Quick Dinner Dishes—Long-lasting Salads

There’s no arguing the fact that salads are the healthiest foods around.  Because they are not heat-treated, they are bursting with the raw goodness of nutrients and phytochemicals.  They are also crisp, light, colorful and fresh fare. 

The downside, though, is that produce for salads generally wilt away in a few days—even in the ref.  A simple solution to that is to use fruits and vegetables which last longer than most others.  Cabbage, radish and apples, for instance, outlast kale and other light greens.  Whole grains like quinoa also keep for 3 to 4 days.  And with a few add-ons like dried fruits and toasted nuts, you can have salads in minutes—the go-to dinners your health deserves.

Crunchy Red Cabbage Salad

The Jews call this hearty salad Parve—a bright red salad festooned with dots of scallions, cranberries and cashew nuts and then drizzled all over with sweet and sour and spicy dressing.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 red cabbage, chopped
• 5 scallions, chopped
• ½ cup vinegar
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup canola oil
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• hummus sticks
• dried cranberries or raisins
• cashew nuts
 

Directions:

• In a large bowl, gently toss together the red cabbage and onions.
• In a small bowl, mix together the vinegar, sugar, oil and soy sauce.  Pour this dressing over the salad mixture.  Cover and refrigerate until ready for serving.
• Just before serving, toss in the hummus sticks, cranberries and cashews.
 

Greek Quinoa Salad

Indulge without guilt in this filling quinoa salad that’s flavorfully herbed with a Mediterranean flair.  It’s a supper so filling yet so light and healthy.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 to 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 ½ cups quinoa, uncooked
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• juice from one lemon
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ½ cup kalamata olives, halved
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
• ½ cup chopped artichoke hearts
• salt and pepper
• ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
 

Directions:

• Pour in vegetable broth to a saucepan, add in the quinoa and cook over medium high heat for about 15 to 20 minutes or until quinoa is tender.  Transfer quinoa to a bowl and set aside to cool.
• In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic and olive oil.
• Add in the other ingredients into the bowl of quinoa and toss gently.  Drizzle the olive oil mixture over the salad, season with salt and pepper and gently stir in the feta cheese.