Wednesday, August 06, 2014

Salad Samurai
Review and Giveaway

We eat lots of salads at our house, especially in the summertime. And while most people think of salad as a rather uninspired dish to be served "on the side," (or worse, as a chilled vehicle for consuming tuna, chicken, shrimp, or eggs), the artfully crafted plant-based culinary creations you'll find in Salad Samurai: 100 Cutting-Edge, Ultra-Hearty, Easy-To-Make Salads You Don't Have To Be Vegan To Love will lay any such notions to rest. Made with a variety of vibrantly delicious whole-food ingredients, sumptuous dressings, and a cornucopia of tasty toppings, award-winning chef Terry Hope Romero elevates the art of salad making to soaring heights of satiety and yum. No longer will salads be relegated to the lowly side dish. Within the pages of Salad Samurai you'll find entrée-sized salads that will satisfy your hunger for a meal that is healthy, hearty, and delicious.


When you get the book into your hot little hands, do take the time to savor the spectacular, full-color photos. Because I flipped through all 180 pages just before bedtime one night, I found myself dreaming about Terry's Tempeh Reubenesque Salad and her Bacon, Kale, Tomato Bowl. And while my photos may not do justice to the recipes, here is my rendition of the BKT. This luscious concoction of kale, avocado, red onions, tomatoes, Tempeh Bacon Bites, and Coconut Bacony Bits (recipes included in the book!) in a tangy maple-Dijon vinaigrette was extremely filling and made my taste buds very happy.


Tip: It doesn't hurt to make friends with the nice people working in the produce department at your local store. Case in point: I was asking one of the produce managers at my neighborhood supermarket if he would be willing to mark down some organic bananas that had brown spots on them, which he was happy to do. Just then, a co-worker walked by, overheard our conversation, and asked me if I would like some super sweet organic corn he was about to mark down to 3 for $1. (Yes, please! I'll take them all!) That was not only lucky, but serendipitous, because I was planning to make the recipe for Mexican Roasted Corn Salad with Avocado (aka Esquites) from Salad Samurai that very evening and just hadn't gotten around to picking out the corn yet!


I am crazy for super sweet, organic, fresh corn, and I could eat this twist on the classic Mexican dish, every day. (Given my fondness for Mexican food, art, and culture, I swear I must have lived in Mexico in a previous life.) A medley of avocados, cilantro, tomatoes, chilé pepper, and corn (still warm from roasting!), are bathed in a creamy, cashew-lime dressing. I'm pretty sure this must be what paradise tastes like. Make sure to scroll down, and grab the recipe, because it is that sensational!


The following recipe for Mexican Roasted Corn Salad with Avocado (Esquites) is from Salad Samurai by Terry Hope Romero ©2014. Reprinted with the kind permission of Da Capo Lifelong Books.

Serves: 3 to 4

Creamy Lime Dressing
½ cup unroasted cashews 
½ cup hot water 
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice 
1 teaspoon olive oil or coconut oil 
1 clove garlic, peeled 
2 teaspoons white (shiro) miso

Corn Salad
4 ears of corn, husks and corn silk removed 
Olive oil 
½ cup lightly packed, chopped fresh cilantro 
2 scallions, green part only, thinly sliced 
1 green or red jalapeño pepper, roasted or fresh, seeded and minced 
1 ripe avocado, diced 
1 big red ripe tomato, cored and diced 
2 teaspoons chili powder (preferably Mexican, such as ancho or chipotle) 
Lime wedges, for garnish
 
Make the dressing first. Soak the cashews in the hot water for 30 minutes, then pulse the cashews and soaking water in a blender until smooth. Add the remaining dressing ingredients, pulse until silky, then chill until ready to use.

Preheat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Rub the ears of corn with olive oil and grill each ear until the kernels are lightly charred, turning the cobs occasionally, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer them from the pan to a cutting board and cool just enough to handle. Use a sharp knife with a thin blade to slice the corn kernels from the cob; for best results (and to prevent kernels from taking flight), slice a few rows off an ear, lay it flat on the cutting board, then slice off the remaining corn. Always keep one side of the ear flat on the cutting board.

Transfer the corn to a big mixing bowl. Add the cilantro, scallions, and jalapeño. Drizzle on the dressing and toss to combine. Transfer the salad to serving dishes. Top each serving with diced avocado and tomato and sprinkle each serving with chili powder. Serve immediately with lime wedges for squeezing over the salad while the corn is still warm!

Want to be the master or mistress of your salad-making domain? Get your hands on a copy of Salad Samurai! Want to win your very own copy? Simply leave a comment below, and then follow the prompt in the Rafflecopter box.* After you leave your comment, you can earn additional entries by following any or all of the other Rafflecopter options. I'll be selecting one lucky winner at random. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 
*Sorry international friends. The giveaway is open only to readers with US postal addresses.
 Note: This post contains affiliate links. If the product is purchased by linking through this review, I receive a modest commission.

32 comments:

Jacky said...

I eat salad every single day, which is why I'm psyched about this book! Usually I use a simple dressing of olive oil, lemon juice, and salt, but I love any dressing with nuts such as cashews and of course any avocado dressing.

Marsha Browne said...

Marsha eats salads all during the spring and summer with farm fresh produce. But I also get cravings for fresh or warm winter salads. I love Terry's books and have them all. I would love to add this one particularly to my collection. YYYYUUUMMMM!!

