Warm Mushroom Salad with Italian Dressing

Planting cold kisses everywhere, "I am here, I am here," calls out the winter air.
— Subhashini (@NeelaVanam) November 5, 2014

I read this tweet from my poet friend, Subhashini, this morning, and realised, winter is indeed tiptoeing into Bangalore. Even now, as I type this, I am craving for the comfort of a warm shawl around my shoulders and socks to cover my toes. While I would happily eat salads any night of the week. But when winter sets in, it salads don't quite feel like comfort food. 

Even Ayurveda says that the digestive enzymes are at a low ebb in winters, and it may not be the best idea to eat raw foods, as it gets tougher to digest and assimilate the nutrients in the body. And that's why, A WARM SALAD. It's also the perfect solution, when you want to eat a salad and you have no lettuce or other salad greens on hand. Go with any native Indian greens and they will flavour the salad with their quirky taste.

Here's my winter salad idea to warm up your cold evenings. This one, I've made with the stuff I had in my fridge and some greens from the garden. It's just an outline and the possibilities are plenty. Roasted pumpkin, sweet potato, cooked beans / lentils can all happily lend to the heartiness of this salad and the lemony Italian dressing gives it a freshness, that makes you want to lick the spoon. If you are someone who think healthy eating is boring, especially salads, this one is sure to change your perception.

If you would like to learn from me on making delicious and interesting salads, there's a ZESTY SALADS workshop scheduled for 15th Nov. You can check the details here. 

Check my video below to learn how to make a quick Italian dressing at home. It's so easy that you'll never buy a bottle of dressing again! 

Subscribe to Youtube.com/saffrontrail so you don't miss a single new video.

Warm Salad with Italian Dressing
Serves 1

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
6-8 button mushrooms, halved
1/2 small onion, sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped into bite sized pieces
handful of tender spinach leaves, roughly chopped
1/4 tsp of mixed dried herbs
handful of frozen green peas
handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
3 dried apricots, sliced

1-2 tbsp of Italian dressing  (video link)
6-7 almonds, toasted and sliced*

Directions
In a pan, lightly warm the olive oil. Add the garlic, and allow it to brown a little. This will give a lovely flavour to the salad.
Add the mushrooms, onion, red bell pepper and let them saute on low heat for 5 minutes. 
Next, add the frozen peas, spinach and saute until the spinach wilts, the green peas are thawed and somewhat cooked. Add the mixed herbs and toss.
Add the dried apricot bits, tomatoes, give it one toss and remove from flame.

Place this salad in a large bowl. Top with dressing and toss gently until coated well. Sprinkle a pinch of salt at this stage. Garnish with sliced almonds.

*To toast almonds, place whole almonds in the glass tray of the microwave and microwave on high for 90 seconds - 2 minutes, until they emit a nice toasted aroma. Cool for few minutes and then roughly chop or slice.

P.S.
Place this inside a hunk of crusty bread, a couple of slices of cheese and you have a delicious hearty sandwich ready.
I also crumble some paneer into the pan when the spinach is wilting. A vegetarian is always eager for some extra protein!

Introducing Saffron Trail Kitchen - Baking & Healthy Cooking Classes in Bangalore

There's news to share with you. Because here's where it all started. Over 7 years ago. Cooking, writing about it, sharing recipes and the love for food. Teaching how to cook would seem like a natural progression after soaking myself in cooking and baking for over a decade and yet somehow it's taken me this long to finally take the plunge into this joyous role of being a food teacher. I started with a few sessions for the women and kids in my residence complex and driven by their encouragement and suggestions, I've finally started Saffron Trail Kitchen. 

Last month, we had a most fulfilling session on Baking Basics with a crowd of most enthusiastic and fun girls. The baked goodies were tasted over cups of tea and coffee. And my first batch of students have been bombarding me with pics of their baked stuff on Whatsapp, that they've tried at home and it brings me so much joy.

The next class I've scheduled is on Salads. My friend, Nandini says, this class is right up my alley and I can't help but grin. Moving to Bangalore, growing some little herbs and greens on my terrace garden has been the inspiration for many a salad. Friends who've tasted my salads (pardon me if this sounds like gloating) have always had a good word to say about them. It's all about the combination of fresh ingredients, paired with dressings and some glamourous components and you have a wow-inducing salad. 

My salad class, called 'Zesty Salads' makes its debut this Saturday. I want to show you that salads are anything but boring, can make a whole meal and can be put together using absolutely any ingredients you have on hand. My recipe notes are typed out, ingredients' shopping list written down and orders placed. The rocket and the different kinds of lettuce are waiting to be plucked on the morning of the class, so that they are at their freshest best. 

This is a beautiful and exciting world I'm stepping into, where I can share my love for cooking, my knowledge of food and nutrition with those who share my passion. This blog which started off as a personal food diary slowly reached out to a food loving audience, over the years garnered a large readership, finally in its 8th year of existence, connects directly with the people who love to cook, face to face.

I'm planning to do repeat sessions of the salads class, because of the demand and it's sort of the need of the hour, to eat healthy, eat fresh and keep it exciting. The classes will be held at Whitefield, Bangalore. If you are interested in learning to make the most amazing salads, do mail me at saffrontrail AT gmail DOT com - so I can schedule the further classes. I do have a few other classes in mind, but so unlike me to let all the cats out of the bag at once, right?

Also mail me with your suggestions on what you'd like to learn from me, given that you know my style of cooking & baking, I'd be thrilled to hear from you.