Green Goddess Salad

This salad is me in a nutshell right now for three reasons:

1) Spring! It's spring, right? We're getting close to it, anyways. The stacks of seed potatoes at Runnings are my key indicator there, even as a blizzard warning threatens North Dakota this evening. But spring makes me crave anything green, everything fresh - big salads included.

2) The flavors of New Mexico. Returning from vacation in the southwest, I left all the turquoise and silver jewelry in Santa Fe and instead stuffed my suitcase with chili powder, chocolate, and chile lime pistachios. After so many great New Mex meals, I'm even more obsessed than usual with all things avocado, cilantro and lime.

3) Being what you eat, namely, a green goddess. Staying with my dear friend Jenny in Albuquerque, she whipped up big goblets of green kale-cucumber-apple-celery-ginger juice to kick off our morning adventures while describing how Kris Carr has changed her food life for the better. Ever since, I've been noshing on lots o' veggies, and I don't think it's coincidental that I've been feeling pretty darn good too.

But you don't need a reason to make a great salad, nor do you need to embrace your inner green goddess. I just know that I'm always a little happier after enjoying a big bowl of the good stuff.

Green Goddess Salad
Adapted from Edible Santa Fe magazine, Spring 2014 issue

Salad
Romaine lettuce or a spring lettuce mix
1/2 lb. Brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise
1/4 c. walnut pieces
1 ripe pear, sliced
Shavings of Parmesan cheese

Dressing
Handful of cilantro
2 cloves garlic
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 and 1/2 tsp. honey
1/2 avocado
1/2 jalapeño
1/2 c. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Wash and dry lettuce and set on platter. Blanch Brussels sprouts for 2-3 mins in salted boiling water, then plunge into ice water bath to cool. Drain and set aside.

Toast walnuts for 8 mins. at 350 degrees until starting to brown. Remove, roughly chop and set aside.

Place all dressing ingredients except olive oil in a food processor and blend thoroughly. Slowly drizzle in oil while continuing to blend until smooth and creamy. Taste the dressing and add more lime or salt as needed.

Toss Brussels sprouts in some of the dressing to coat. Top dressed Brussels sprouts on lettuce, add more dressing to taste, and toss. Garnish with walnuts, pear and Parmesan and serve.