Salad as a Meal Challenge

Feeds:: Posts; Comments

Salad as a Meal Challenge

March 21, 2011 by DiningAndDishing

Good morning and a very happy Monday! How was your weekend??

Today is a very exciting day for Dining and Dishing, for today we begin the Four Weeks of Salad as a Meal Challenge!

From today until April 17th, I will be posting 3 dishes a week from this new cookbook by Patricia Wells. I’ve been so enjoying flipping through this book’s beautiful recipes. It features everything from greens, meat, seafood, and vegetable accompaniments, to dressings and sides like homemade bread and olives. Everything looks so bright, fresh and just perfect for the transition from hearty winter dishes into lighter spring fare.

As you may have noticed (eek!), I’ve been socializing a lot lately which has left me feeling kind of blah. So this challenge really couldn’t have come at a better time! I figure while I’m cooking and eating all these vegetables, it’s also a great opportunity to challenge myself to a few other healthy habits so I can start spring feeling great. So for my own version of the challenge, not only will I be cooking 3 dishes a week from SAAM, I will also challenge myself to:

Drink 3 or less alcoholic drinks per week
Exercise 4 days a week
Eliminate diet soda
Get 8 hours of sleep a night
Cut back on dining out

So I think that’s totally doable! And you, my lovely readers, will benefit too. I’ll be able to share some of the book’s recipes with you right here on the blog. AND if you want to join me in some healthy spring-prep habits, just let me know! We can be in it together – everything is always more fun with friends .

And so to get things started today, I thought it best to begin just as you would a real meal: with a selection from the Appetizers and Sides chapter.

Yesterday I made Patricia’s Guacamole Light, which uses peas in place of some of the avocado found in traditional guac.

Gorgeous, right?? I loved the color of this – peas really make the green pop. However, I did find this quite different in texture and taste to guacamole. I think it’s a fresh, flavorful salad-like dish that would hold up well to a name of it’s own. That’s why myself and my taste testers re-named it, Peamole Salad . I love it!

So I’ll leave you now before this post grows any longer. Really looking forward to the coming weeks and I hope you are too. See you tomorrow my friends!

Like this:

Be the first to like this post.

Posted in Beth | 18 Comments

18 Responses

on March 21, 2011 at 10:32 AM | Reply Erica

yayy! Again, so excited to follow this! Love all of your goals. The hardest for me? Get 8 hours of sleep a night …ugh. I try! I’ve made a similar guacamole before and was surprised how yummy it was! Yours looks very pretty!!
on March 21, 2011 at 10:46 AM | Reply Meg Kerr

Loving this self-challenge! I think I may join in myself (except for the diet soda…have to have at least one vice!). Can’t wait to see the salad as a meal recipes because I seem to always stick to chicken or tuna on salad…def need some new options.
- on March 22, 2011 at 11:03 AM | Reply DiningAndDishing
  
  Oh I love it! Awesome Meg . I promise some very good (different) salad recipes to come!
on March 21, 2011 at 11:17 AM | Reply Amy @ Second City Randomness

That cookbook sounds like it’s my kind of thing! I’m pretty sure you can turn almost any meal into a salad.

Well… except for soup…
on March 21, 2011 at 11:45 AM | Reply Allison @PickyEatingRD

I love your challenge! I am right there with you when it comes to getting enough sleep and cutting back on dining out!
on March 21, 2011 at 12:12 PM | Reply Diana @ frontyardfoodie

GREEN!! That is so gorgeous! You goals are amazing and to be honest I’m more than a little convicted by them. I know that 8 hours of sleep is not in my future but I do need to exercise four days a week, I think I might already drink less than 3 alcoholic beverages per week (what with nursing) but I do eat out too often….
on March 21, 2011 at 12:27 PM | Reply Christine @ Merf In Progress

I’m looking forward to this!
on March 21, 2011 at 12:33 PM | Reply Heather

I NEVER get 8 hours of sleep. I’m hoping with cutting back on my schedule that this will happen now (at least once or twice a week!).
Love this challenge, Beth!
on March 21, 2011 at 1:31 PM | Reply Sami

what a cool challenge! i tend to always use the same ingredients in my salads! can’t wait to see some of these! that vibrant green is totally gorgeous!

xo.
on March 21, 2011 at 1:53 PM | Reply Lisa @ Thrive Style

Great goals! Sounds totally doable…and you’ll feel great!

I love eating big salads as a meal. So satisfying

The peamole looks awesome!
on March 21, 2011 at 2:43 PM | Reply Emily

love the challenge! i’ve been considering giving myself a few similar goals in the weeks leading up to boston but haven’t bitten the bullet yet.
on March 21, 2011 at 3:03 PM | Reply biz319

What a great challenge Beth – you can totally do it and I look forward to stealing some of your salad recipes – my husband never considers salad a meal – but I know my co-workers I work with will love them!

I am so ready for spring vegetables!!
on March 21, 2011 at 3:49 PM | Reply Sues

I love salad as a meal and am always looking for new ideas Peas in guacamole? Sounds pretty awesome to me!!
on March 21, 2011 at 4:58 PM | Reply Day 1: Four Weeks of Salad as a Meal Challenge « The Secret Ingredient

[...] at Dining and Dishing, not only accepted our challenge to prepare at least three recipes a week from Salad as a Meal, but [...]
on March 22, 2011 at 1:51 AM | Reply lynn @ the actor's diet

beautiful, indeed! i’ve always wanted to try that – my husband hates peas but i think if combined with avocado he’d be okay
on March 22, 2011 at 5:55 AM | Reply Jumanah @ Healthy Living in the Middle East

I love this challenge and cant wait to read more!!! That Peamole salad looks so great! Definately trying that one soon!
on March 22, 2011 at 5:41 PM | Reply Simply Life

Oh I love this color – can’t wait to see how the challenge goes!
on April 13, 2011 at 10:28 AM | Reply Salad as a Meal Winds Down «

[...] Guacamole Light [...]

Comments RSS