anunrefinedvegan

You were wondering, weren’t you?  When I was going to get around to making a salad with greens in it?  Well, here she is – squeaking in at the eleventh hour.  Though the Day 1 salad, Yellow Rice & Black Beans, is my favorite of the seven, this one comes in at a close second.  It’s so simple, but the flavors just work.  Nutty, sweet, tangy.

I served this salad with turnovers that started out as potato-garbanzo bean burgers.  The burgers were just okay and I wondered what on earth I was going to do with the 6 that were sitting in my refrigerator.  Since they were spiced with garam masala, I continued the Indian theme.  I crumbled up a few of the burgers, added some vegetable broth and a handful of golden raisins and made turnovers with a whole wheat dough to which I’d added cumin and curry powder.  Dipped in mango chutney (I’m addicted) and homemade Sweet & Spicy Tomato Chutney they blew away any lingering ill feelings about the burgers.  And with the scraps of dough (yes, complete with cumin and curry) I made tiny tarts with juice-sweetened cherry and apricot jams.

Spinach & Arugula with Red Grapes & Sunflower Seeds
Serves 2-3

3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1-2 tsp. maple syrup
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. fresh thyme (or a pinch of dried)
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp. flaxseed oil
4 cups spinach and arugula
1 cups red grapes, halved
1 tbsp. toasted sunflower seeds

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup and slowly whisk in the flaxseed oil.

In a big bowl, combine the spinach, arugula, grapes and sunflower seeds and toss gently.  Divide greens between 2 plates and drizzle with dressing.