Strawberry-Herb Salad with Browned Cauliflower Rice

Spring has certainly arrived! The supermarket is starting to burst with vibrant colors, heady aromas, and all the early bounty of the season. I'm drawn to bright flavors, zingy citrus and all the herbs! Right now, my fridge is stocked with lots of green, and tons of healthy choices which helps make easy recipes; largely consisting of "throw it all in a bowl and mix" salad. Don't worry if you are not a self-proclaimed salad eater - most of my salads are designed to be main courses with filling components and lots of texture and flavor to keep you going. Oh, and they are all vibrant and beautiful because I don't know about you, but I eat with my eyes first!

Ingredients:

• Browned Cauliflower Rice:

  • 1/2 head cauliflower (riced) - I used my Cuisinart Food Processor (grater disc)

  • 3-4 garlic cloves (diced)

  • 1-2 tbsp olive oil

  • pinch of salt & black pepper (to taste)

  • 1/2 lemon juiced

  • 2 tbsp vegan butter

  • 1 shallot (diced)

• White Wine Vinegar Dressing:

  • 1-2 tsp stone ground mustard

  • 3 cloves of garlic

  • 6 tbsp of olive oil

  • 4 tbsp white wine vinegar

  • 1 tsp agave syrup

  • pinch of black pepper, salt & dried oregano (to taste)

• Salad:

  • 1/2 bunch lacinato kale (de-stemmed and finely chopped)

  • 1 handful fresh basil (chopped)

  • 1 handful fresh mint (chopped)

  • 2 handfuls baby spinach (chopped)

  • 1 large cucumber chopped

  • 1/4 red onion (sliced thin and cut in 1/2 lengthwise)

  • 1/4 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds

  • 2 tbsp hemp seeds

  • 1/2 pint of strawberries (chopped)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat; once it shimmers, add the garlic and saute till fragrant and lightly browned (~1 min).

2. Add cauliflower to the pan, and stir (infrequently) until browned and softened (~5-7 minutes)

3. Stir in lemon juice shallots and butter and saute another 2-3 minutes until done.

4. Set aside to cool slightly

5. While cauliflower is browning, add all dressing ingredients to a personal blender (Hamilton Beach makes a great one you can pick up on Amazon.com) and blitz until blended and slightly foamy; Set aside.

6. After making the dressing, chop & assemble all salad ingredients in a big bowl.

7. Add slightly cooled cauliflower rice to the salad bowl and then top everything with the dressing

8. Mix and serve immediately.

I hope you enjoy this salad as much as we did - I'd love to see & hear about how it turned out for you!

With love & hope for a better future for all of us - Jamie