Detox Salad

Not too long ago, a friend and I did a Girl's Night In (we were both sick). We decided on dinner and a movie. In our quest to remain healthy, young and vibrant, we decided to pick up some food from Whole Foods pre-made bars. I was drawn to all the delicious warm international dishes, while my friend went straight for this all veggie mix.

At first sight I cringed. Raw veggies? That's it? Ewwwwe. I can't say that I am a veggie lover. I want to be, oh so desperately. Yet, I just can't get myself to choke those babies down. She's good with advice, that one, and suggested that I just get it because I won't regret it. Was she ever RIGHT!

I crave this stuff now, but for me getting to Whole Foods is like running the Tough Mudder backwards blindfolded. I kid you not, last trip I made it took me over 25 minutes to make a left turn into the parking structure because there is no left turn arrow at that intersection. City of Milwaukee, are you reading this?? Let's do something to make my trip into the city a bit more efficient and enjoyable, shall we??

It wasn't until my friend recently got accepted into her grad school program and promptly declared that the purse strings will now be tight and these luxury items will have to be forgone, that I said "WTF!! I can MAKE that salad at home for probably a fraction of the cost!"

Low and behold, I was not the only lover of this magical detox salad. There are many versions out there. I found one that is about perfect. One thing that I omitted was the kelp. I didn't have time to shop for it. Also, currants were pricey at my grocery store, so I just used raisins- whatever. Oh, and I forgot the parsley. The salad still turned out fantastic and tastes SO close that I didn't miss out at all. So, we've waited long enough. Here's the recipe. It took me a manner of 15 minutes to put it together. I let it sit in the fridge for about 4-6 hours. It made a huge bowl full. The largest bowl I own, actually, and it was still just a little too full to toss it without stuff falling out of it.

I used one head of cauliflower, a bunch of broccoli, half a bag of baby carrots (shredded), about 2/3+ cup of raisins, enough sunflower seeds to make a thin layer over the top and the juice of 2 lemons. THAT IS ALL. No salt, no pepper, no anything else. Easy Peasy.

And now I can FINALLY eat my vegetables, Dad.

Detox Salad (from eat-spin-run-repeat.com)

Inspired by the Whole Foods Detox Salad.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cauliflower (about 1/3 of a medium-sized cauliflower)
• 2 cups broccoli
• 2 medium grated carrots
• ¼ cup dried currants
• 1/3 cup raisins
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• 2 tsp kelp granules (NOTE: kelp granules do have a fairly distinct sea vegetable-like smell, so you definitely don’t need to use very much!)
• ½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

Chop the broccoli and cauliflower into bite-sized pieces. (You can use a food processor, but I like my pieces chunkier, so I hand-chopped.)

In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, cauliflower, grated carrots, and all remaining ingredients. Toss very well to combine, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

Makes 6 servings (about 1 cup each)
Nutrition per cup: 130 calories, 6g fat (1g saturated), 0mg cholesterol, 34mg sodium, 20g carbs, 3g fiber, 11g sugar, 4g protein.

"You might be wondering why this is called a detox salad, and from my reading and research into raw food diets. I’ve learned that some of the best vegetables for detoxing are raw cruciferous ones. That includes broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, bok choy, and cabbage. These are full of phytonutrients, minerals, and antioxidants which are exactly what our detoxing organs (that would be your liver, kidneys, and lungs) need to keep them humming along nicely. Of course, the lovely nutritional benefits are lost the second you decide to cook any of these veggies, and that would be a shame, wouldn’t it?"