The Salad Matrix
What pops into your mind's eye when you hear the word “salad”?
If you’re seeing lettuce, cucumber and tomato, then you’re not alone. Sadly the concept of a salad is too often reduced to just that.
Don’t get me wrong, sometimes lettuce, cucumber and tomato –– maybe with a few black olives and some pickled red onion — is exactly what's needed. But a salad can be so much more than that.
The Salad Matrix can help you break that boring stereotype
The purpose of the Salad Matrix is to help you completely redefine what a salad is and can be, and for you to be able to come up with an endless array of interesting, tasty vegetable elements for your home cooking.
Use all the elements of the Salad Matrix and you’ll end up with a complete meal. This can be a good idea if, say, you’re making a salad to bring to work on the road or anywhere away from home.
Of course, if you are using the salad in combination with other things like, hmmmm, a Meal Base then you wouldn’t need to add pulses to your salad.
ROAST, GRILL, FRY to add depth
There’s something I believe can’t be emphasised enough when it comes to salads, and that is: ROAST/GRILL/FRY or in any other way apply HEAT to one or two of the elements. For example, chucking carrots on the griddle pan, as I do in the video example just add this whole other dimension of flavour that makes the final result super tasty.
Toasted seeds, nuts or bread croutons for texture can also really make the whole thing pop.
GET CREATIVE!
I just want to urge you to go crazy creative and get your experimental hat on. Try adding fruits too. In the Salad Matrix that you can download in PDF format by clicking the link below, I’ve given you a few examples that include fruits as well.
Lastly, I just want to say: don’t be afraid of it not turning out exactly as tasty as you wanted it. I’ve had that happen countless times. It’s like learning how to ride a bicycle. You’re bound to fall off a bunch of times. Just get back on it and keep on riding. Before you know it, you’ll be able to come up with a great salad for any occasion with ease.