has become a STAPLE! A staple because of the versatility of the mix and how we cook – we often have left over meat, and we live in Europe where cabbage, onions and peppers are a-plenty and we are girls – we are moody. So here is one way to deal with weather, mood and lack of time in one easy prep!
Ingredients
500 g white cabbage
1 red pepper
1 spring onion
4 T sesame oil
2 T tamari soy sauce
1 T lemom juice or white wine vinegar
Optional
a handful (or any amount you have or fancy) of some cooked meat – left over roast (we often use up lamb or beef shoulder or stock chicken or roast chicken in this)
sunflower seeds or other seeds that you like, toasted or not
To serve
sprouts and herbs, fresh coriander goes especially well with the asian flavours
Method
Shred the cabbage and chop pepper and spring onion finely, season with soy tamari, sesame oil and lemon juice or vinegar, taste and adjust.
Now to shape shifting….
1. Salad…
…it gets better with time, marinated and softer but never mushy. Add cooked meat and some seeds or nuts for extra nutrition and texture.
2. Stir-fry
Heat some coconut oil or ghee in a pan or wok and toss your salad prep in it with cooked meat or without. I like to add some fresh or dried chillies if my daughter is at school. Add anything you like really – scramble an egg into it! That veg base is really versatile!
3. Soup
Cold outside? A bowl of salad in the fridge? Makes you shiver just thinking about it? Yes, thats how this soup was born. Heat up a pan with some healthy fat, ghee or coconut oil, or just butter, add your salad prep and some coconut milk and (if you have some) chicken stock or beef stock or water would do too as coconut milk is very rich. It will be lovely, comforting and nourishing. Did I mention I add lots of chilli when I am the only one eating? 🙂 and turmeric.. and garlic… and then I go all garlic breath at school pick up times 🙂 hey, I repel the flu!
There are endless variations to this “salad” come stir-fry come stew. The only thing you have to keep in mind is to use vegetables that don’t go mushy after a few days in the fridge or when cooked. Cabbage and peppers work well, but so does kale, chicory, spinach, chard, courgettes and carrot.
Kids may like to create their own combos to keep in their little jars in the fridge to cook or eat raw depending on the mood.
I hope this will be a delicious time saver for you!
Please let me know combinations you have tried in the comments. xxx