Simple Grain Salad & Dressing Recipe

Tired of your same, go-to salad recipe? Kim Mason, a Registered Dietician at Carson Tahoe Health, says that food is something that should be celebrated every time we indulge. The best part is that, while it’s important to enjoy eating, that doesn’t mean it has to be unhealthy food. Kim did a live cooking demonstration at Carson Tahoe’s Field to Plate event and showed how easy it can be to prepare tasty, healthy meals using locally grown fruits and veggies. In case you missed the event, here’s one of the delicious salad and dressing recipes. Try it out!

Salad Ingredients
• 2 cups cooked whole grain (brown rice, millet, quinoa, barley, bulgur) or legumes (lentils, black-eyed peas, cannellini, kidney, or black beans)
• 2 cup shredded or chopped vegetables (beets, carrots, scallions, red onion, Brussels sprouts, radishes)
• ¼ cup dried or ½ cup fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, or olives

Dressing Ingredients
• 2-3 tbsp olive, flax, or walnut oil
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp vinegar (apple cider, red or white champagne, balsamic, etc)
• 1-2 tsp dry (1-2tbsp fresh) favorite herbs/spices (parsley, dill, basil, oregano, coriander, cilantro, etc)

Instructions
1. Cook grain.  The rule-of-thumb is 2 parts water to 1 part grain; bring grain and water to boil, reduce to simmer and without stirring, simmer until water is absorbed. 2.?Choose the combination of vegetables you’d like. Shred, dice and chop into small pieces and add to grain in a medium-sized salad or mixing bowl. Do the same for any dried fruit, nut or olive you’d like.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and herbs. Pour over salad and stir/toss.
4. ?Taste! Adjust ingredients as needed.  Add lemon juice, lemon zest or more herbs/spices for a little more *zing* or 1 tsp honey to add a little sweetness. Salt and pepper are optional.

Bonus! 5 Ideas for Variations
?Grain: barley
Vegetables: cherry tomatoes, grilled squash
Fruit/Nuts: omit
Oil: olive
Lemon juice: yes
Vinegar: red wine
Herbs/Spices: parsley, basil

What did you think of this recipe? Let us know in the comments section below!