I can’t say there are many things that I truly miss in regards to food that I no longer choose to eat, things like dairy, gluten, soy, beans. Yeah many great things come from each of those ingredients but I miss things like the first snow fall in Belgium when I could see tire marks from my bike, or days in college when I’d wake up in my bed knowing my best friend was directly across the hall, and I miss my dog Rusty who was the first animal I truly loved and the one thing in this world that taught me the value of cuddling. Those things I miss, but I hold onto their memory.

Sure, I remember what it was stuff my face with a fresh wood-fired pizza and to devour the best Parmigiano di melanzane (eggplant parm) from Zaza’s a little restaurant on the corner of the palazzo in Italy. I think back to having freshly baked waffles with fresh cream and chocolate from the cart in the city center of Brussels. I have these memories too, but I don’t necessarily miss them. I know that I have already eaten some of the best foods of my life, and will continue to do so in all the various and new experiences I have. Everything in life is about you view it, not about the experience itself.

 

That being said I remember how Parmigiano tastes and how it feels in the mouth. So I decided, surely I can do something to recreate this, I mean I already mastered the equivalent of Boursin cheese with my herbed coconut cheese in my ebook Mind & Body Balancing. I know I can do this too.

So  I did. Introducing macadamia parm.

 

Most of the best salads I’ve ever eaten are wildly simple. When I think of utilizing fresh ingredients in combination with each other I really want each of them to stand out. That was my reasoning in coming up with this ridiculously simple shaved Brussels sprout salad.

Everything from the creamy saltines of the macadamia parm to the sweet bursts of red grapes and the sharp slightly pepper flavor of the parsley, this salad is a party on the palate. I see it being perfect to make and bring for lunch, or large parties since it’s so simple and something everyone will surely devour!

 

SHAVED BRUSSELS SPROUTS SALAD

Ingredients

4 cups shaved/shredded Brussels sprouts
1 cup raw unsalted macadamia nuts
1 cup chopped Italian parsley 1/2 cup red grapes (halved)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon real salt

Process

1. Wash and chop the ends of the Brussels sprouts. Add them whole to a food processor of blender and roughly shred them until into shaven pieces. Place in a bowl.
2. Chop the parsley and cut the grapes in half adding both into the bowl.
3. Add the macadamia nuts into the food processor or blender. Pulverize until they become tiny crumbs. Then add salt and pulse again until finely ground and add them to the salad.
4. I use  a single serving blender to blend the olive oil, garlic powder, and apple cider vinegar together for the dressing. Pour over the salad and mix together. Serve with a garnish of more macadamia parm and parsley.

 

ENJOY!

 

Xo,

Kari