here is a great easy and quick to make salad to accompany the heavier items on the menu. having the colors red, green and white and using seasonal ingredients make this a proper christmas salad.
ingredients for 4 people
8 large brussels sprouts
1/2 red paprika/bell pepper
1/2 crisp apple
1 1/2 artichoke hearts
1/3 cup pomegranate kernels
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp each salt and pepper
slice the brussels sprouts nice and thin
chop the paprika and artichoke heart. peel and cut the apple into quarters and slice them thinly
dry roast the pumpkin seeds in a frying pan until they start popping
remove the seeds and set aside. pour about 1 tsp of the olive oil in the pan and
sautee the sliced brussels sprouts just a couple of minutes. they should still be crunchy so don't overcook them.
put them in a suitable salad bowl. while they cool off i wanted to tell you about the photo on the wall behind me. that photo i took in 1975 at the foot of Bridalveil Falls in Yosemite national park. that summer i hiked the john muir trail. i was 6 weeks in the mountains and didn't even carry a tent. what a time it was.
the photo has only faded slightly after all these years...
add the paprika, artichoke, apple
and the cranberries, roasted pumpkin seeds and pomegranate.
man, what would i do without pomegranates. they weren't something i was familiar with growing up. i only really discovered them 20 years ago but i sure have made up for lost time. ever since then i have eaten more pomegranate than anybody i know. way more.
toss these all together
pour on the dressing and toss a little more
and we are good to go.
now that didn't take long so i still have a minute to tell you about the sweater i am wearing in all the photos. my mother knitted this sweater for my 25th birthday. i have used it all these years and now i am 67. truth be told i don't know who is showing more signs of wear, me or the the sweater. thankfully we are both still going strong, age considered. my mother passed last winter so this is my first christmas without her.
christmas sure does make me nostalgic. how about you? merry christmas to one and all.