Make your own nutritional powerhouse with this simple salad recipe.
Recently Jeff & I drove to Milwaukee, Wisconsin to catch up with friends at the Minimalist.org Milwaukee group.
We unintentionally attended their very first meet-up a while back when we were driving home from Green Bay. I was looking for someplace we could get out and stretch our legs and we decided to stop for coffee at a shop that looked pretty cool. (By the way, Anodyne Coffee is one fabulous place, if you’re looking for somewhere to hang out or work in Milwaukee.)
We went in to stretch and nab some coffee and while we were standing at the bar we noticed a group of people sitting together passing around a couple copies of Everything That Remains.
I walked up and asked the person holding the book that we designed the cover for, what they were up to. Jeff & I were invited to pull up a chair and join them in discussing Josh & Ryan‘s experiences and what everyone’s thoughts were on minimalism. It was a pretty sweet coincidence that we happened to walk in while they were having their very first meetup.
Funny enough, we had more than minimalism in common and most were health conscious folks, also following the Paleo lifestyle, so we wound up having even more to talk about. Eventually we parted ways, Jeff & I continued and went to celebrate our anniversary at mEAT and Rita invited us to come back whenever we had time.
It was a couple weeks ago when we decided to head back to Milwaukee and it was also on that day that I made this salad.
Jeff & I spent some time in Milwaukee, chowing down on some grass-fed burgers at Stack’d Burger Bar then we made a beeline straight for Chicago.
Gathering Ingredients
You see, we had made dinner plans with our friends and for once we were going to be right on time!
But first, we had to make a quick stop at Treasure Island (a grocery store in Chicago) to pick up some ingredients.
I ran through the fresh produce aisles and threw what looked best into my grocery basket. I told Ana I would make a Paleo side but I truly had no idea what I was going to make (which if you asked Jeff, is typical). :)
We ran to checkout with a hand full of items, spotted a new-to-me Chicago-made Paleo product and managed to make it to Spencer & Ana’s on time.
As soon as Ana let us in I was requesting a knife, a cutting board and a bowl and I got to work chopping the head of romaine, the bulb of fennel and red onion – all adding crunch for every bite.
A salad you make at home doesn’t have to turn out like the ones you find in grocery stores or restaurants. You can change the flavors quite easily with your favorite ingredients, chopped veggies and seasonal fruits as a garnish and I promise you won’t get bored!
Homemade Is Always Best
In fact, making your own salad at home can be even better than anything you’ll get when eating out. Most restaurants use iceberg lettuce, which is crunchy, but not very flavorful and pretty devoid of nutrients.
Romaine lettuce, on the other hand, is still crunchy, but it fits into the category of dark leafy greens. This means it has more flavor and nutrients. It also comes packed with antioxidants, which studies have shown have anticancer effects.
Combined with the sweetness of the orange, this is one salad that you might find disappearing faster than the main course!
