Thursday, April 10, 2008

Rabbit food

I have this co-worker. Every time he talks about a restaurant, I ask, "Do they have anything for vegetarians?" and he says, "Well, yeah. They have salads."

I don't know who started the rumor that vegetarians/vegans only eat salad, but I wish it would stop.

Sometimes when I say I'm vegan, I can see the wheels turning in people's heads, imagining me night after night with a tiny plate of wilted iceberg, sad slivers of carrot and one fat wedge of hothouse tomato.

Bleh. I am not a hamster.

Don't get me wrong: I do enjoy a salad every now and then, but by no means are they my only source of sustenance. And the salads that I do eat are far from ordinary fare.

I eat inventive, fun salads with bright, vibrant flavors, like this kale salad, tossed with creamy avocado and chipotle dressing:

Kale salad

This yin-yang salad is another standard in my household, since the sweetness of beets and carrots go so well together. (And for some reason, I enjoy them both more when they're shredded. Maybe because they look more fancy?) I made this with a dressing of wasabi oil and rice vinegar.

Yin and yang salad

I was seduced by this jicama salad at Mijita, a casual cocina Mexicana owned by celeb chef Traci des Jardins in San Francisco. The pink grapefruit and avocado were an unexpected but perfect pair.

Jicama salad

Hardly your typical rabbit food.

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