No winter lasts forever

Spring is officially here and with the kids freshly out of their mid-term exams it was time for a picnic. A time to have fun, recharge and hunt for color.

The kids had a blast chasing butterflies and lady bugs, climbing trees, picking flowers and building a mini fire with my brother to make tea and grilled cheese sandwiches. I personally took the time to soak up the peace and quite away from all noise and mono tones of the city.A cup of tea and a view like this are some of life’s simplest yet most valuable joys

 

 Have you ever wished trees could talk?

I know it sounds crazy but on numerous occasions, I wished trees could talk.  During our picnic we came across this tree, I was simply fascinated by its trunk! I would have loved to listen to what this tree had to tell about the decades it stood there watching, listening and growing. I would happily spend hours listening to her story about how she overcame whatever it was that left that mark in her trunk and how she managed to find the strength to go on..

 

 

After this refreshing detour it is time for the latest episode our salad dressing Sunday series.When I started this series I received quite a few requests for oil free dressings and for dressings that work with Asian inspired salads. Well today’s ginger soy dressing checks both boxes. Despite being super simple with only three ingredients it still packs quite a flavor punch. I came across this salad dressing a few months ago while doing a detox and looking for dressing recipes that can keep my daily salad from becoming boring. This ginger soy dressing quickly became a favorite with the zesty freshness of lemon juice, the salty depth of soy sauce and the perfect balancing zing from the ginger.

I love pairing this dressing with Asian inspired salads, like this sushi salad I am sharing with you today. All the flavors, colors and benefits of sushi in a super quick, super easy salad form. This was my very first time experimenting with cauliflower rice. If you are not familiar with it, it is a great vegan, grain free and raw alternative to rice. All you have to do is pulse the cauliflower in your food processor for a couple of minutes and your “rice” is ready. I have not turned vegan nor do I stick to a raw diet but I love adding healthy meals to my family’s menu

Whether you choose to try the salad with the cauliflower rice, with regular rice or skipping the rice altogether, I am sure it will be a new and refreshing addition to your salad and salad dressing menu. If you do give it a try, I would love to hear what you think of it in the comments

Sushi salad with ginger soy dressing

Half a medium head of cauliflower cut into florets (you can replace this with brown rice or sushi rice)

1 carrot grated

1 cucumber cubed

1 avocado cut into cubes

Handful of parsley roughly chopped (leaves only)

1 nori sheet, cut roughly with scissors into bite-size strips

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

 

For the Dressing

1 tablespoon finely grated ginger root
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
Juice of 1 lemon

To prepare the dressing, take the ginger gratings and squeeze them between your fingers, making your hand a fist, into a small jar. Discard the pulp.(If you really like ginger like I do, you can skip the juicing and add the ginger gratings to the jar)

Add the tamari (or soy sauce) and the lemon juice to the ginger juice. Close the lid and shake.

To prepare the salad,

Wash your cauliflower florets, drain them and place them in your food processor

Pulse until the cauliflower until it turns into small pieces (almost rice grain size)

 

Place the cauliflower rice on your serving dish

Top it with the cucumber, avocado, carrot, parsley and strips of nori. You can make each ingredient into a layer, giving your salad a beautiful layered look, especially if you plan on serving it in glasses the way I did here or you can arrange them into stripes

 

Sprinkle the sesame seeds.

Drizzle the salad dressing over the salad right before serving, toss to combine and enjoy