Day 142: Tropical Salad Supper ♥

Leftovers aside, when you eat the very same thing three nights out of four, it's gotta be good.

This is my new mainstay "it's too [nice...hot...busy...pick one or insert your own] to cook" supper.

• Night #1 featured pork tenderloin and mango. Delicious.
• Night #2 included leftover poached chicken and papaya. Wonderful.
• (To)night #3 was meatless with kiwi. Not as good but maybe the 3rd time isn't always the charm?

The citric tart in the vinaigrette does seem to mellow against against dense and somewhat fatty (even if lean) meat so a protein is recommended as are the creamier taste and texture of mangoes and papayas vs kiwi.

This salad is the first time I've ever eaten (to my knowledge) or cooked (certainly) Napa cabbage. All these years, and no Napa cabbage? Seems I'm making up for lost time.

Veggies for Kids
Night #2 was supper for a friend's young boys. Big salads with squishy avocado and strange fruit are hardly kids' fare (Plan B was peanut butter) but were nonetheless relished by both. Both boys liked the chicken and (especially) the currants, whose remnants got picked out of the serving bowl.

Both accepted the house rule, the one employed by my Mom on my sister and me AND our father: "You don't have to like it. You don't have to finish it. You do have to have a little taste."

• KID #1, an 8-year old finicky eater who also really liked the Napa cabbage: "Did I eat enough to qualify for dessert?" (With another few bites of chicken and red pepper, he did indeed.)
  
  
• KID #2, a five and 9/10 year old adventurous eater who also really liked the red pepper and papaya and started off liking avocado but changed his mind:Sounding slightly surprised: "I think this is a good supper."

TROPICAL SALAD SUPPER
Hands-on time: 8 minutes for the dressing, maybe 20 for the salad (depending on how many you're prepping for)
Time to table: about 30 minutes
Quantities below served 5 generously alongside meat

VINAIGRETTE
Zest from 1 lime (perhaps with a microplane?)
Juice from 3 limes (about 3 tablespoons, a task made easier with a citrus press)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil (reduced from the 8 specified in the recipe, 1 was too little, 2 was deliciously tart)

SALAD
1/2 cup currants
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 mangoes, chopped (or papayas or perhaps figs? or the recipe specified orange segments)
2 avocados, chopped
4 cups Napa cabbage, chopped
4 ounces baby spinach

Whisk together the dressing ingredients. (Can be done in advance.)

In a large bowl, combine the currants and chopped pepper. (Stop here if making in advance.) Stir in the remaining ingredients and combine. Mix as much dressing as desired into the salad and serve immediately.

NUTRITION ESTIMATE
With Avocado, Per Serving: 281 Cal (48% from Fat, 6% from Protein, 46% from Carb); 5 g Protein; 17 g Tot Fat; 2 g Sat Fat; 35 g Carb; 10 g Fiber; 79 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 314 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 6 points

Without Avocado, Per Serving: 166 Cal (29% from Fat, 7% from Protein, 64% from Carb); 3 g Protein; 6 g Tot Fat; 1 g Sat Fat; 29 g Carb; 5 g Fiber; 70 mg Calcium; 2 mg Iron; 308 mg Sodium; 0 mg Cholesterol, Weight Watchers 3 points


SOURCE
Adapted from Gourmet May 2003