Breakfast Salad

Ever since I read “Born To Run”, I’ve been making these salads for breakfast.  Mind you, that isn’t what the book was about.  It was mostly about running long distances – but there was one paragraph (just a single paragraph) that covered the subject of “salad for breakfast”.  It mentioned that a salad for breakfast stays in your stomach if you run right after, and cells break down to provide hydration.  I’m not very hungry in the morning, and never having been a fan of the hearty egg-bacon-pancake-toast-kind-of-breakfast, I found this interesting enough to want to try it.  The “breakfast salad” is something we’ve done for years now.  Whenever anyone stays with us, I offer them a “breakfast salad”.  Several family members have now asked for my recipe which has led me to believe this is not only one of the few meals I’m capable of making, but something so great, it’s worth sharing:

Ingredients (see figure 1):

Here’s how I throw it all together:

Take a handful of spinach, dandelion (my favorite) and/or other loose, green leafy substance and plop it on your plate.  This is the bed upon which everything else will rest.  However, I believe it should go down first for reasons of aesthetics (not function) which I could explain further if you’re interested.  For now, I’d like to keep this post simple.

Get out your avocado – awesome, awesome avocado!  Cut it in half by circling the pit with your knife (see figure 2)

Then take the two halves and twist apart.  One side will have the pit, the other will not.  Put the pitted half in the fridge for future salads. Take the un-pitted half and cut that in half (see figure 3).

If you’re making salad for two, you can use one quarter for each salad.Now, slice your quarter avocado once down the middle lengthwise. Don’t press too hard or you’ll pierce the skin and stab yourself in the hand if you’re holding on to it (probably best to use a cutting board).  Then slice it the other way five or six times to make little avocado cubes (see figure 4 below).

Slide your thumb between the skin and avocado meat while holding it over your salad so the chunks fall onto your greens, but the skin stays in your hand.  Throw the skin away (or compost it).  You don’t want to eat that.

Get your orange pepper, the sweet variety, but you can use any kind (red, green, whatever) – you’re only going to use a quarter of it.  Chop it in half.  Then chop that half in half again.  Slice it how you want it (or see figure 5).

Remember to use your cutting board – it’ll save you a few fingers.Now for the fruit.  If it’s apple season, I’ll use half an apple cut into cubes and sprinkled on top.  Lately, I’ve been on a clementine trip.  I’ll take a whole clementine, peel it, and place the slices around the edges of the plate (see figure 6).  You know what else is great, though?  Big, red, sweet grapes!  I cut about 5 or 6 in half and drop them on top.Grab a handful of nuts.  That is what I said.  Cashews are our favorite.  But any nut will do.  Sprinkle on top.

Lastly, the cheese.  Whatever cheese you can break apart and sprinkle on top.  Our favorite has been feta cheese which crumbles between your fingers.  But chevre is also very good (though a little more work to break into pieces).