The Egger BLT Salad

I have to say, we have been completely off our routine of late and my eating has been less than desirable to keep my gut microbiome a happy camper.  A few nights ago, I decided we were having our favourite BLT (Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato) Salad with egg to mark the beginning of getting back on track to our regular healthy eating habits.

The salad itself comprises of any combination of greens, veggies, tomatoes, a bit of bacon, and topped with a boiled egg or two.  I recognize this might not suit the purest interpretation of BLT but it sure is delicious and my eleven year old, who loves her junk food, squealed with delight when she saw what was on her plate.

It is hard to stand between a kid and her salad and ultimately the extra salad that I had made for my next day lunch was gobbled up, by said child, as seconds that very night.  So please give this salad a try as it is delicious as a stand alone meal or use the dressing for a green side salad or even a marinade for chicken. Whatever you decide, it is definitely both a yummy and filling meal.

For the salad:

• Mixed greens, washed
• Shaved cabbage, any colour
• Grated carrot
• Yellow capsicum, cut in strips
• Cherry tomatoes, cut in half
• 1-2 strips of bacon per person, chopped
• 1-2 hardboiled eggs per person, sliced

Toss salad; top with bacon and egg; and then dress with salad dressing.







For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup of grapeseed oil
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 Tbsps. apple cider vinegar, preferably with mother
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. ground pepper
• 1/2 clove garlic, minced

Whisk ingredients together to combine.

Creamy Waldorf Salad with Kale

Always looking for another salad to keep my family interested in eating them, I recently decided to try my hand at the infamous Waldorf salad.

Created in the 1800's at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel by its maitre d'hotel, the Waldorf salad contained fresh apples and celery dressed with mayonnaise and served on a bed of lettuce.  By the 1920's walnuts were added as a garnish.  In my childhood, I can remember eating the Waldorf with grapes and chicken added to the salad.

To keep the apples from turning brown, I tossed mine in apple cider vinegar.  Using unpasteurized cider vinegar adds beneficial microbes to the salad, as well.  I also like the sweetness and colour of the grapes; the crunch of celery and the bite of a few green onion.  Walnuts or any nut is optional to add a bit of protein and essential fatty acids.  Finally, instead of serving on the traditional bed of lettuce I chopped up kale and add directly to the salad.  The whole family thought it was yummy! This is my version of the Waldorf, the family liked it and I hope you do too!

Printer Version

• 3 tsps. unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
• 2 medium sized red apples, diced
• 1 cup of red seedless grapes, sliced in half
• 2 small celery stalks, finely diced
• 2 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 stalks of kale, chopped
• 3 Tbsps. of walnuts, chopped (optional)
• 2 Tbsps. whole-egg mayonnaise
• pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Wash and chop the apples and toss with the apple cider vinegar.  Then chop the celery, green onion and walnuts and add them to the apples.  Slice the grapes and add to the bowl.  Finally, wash the kale, remove the stems and chop; add the mayonnaise, salt, and pepper to the salad and gently toss to combine.

Yield:  Serves 4

Creamy Coleslaw with Kale

Coleslaw is one of my favourite side dishes.  It is sweet, tangy, crunchy, and colourful - I always have the ingredients in my refrigerator.  This recipe is an old favourite with a new ingredient - kale. Kale is incredibly nutritious and it pairs well with cabbage especially since it is very close to the cabbage family.

I have been using kale in smoothies, stir fries and now in salads.  My kids love this coleslaw and the kale didn't phase them a bit.  The lemon zest adds a freshness to the salad that makes it worth your while digging out a lemon just to get at the skin.  I choose to add apple cider vinegar to my dressing instead of using the whole lemon, partly because I prefer the cider vinegar taste but especially because I use cider vinegar with 'mother' - imparting extra beneficial microbes to the dressing.

Printer Version

• 3 Tbsps. of whole egg mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar - preferably unpasteurized
• 2 tsps. cane sugar, maple syrup or honey
• 1 tsp. grainy Dijon mustard
• The zest of 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 of a medium head of cabbage - shredded
• 1 medium sized carrot - shredded
• 4 curly leaf kale leaves - shredded

In a large bowl, whisk mayo, vinegar, sugar, mustard, lemon zest and seasonings until smooth.  In the same bowl, add the cabbage, carrot and kale.  Toss together until well combined.

Refrigerate for up to 4 days.  Serves about 4 depending on your serving sizes but we rarely have much left over after supper.