Have you noticed? Getting down to bare bones in your fridge forces creativity.
It’s time to get to market. I know because I was scrounging around in the veg bins in my big beautiful 225 lb friend the fridge, looking for that familiar clutch of carrots and chunk of cabbage to toss into the grater for a favorite standby crunchy salad experience for lunch.
But as luck would have it, I’d already downed the last carrot. And the only cabbage to be found was a sorry looking end of what used to be a beautiful big bloom of purple. Now what?
That’s when the bouquet of broccoli that was staring me in the face raised its hand and asked for a chance at the salad. Why not? Maybe you are deft and experienced with broccoli slaw, but me – not so much. It’s time!
I’m uber-pleased with the result. Grated broccoli, chopped celery, a splash of color from the kidney beans, and some pumpkin seeds (the jar of my favorite, sunflower seeds, turned up empty as well).
Broccoli bean & pumpkin seed salad
As you know, if a recipe has more than 5 ingredients my eyes start to glaze over. I love to eat, but cooking – not so much. I’m also not very good at measuring, so amounts are approximate.
2 stalks broccoli, grated in food processor
4 stalks celery, chopped into bite-size chunks
1 cup kidney beans, rinsed from the can
2 Tablespoons pumpkin seeds, lightly roasted
Dressing: any sweet-sour type, fat-free that you have. The classic 3-2-1 works well:
3 parts brown rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, or any favorite in the vinegar category. Lemon juice.
2 parts mustard
1 part maple syrup, date syrup, or other sweet component
There you have it! With a big tomato sammy on the side, we were all set.
Have you ever had a ‘cupboard is bare’ lunch experience that ended in a creative, happy surprise? Share your story (and recipe idea!) in replies below. Can’t wait to hear what you’ve cooked up. Let’s help eachother think outside the usual salad bowl!
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Lani, now THAT is one beautiful salad! I like simple recipes too. Thanks for posting this today, it inspires me to make a big salad for lunch.
Janet
Janet, I know, it came put perty if I do say so myself! Let me know what salad you come up for for lunch today!
Looks like a great salad. I love winter squash season because I always roast the seeds from the squash. (Otherwise they sprout in the compost. LOL!)
Years ago we were getting ready for a move and I was making sure we ate down what was in the fridge, freezer, and cupboards. I had some veggie eggrolls (pre-vegan days) in the freezer but no sweet ‘n sour sauce. After looking up recipes in my cookbooks (pre-Internet days, too) I noticed the common elements seemed to be tomato sauce, a sweetener (usually pineapple), and vinegar for sourness.
Well, I had no tomato sauce or pineapple in the house. Using what I had, though, resulted in a tasty sauce made of ketchup, apricot jam, and plain ol’ white vinegar.
Speaking of which, jams and jellies work great as the sweet element in the 3-2-1 dressing. My homemade pomegranate jelly adds a nice fruity quality to the dressing.
Chile, what great ideas! Pineapple and ketchup are favorite sweet sour standbys and I’m glad you brought them up. Jelly too. Perfect! Thanks.
yum yum love all those ideas, will certianly try them , me i have made a last minute bottom of the barrel salad, i had some pumpkin calling out to be used so i chopped it into bite size chunks and roasted it srizzeled with balsamic vinegar and rosemary, tossed it in a bowl of greens and some crunchy toasted cashew nuts, and steamed asparagus, it was great and then decided to make it a bigger meal by adding in a tin of chickpeas which i roasted first, i lived it so much i worte it in my scrap book and made it again, cheers Anna
I love pumpkin and congrats to you for going to the trouble to peel and roast it! Rosemary and balsamic? Divine!
I love this 3-2-1 salad dressing recipe. How easy, and delicious. I made one last night with champagne vinegar, stone ground mustard and maple syrup. Thanks for the idea!
Champagne vinegar Allyson, yums! I keep looking for a mustard that doesn’t have too much bite. You recommend the stone ground? Any particular brand?
Trader Joe’s has a whole grain mustard that doesn’t have too much bite.
Elizabeth,
I’ve seen that and it just looked too dark and seedy and scary! Upon your recommend, I’ll give it a shot. TJs always takes stuff back if you no likey anyway. Thanks.
I don’t know, I don’t find it dark and scary. I don’t like dijon mustard that is too strong. I don’t use mustard very much, but I think the TJ’s whole grain is great in dressings. Trader Joe’s Whole Grain Dijon Mustard imported from France. What kind of mustard do you usually use? I also have a Woodstock Farms stoneground that isn’t too strong, but it does have a vinegary taste, which I like. These both have more flavor than plain yellow mustard, but are not strong like grey poupon.
I’ve just been getting TJ’s organic. The whole grain from TJ’s is imported from France? Oh my! I’ll take a look next time. TJ’s for me is a 40 minute drive so I will plan it for next time I’m down there. Thanks for sticking with me on this!
I understand, I live in Montana and we don’t have a Trader Joe’s in this state. I stock up on Trader Joe’s stuff when I’m visiting family in Sonoma County. I might have my Mom bring a couple jars of that whole grain mustard when she comes for a visit this Fall. Let us know how you like the mustard.
I will Elizabeth – thanks again.
Whoops, sorry, just realized you were looking for stoneground, not whole grain mustard.
I’m just looking for a good one without too much bite for my 3-2-1- dressing!