East Meets Southwest: Kale And Brussels Sprouts Salad With Cilantro Mint Vinaigrette
Angeleno cooking seems to be all about mash-ups these days. It's hard to turn a corner without seeing some sort of Korean taco or Filipino ube cupcake, upped with awesome local produce and Cali fusion flare. Exhibit A is an awesome little restaurant I discovered last week in Downtown L.A. called Badmaash. (The restaurant has been open for a little over a year now, but I went for my first visit during Dine LA.'s Restaurant Week. Quick slacking, Simmons!)
Badmaash serves both updated and traditional Indian food in an ultra-hip-yet-laid-back modern gastropub setting. There are things like Punjabi pork belly and chicken tikka poutine on offer, but they also do traditional dishes too, like chaat, baingan bharta, and a ridiculously delicious version of saag paneer made with freshly chopped spinach and the fluffiest paneer you've ever tasted.
The thing that's great about Baadmash and other modern Cali fusion spots like A-Frame and Escala is that they also really pay attention to freshness and quality produce. No one is claiming they're "authentic." It's just good, fun food with some international flare.
And to be honest, that's how I like to cook at home. I travel a lot, and love taking those international influences and bringing them into the kitchen so I tap into those sense memories when I'm not on the road. The quick little salad I whipped up did just that.
The flavors I used are a little bit Indian, a little bit Mexican, and a whole lot of California. (Admittedly I haven't been to India yet, but it's at the tip top of my travel bucket list and gosh darn it, I will get there within the next year. Gotta manifest that!)
As a typical California kale nut, I'd usually opt for that as my greens, but I discovered a new addition to TJ's salad aisle called Cruciferous Crunch, which is made up of kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and green and red cabbage. It's pretty darn tasty!
This salad is even better if you allow it to sit in the fridge for an hour or so because the acid breaks down the cruciferous veggies making them less fibrous, but you can also eat it right away if you're feelin' hangry.
Here's how it's done:
Ingredients:
*serves 4 as a side, 2 as a meal
3 cups shredded greens (I used TJ's Cruciferous Crunch mix)
1 can organic black beans
1 cup crumbled cotija cheese (you can use feta if cotija isn't available)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, cut into cubes
2 tbsp mint cilantro chutney (I used Mirch Masala)
4 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, juiced
Method:
Whisk together lemon juice, chutney, and olive oil in a small mixing bowl and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, add in greens, beans, cheese, and tomatoes. Pour in dressing and toss, then add avocado. Toss making sure not to bruise the poor avo, then serve.