We’ve been focusing our meals around raw fruits and vegetables even more than usual. With the bounty of summer produce upon us, it feels good to eat loads of fresh veggies in crisp salads, and it’s such an important part of pursuing a healthy lifestyle, which has been a bit tough since the lock-down.
I’ve been reading about how essential it is to have a variety of fruits and vegetables in our diets to cultivate a healthy gut microbiome. Studies show that maintaining the right balance of friendly and unfriendly bacteria in your gut may improve digestion, reduce inflammation, decrease anxiety, and improve brain function and mood.
With all of the stress that most of us are feeling over work, Covid, isolation, home-schooling kids, and the upcoming election, eating a diet made up of mostly whole foods, with the occasional indulgent goodie, may help us feel better overall.
Crisp Asian Salad with Tofu and a Peanut Dressing
This crunchy and cool salad that is made up of two kinds of cabbage, celery, carrots, and topped off with precooked tofu or chicken is a wonderful main course dish. It’s easy to make ahead of time and the peanut dressing is so divine.
- 3 ½ cups shredded Napa cabbage
- 2 cups shredded red cabbage
- 2 cups Teriyaki flavored tofu, cubed
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 1 stalk celery, sliced thinly on the diagonal
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro or flat leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoon chopped salted peanuts
- In a large bowl, toss together the red and Napa cabbage, carrot, celery, and cilantro or parsley.
- Toss with a few tablespoons of dressing.
- Top with tofu and sprinkle with chopped peanuts.
- Serve with extra dressing to drizzle over salad.
- ⅔ cups creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons Tamari sauce
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- A drizzle of hot chili oil or a pinch of hot pepper flakes
- Place all of the ingredients, except for the scallion, in a food processor.
- Pulse the ingredients until smooth.
- Add the scallion, and pulse once or twice.
- You can also make by hand by whisking all of the ingredients together in a bowl.
Enjoy!
