radish

Clean eating

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Red Ursa kale

I just had a note from my sister commenting on the burden of having all those leftovers in the fridge after Thanksgiving. We were brought up by a mother who would never let any food go to waste so guilt is definitely in our DNA.

And we’re coming up again on the Christmas holidays with their overabundance of food and myriad leftovers. Mind you I love leftovers, but I, like so many, am tired of trying to put them into edible dishes that are different but tasty. So, the turkey’s in the freezer for soup in three months, guiltily I ate some of the last of the mashed potatoes instead of putting them in potato cakes. And, yes, I composted the rest. 

Broccoli and broccoli rabe

I am ready for clean eating again. Like a palate cleanse after a heavy meal. I want salad. Not fresh tomato salad from the garden because that’s only a disappointment with grocery store tomatoes. But a salad of massaged kale (sorry, Robin Lester), bok choi, broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts. 

Cauliflowers

A friend brought a brussels sprout salad for our Friendsgiving, and it was simply refreshing. I absconded with the leftover salad, had it for breakfast the next morning, and have done my best to duplicate it here. I will give a nod to Vivian Howard of A Chef’s Life, because I think this is where the original recipe came from. But I’ve duplicated it from memory and added a few riffs to it.

Radishes

Feel free to add whatever you have in the fridge – massaged kale, chopped broccoli, cauliflower, radishes, beets or even roasted sweet potatoes. Don’t leave out the apples, though, because they add a delightful sweet burst. My friend’s salad was dressed with a bleu cheese vinaigrette, but you can dress it however it suits you. 

2 cups slivered Brussels sprouts

1 cup chopped apples (finely chopped)

½ c. toasted walnuts or pecans, coarsely chopped

½ c. slivered sweet onion

¼ c. crumbled feta cheese

Mix and chill. Dress with your favorite vinaigrette. 

Slaw salads

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Broccoli slaw

Summertime is my time for slaw. It is cool, crisp and can be creamy or citrusy-tart, depending on the recipe. The best part is that is easy to make and keeps well for several days in the refrigerator.

Use just about any vegetable

It’s easy to change up the slaw to pair with different kinds of food, not to mention making use of whatever is being harvested from the garden. You can use any combination of crisp, firm vegetables such as kohlrabi, radish, turnip, rutabaga, carrot, cabbage, broccoli, peppers, cauliflower. Add some cucumber for juiciness at the last minute.

Dressings can be creamy or tart

Dressings are also only limited by your imagination. For a creamy dressing, use Greek yogurt or mayonnaise as a base and add lemon juice, salt and pepper and a hint of honey or sugar. For a dressing to cool the palate to accompany spicy Asian food, use lime juice, sesame oil and honey. For a Mexican riff, add cilantro, chili powder and cumin.

And feel free to add onions, sesame seeds or roasted flax seeds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries or raisins.

Baby pak choi

Bok choi or pac choi slaw

2-3 heads baby pac choi, sliced thinly
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 large green bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 scallions, sliced thinly on an angle
½ cucumber halved, seeded and thinly sliced

Dressing:

2 limes, juiced
¼ c. honey
3 T. vegetable oil
salt and pepper

Toss with dressing and serve immediately.

Radishes and kohlrabi

Broccoli stem slaw

About 2 cups of broccoli stems, peeled and grated (save the florets for another meal)
1 large carrot grated
½ c. red onion sliced thinly

Dressing:

¼ c. mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
1 T. fresh lemon or lime juice
1 t. sugar
½ t. Salt

Toss with dressing and refrigerate for an hour or so before serving.