Salads

It took me a couple of years to come to grips with the fact that lettuce is virtually unavailable.  That is, it's available for about 2 weeks in April, if you find the right vendor.  My American friend and I have an unspoken pact to buy lettuce for each other if ever we come across it.  Cabbage, on the other hand, is everywhere, and spinach and cucumbers can be found on most market days year-round.  So the past year or so, I've been experimenting with different ingredients, and salads are back on the menu!  Here are three of our favorites, in case you want to shake up your routine.

Spinach salad with lemon-garlic dressing

Toss spinach with chopped tomatoes, boiled eggs, toasted almonds, and thin-sliced red onions.  Avocados or bell peppers are a great addition.  Dress with the following (adapted from this site):

2 Tbsp lemon juice
4 Tbsp olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Cabbage Salad

Slice 1 small or 1/2 medium head of green cabbage as thinly as possible.  Add the following (approximately):
1 medium apple, chopped
1/2 to 1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup sliced or chopped almonds, toasted
1/4 cup craisins (or sub raisins)
1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Dressing:
1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp cider vinegar (or whatever you've got)
1 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp honey
generous sprinkle of coriander and black pepper

Tomato-Cucumber Salad

(from a cookbook put together by Americans living in South Asia)
4 medium tomatoes, diced
2 medium cucumbers, seeded and chopped
2 medium onions, sliced and separated into rings
1 bell pepper, thinly sliced (optional)

Dressing:  Pour over vegetable mixture and marinate 2 hours in fridge; drain before serving
1/4 c. oil
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tsp minced fresh cilantro