Carrot Ginger Dressing for a Meal-Sized Salad

So I'm not the biggest salad eater on the block.  It's not salad's fault - I like it just fine.  It's just that I'm really picky about them.  Most restaurants charge way too much for skimpy portions with enough calories to fill you up for 15 minutes, and usually when I'm shopping I forget to add "random extra salad produce" to the list, and all of the other produce is spoken for in other meals.  Yeah, I'm a planner like that.

But occasionally I remember.  I think, "Damn, nothing would taste better for a Saturday lunch than a good ol' salad."  No, seriously.  Because when I make a salad, I make a freaking salad.

(Just so you know, this bowl is bigger than my head.)

Making a freaking salad means making a kick-ass dressing, or else what's the point?  I'm not saying it needs to be complex, but it should definitely make you want to happily inhale your veggies.  If you're looking for something new to try, give this carrot-ginger dressing a whirl - it's packed with kick and flavor and now I want to eat awesome salads for every meal.

Carrot Ginger Dressing
Serves 2 large salads

Ingredients:

1 medium carrot, grated
2 tablespoons peeled and minced ginger
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons agave or other sweetener
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon cayenne powder

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until relatively smooth.  Serve atop your favorite greens and veggies and enjoy!

(The dressing wasn't very photogenic, but I'm sure you can imagine it.)

Some of my favorite salad toppings include tomatoes, carrots, beets, avocado, olives and tofu.  Use your favorites, but keep in mind that different colors and textures make for exciting mouthfuls.  Tofu makes a good protein for meal-sized salads, but 1/2 cup beans (per serving) would also be awesome (chickpeas ftw!).  I like adding things like avocados and olives because they're nice and filling.

Speaking of variety, nothing beats store-bought salad mixes.  Unless you're the type to go through oodles of greens, they often provide a dozen different types of lettuce in a convenient package, which makes for a more interesting salad than using just a single green.  The exception I make is for shredded and massaged kale, which I find perfectly exciting all on its own.  Yup, I'm wacky like that.

And now I'm off to see the wizard, or something like that anyway.  This is my last official piano teaching week before I'm off to distant lands (Hi, Texas!).  So take care guys, and happy salads!

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