Salad Wraps for Summer

When Chef Jeannette sent me this recipe, she added a note: “Jonny, this is addictive. No kidding.” I was skeptical. Miso paste? Green onions? Not exactly the ingredients I’d associate with “addictive,” a term I prefer to reserve for, say, Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia ice cream or flan. I thought she had to be kidding.

Turns out, she wasn’t. This is truly a killer recipe on a lot of levels. It’s a nutritional powerhouse, featuring wild salmon-my favorite source of omega-3 fats-accompanied by antioxidant- and enzyme-rich raw apple cider vinegar plus a refreshing splash of citrus and ginger. It’s summery because it’s cool, light, and wrapped in lettuce.

The recipe makes two light servings or a hearty lunch for one. Or you could double the recipe for a cool dinner for two on a hot summer night. It’s also the perfect light meal for when you just want “something” but don’t want to be too full-just the thing to start off a romantic summer evening out on the town.

Summery Miso Salmon Salad Wraps
Serves 2

This delicious “mix-and-eat” summer dish requires virtually no prep time. Just open a can of salmon, add a few magical ingredients, toss them together, and enjoy!

1 Tbs. raw apple cider vinegar

2 Tbs. mellow white miso paste

Juice of ½ small orange

Juice of ½ small lemon

1-inch knob peeled ginger root, chopped

2 green onions, greens only, chopped

1 4-oz. can wild Alaskan salmon, skin and bones removed

1 cup loosely packed mild sprouts

1 carrot, grated

½ avocado, chopped

4 large romaine leaves

6 sun gold cherry tomatoes, halved

1. Combine vinegar, miso, orange juice, lemon juice, ginger, and onion in wide-mouthed cup, and blend until smooth with immersion blender. (If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a mini-blender, or mince the ginger and onion and whisk all ingredients together thoroughly by hand.) Set aside.
2. Put salmon, sprouts, and carrot in medium bowl. Add vinegar mixture, and combine thoroughly with a fork.
3. Fold in avocado, and divide salad evenly among lettuce leaves. Top with tomatoes, and serve.

PER SERVING: 236 cal; 21g pro; 9g total fat (1g sat fat); 24g carb; 34mg chol; 776mg sod; 9g fiber; 10g sugars

Notes fromChef Jeannette: This dish works well with romaine, but you can use any large-leaf lettuce. Serve the wraps open-face or roll them up like cigars and arrange on a serving plate, seam side down. Alternatively, you can serve them “stuffie-style” in hollowed-out red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, cucumber “boats,” or tomatoes (melon-ballers work beautifully for scooping out veggie “bowls”).

Jeannette Bessinger, CHHC, is a certified holistic health counselor and recipe developer. Jonny Bowden, PhD, CNS, is a nationally known health, nutrition, and weight-loss expert. Bessinger and Bowden have collaborated on numerous cookbooks, including their newest, The 150 Healthiest Slow Cooker Recipes. Visit them online at thecleanfoodcoach.com and jonnybowden.com.