Orange Miso Tahini Dressing + a Power Lunch Salad

Orange miso tahini dressing and a power lunch salad. A power house plant based meal in so many ways. Vegan + Gluten free.

I was going to let this week slip by without a post. Honestly, I haven’t been feeling very inspired lately. It’s kind of a meh time of year isn’t it? There isn’t really any produce in season, my body is craving something fresh and spring-like, but outside its grey and there is nothing fresh and local at the market to feed my warmer weather cravings. Its all sorta – confused. Not long now before new fruits and veg start sneaking in, and I supposed I won’t mind making a few more soups and stews before the weather warms up, but all this in between-ness had me feeling a little, well, in between.

Turns out I didn’t need to look much further than down to my own tupperware for any sort of inspiration. My lunch! This lunch! I have been eating the same thing, or a variation of it, for lunch everyday for months now.

I call this the Power Lunch Salad, not because I wear a tailored suit with pumps and talk on my blackberry while eating it, (far from it actually!) but because it is a power house meal in so many ways. A few minutes of prep and you can have your lunches sorted for the entire week. It’s the sort of lunch that is filling, yet doesn’t leave feeling heavy when you gotta get back to work.  And the dressing is what I love the most. With this miso tahini dressing you’ll have something healthy and delicious to look forward to after breakfast, I know that sure helps me get through the day. You too? K, good. Seriously guys, the list goes on. Its so damn good.

So you can have your fancy shoes and important conference calls, I’ll just be sitting here, in my moccasins and baking apron, digging into a big ol’ bowl of hippie goodness. Today and every lunch to come.


 THE POWER LUNCH SALAD

 If you can, use whatever vegetables are local and organic to where you are. The fresher the better and thats what makes this so ‘powerful.’ The grains are totally interchangeable, twice a week I’ll cook up a big batch; quinoa, millet, rice, spelt, wheat berries, lentils. Change it up so you don’t get bored.

 Ingredients below make 2 salads + some extra dressing. Adapt, double, half as needed. Dressing adapted from over here.

 Vegan & Gluten Free (grain dependent).

 

Ingredients

 Salad

1 cup cooked grains of choice (brown rice here)
1 large carrot, julienned, ribboned or shredded
1 cup red cabbage  thinly sliced
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas
1 avocado, halved and sliced
Greens or sprouts of choice
Toasted sesame seeds

Orange Miso Tahini Dressing

1/4 cup tahini
Juice of one large orange
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons light miso (shiro)
1 tablespoon honey
1 clove garlic
Water to thin, about 1/4 cup

Instructions

Prep your ingredients; cook your grains, chop, slice or shred your vegetables

Make the dressing: combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, adding water in tablespoons as you go until desired consistency. Taste and adjust as needed.

Arrange ingredients in a bowl and top with dressing

*For really easy lunch prep, make a big batch of grains at the beginning if the week. Chop/slice a bunch of veg and keep refrigerated in sealed containers. Make the dressing a keep in a jar in the fridge. Each morning, fill up your tupperware with rainbows! Add avocado, always.


Let me in on your kitchen creations – tag your photos #happyheartedkitchen and share the love!

9 Comments

  • Reply
    Cheri Savory Spoon
    March 1, 2014 at 3:56 am

    What a great lunch. I eat something very similar myself and I love the way it keeps me from getting that bogged down feeling in the afternoons.

    • Reply
      Jodi Kay
      March 2, 2014 at 4:22 pm

      Thanks Cheri! Salads like this are so great for a little afternoon energy :) J x

  • Reply
    Lea Ann (Cooking On The Ranch)
    March 1, 2014 at 10:36 pm

    Beautiful salad and perfect for that “meh” feeling. Avocados are perfect for any power lunch salad. And to funny about phone/heels/eating lunch. Sometimes I feel like I need to be doing that I’m so busy.

  • Reply
    Matthew @ The Lasik Method
    March 2, 2014 at 6:25 pm

    Sounds awakening!

  • Reply
    growntocook
    March 3, 2014 at 9:07 am

    You write just what I’ve been thinking myself – there’s so llittle coming from the garden right now (mostly kale) and I find myself repeating the same dishes over and over. Thank you for the inspiration, I’m sure my daughter will love it too as she prefers salads for school lunches to sandwiches.

    • Reply
      Jodi Kay
      March 4, 2014 at 6:18 am

      Thank you! I hope your daughter likes the salad! You could always throw some kale in there too ;) J x

  • Reply
    beachmama
    March 7, 2014 at 8:28 am

    Beautiful salad, beautiful images!

    I’ve been eating a salad nearly identical to yours this week (I use the shred disk on my Cuisinart) because I’ve been feeling a bit run down. I shred my veggies and toss with dressing. I added celery and cucumber. I’m feeling great now! BTWm, I found your photo on Pinterest which drew me to your blog. Glad I did : )

    • Reply
      Jodi Kay
      March 7, 2014 at 9:36 am

      Oh love the idea of using a shred disk, so efficient! Thank you! Celery would add some nice crunch too, glad you found me too :) J x

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