KetoFLEX 12/3 Kitchen: Salad Days of Summer

Summer has its own kind of ease — longer days, fresher food, and meals that feel lighter without feeling less satisfying. These are the salad days, literally: colorful, carefree bowls filled with crisp greens, bright vegetables, and small touches of low-glycemic fruit. They’re also one of the simplest ways to make brain-healthy, high-polyphenol extra virgin olive oil part of your summer rhythm.

This month’s subscriber recipes include Watercress and Pink Grapefruit Salad and Modern Cantina Salad, along with our Sassy Strawberry Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette, shared below.

Food Safety Note: During the current Cyclospora outbreak, choose whole heads of lettuce from a known source, discard outer leaves, and wash thoroughly. Avoid recalled products and raw lettuce of unknown origin.

Sassy Strawberry Salad

Our Sassy Strawberry Salad screams summer with a sweet-yet-tart blend to remember. It’s as beautiful as it is delicious. Each bite is loaded with phytonutrients, healthy fats, and fiber to optimally support brain health. Enjoy as a side salad or as a standalone when paired with your favorite KetoFLEX 12/3 protein.

Yield: Two Servings

Tips: 

• If your blood glucose is still too high for fruit, substitute the strawberries with cherry tomatoes. 
• Add a sliced avocado with or instead of the berries for added healthy fat.
• If lectin-sensitive, use slivered, peeled, blanched almonds. 
• If sensitive to oxalates, avoid spinach in your mixed greens. 

Ingredients: 

• 7 cups mixed greens
• 1/2 cup strawberries, sliced thinly
• 1/4 small red onion, sliced thinly
• 2 tbsp slivered almonds
• 2 tbsp sheep’s milk feta, optional

Directions: 

1. Add 2 tbsp Champagne Vinaigrette (recipe below) to the bottom of a large bowl.
2. Place the mixed greens and sliced red onion on top of the vinaigrette and gently toss until evenly coated.
3. Divide the dressed salad evenly among two plates.
4. Artfully top with the sliced strawberries and almonds.
5. Sprinkle the feta, if desired.
6. Serve immediately and drizzle with additional Champagne Vinaigrette if desired.

Champagne Vinaigrette

This classic, yet elevated, vinaigrette pairs beautifully with almost any salad as it’s not too acidic, not too bold, and always delivers a clean, bright flavor to enhance the freshness and flavor of any vegetable without stealing the show.

Yield: 1/2 cup (8 tbsp)

Ingredients:

• 6 tbsp high polyphenol extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 2 tbsp champagne vinegar
• 3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• Pinch of pure stevia (such as SweetLeaf)

Directions: 

1. Combine all ingredients in a jar.
2. Shake until thoroughly blended.
3. Refrigerate until ready to use.
4. Ingredients will settle, so shake well before use.