Unknown said...

I haven't been very creative with salads. This would give me some awesome creations to share at work. I get a lot of comments about being vegan. I love making stuff and bringing it in to show them it's possible to eat amazing food without animal products. My favorite dressing is veganaise, almond milk, malt vinegar, and a little sweetener mixed together. I'm definitely trying the lime dressing though. I have a feeling that will be my new fave.

Marsha Browne said...

I love salads all during spring and summer with farm fresh produce. But I also love warm fall and winter salads as well. My favorite dressing is one of a great-tasting olive oil, lemon juice or a balsamic vinegar, pepper, and a touch of either Dijon mustard or grainy brown mustard.

Imber Lingard said...

I love salads and eat them nearly every day but I want some new inspiration!! My favourite dressing is lemon tahini!! This book looks so fresh and AMAZING!!!!

The Vegan said...

Surprisingly, although being vegan for 26 years, I don't eat salad very often. When I make salad I typically just chop up lettuce, tomato, bell pepper, celery, carrots, and add garbanzo beans and a balsamic vinaigrette.

Elizabeth said...

I make lots of salads, but rarely follow recipes. I have faith that this book would help me mend my lazy ways...

Unknown said...

Almost everyday!

Unknown said...

I eat salad probably every 2 or 3 days. I love homemade salad dressing. Favorite dressing is made with avocado, garlic, lime and cilantro with olive oil in a blender.

Joshua said...

For the first ten years of being a vegetarian, I used to reflexively eschew salads, but as of late have been trying to pump up my salad game. A book like this could be quite useful.

MonsterAteMy said...

Maybe a couple times a week? I wish it was more often. My current favorite dressing is the peanut dressing from the first Engine 2 book. Yum!

Janet said...

My favorite dressing is ranch. I try to have a salad at least 4x a week

sarahhhhhh said...

i use salsa as a dressing!

Rebecca said...

I eat salads off and on. Some weeks I'll eat one everyday sometimes twice while other times I won't eat them at all. I'm having salads a few times a week currently.. I love balsamic vinaigrette. So simple and delicious

Melissa said...

I go through phases of eating salads almost daily to going a week without one. My favorite dressing lately has been Annie's Organic Goddess Dressing… yum!

dayna said...

This would be a perfect cookbook for me on those nights when I really don't feel like turning on the stovetop... or the days when I'm scrambling to think of something to throw together for lunch. I usually only eat salads when I need to use up stuff in the fridge, or during the stove-less nights I mentioned above. As for a favorite dressing, I like tahini. I hope I win!

Karen said...

I need help in the salad creativity department. This book sounds like the perfect one to do the job!

Faith said...

I eat salads every chance I get. Love them. My favourite dressing is whatever I concoct with what's in my fridge and cupboard--sometimes they come out less than stellar, but sometimes they're fantastic. And it's fun to experiment.

Vanessa Man said...

I love salads, but I have to confess I am not very creative with them. It is hard to find a good salad at a restaurant too, most of them are so generic. My kids take a small salad to school every day and I try to include them on at least one of my meals every day, but it doesn't always happens. I would love this book to increase the possibilities and make salads interesting,

Mason said...

I typically have at least one salad every day! My favorite dressing right now is a deliciously creamy tahini-miso dressing!

Cat said...

We eat salad nearly every day. Truly, I think I'd buy this book just for the salad dressing recipes! I've learned that you can pretty much put anything in a salad, but the dressing is what MAKES it. And how clever it is to have a "theme" for the salad and marry it with the dressing. :-)

Julee said...

I eat salads everyday, but its just been lately that I've been starting to make my own dressings. This book sounds awesome for making different salad combinations and dressings! I can't wait to try the Creamy Lime Dressing and Corn Salad!!!

Unknown said...

I eat salad as much as I can. I love a good vinaigrette dressing!

Tofu Mom (AKA Tofu-n-Sprouts) said...

I LOVE salads, especially in the winter when produce seems boring - I love to add grains and beans and nuts to make them extra hearty.

Terri Cole said...

I eat salad most every day. I'm recipe testing for the lovely Somer at VedgedOut.com and her roasted red pepper dressing and pepita dressing are two of the best I've ever tasted. Once you have made a delicious, fresh salad dressing you'll never go back to store bought!

gaia at cinci dot rr dot com

Ashley said...

I love salads and often order them out, but I struggle with creativity when I make them at home. Winning this book would be awesome!

Patty T said...

This book looks very creative wioth salads. Can't wait to make the Mexican Roasted Corn Salad.

Healthy Organic & Cheap said...

I ate salad about 3 times a week, but they get quite boring and I am not very creative with them. My favorite dressing is a simple Italian.

sara said...

I love a good salad but I rarely have the creativity to make a really good one. I want to be more inspired to eat them more often.

The Peace Patch said...

We probably eat salads 3 or 4 times a week, more often in summer. My favorite dressing depends on the salad...I really love a simple vinaigrette, but tamari-based dressings are a fun changeup, apple juice and agave is a nice light fruity dressing and a spicy gingery dressing is my latest rave. :)

Melody said...

Once a week at least.

Unknown said...

I need to come here more often for more vegan recipes. I do like to eat meat but, I want to eat less of it. Instead of every meal, I am going to try to eat it maybe once a day. http://www.grettamoss.com/