{"id":2446,"date":"2012-07-06T04:00:58","date_gmt":"2012-07-06T11:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theguycancook.com\/blog\/?p=2446"},"modified":"2012-07-06T07:18:29","modified_gmt":"2012-07-06T14:18:29","slug":"how-to-make-a-manly-salad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/theguycancook.com\/blog\/2012\/07\/06\/how-to-make-a-manly-salad\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Make a Manly Salad"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Salads are one of the weakest meals known to man.<\/strong><\/p>\n

They are too \u201cdainty.\u201d They are best used as a side to a heartier meal. And there\u2019s something simply, well, un-manly<\/em> about them.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s plenty good about them as well.<\/p>\n

Most salads are at least 90% Real Food. It\u2019s hard to fake all the fresh veggies and meat you find on even the salads you get from fast food joints.<\/p>\n

But still, there\u2019s something so\u2026 unsatisfying<\/em> about salads\u2026<\/p>\n

\u2026until now.<\/em><\/p>\n

Here I will reveal some secrets to making a salad that can stand on its own. A salad that is delicious to eat. One that takes very little time to prepare. And a salad that is 100% healthy.<\/p>\n

Behold, the Epic Salad.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why Guys Should Eat Salads<\/h2>\n

First and foremost, a salad done right is little more than fresh, unprocessed Real Food. Plants and animals. No weird \u201claboratory food\u201d.<\/p>\n

Also, salads are one of the easiest and fastest meals you can make.<\/p>\n

In fact, it\u2019s possible to make a tasty and healthy Epic Salad without having to touch a knife or turn on the oven.<\/p>\n

And for these reasons it is the perfect<\/em> summer meal.<\/p>\n

The Epic Salad is healthy, tasty, and easy to make.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Anatomy of an Epic Salad<\/h2>\n

Salads are in need of a serious PR makeover.<\/p>\n

For too long we have seen them as low-calorie diet food. They taste like cardboard and two hours after finishing one you are starving again.<\/p>\n

Hardly a manly meal.<\/em><\/p>\n

But it\u2019s time to forget all you thought you knew about salads. Here are the new rules.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A proper Epic Salad should contain the following components:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Greens<\/strong>\u2013The foundation (lettuce is the classic here).<\/li>\n
  2. Plants<\/strong>\u2013Raw veggies are the norm, but fruit, nuts, and even some cooked veggies are at home here.<\/li>\n
  3. Animals<\/strong>\u2013Cold meat is the obvious choice, but eggs and cheese fit the bill just as well.<\/li>\n
  4. Dressing<\/strong>\u2013This is where the flavor comes from, and where most salads go wrong (but more on that later).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Choose Your Own Adventure<\/em> Strategy<\/h2>\n

    Did you ever read Choose Your Own Adventure<\/em> books as a kid?<\/p>\n

    They\u2019re really great. You get to make up the story as it goes along based on the choices you make.<\/p>\n

    Epic Salads are the same way.<\/p>\n

    Unlike most recipes you\u2019ll find, salads can and should be improvised.<\/strong> You don\u2019t need to measure anything. You don\u2019t need to time anything. You don\u2019t even need any specific ingredients.<\/p>\n

    But I would make a couple of suggestions:
    \n<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Minimize ingredients.<\/strong><\/li>\n
    2. Make your dressing yourself.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      One of the big failings most guys make when they learn to cook is catching the \u201ceverything virus.\u201d<\/p>\n

      They think that their omelets have to be everything omelets. They think that their sandwiches have to be everything sandwiches\u2026 And they think their salads need to be everything salads.<\/p>\n

      But this needlessly complicates everything.<\/p>\n

      Adding a ton of ingredients is a crutch that people use when they are worried they can\u2019t cook. By adding all these flavors and textures, you are betting that one poorly-prepared ingredient won\u2019t ruin the dish\u2013but you also make it boring.<\/p>\n

      If you really want to make outstanding food, challenge yourself to use as few ingredients as possible.<\/strong><\/p>\n

      It will challenge you to find quality ingredients in the first place, and it will ensure that each time you make it that it will be unique.<\/p>\n

      And I\u2019ll explain later why I think it\u2019s crucial<\/em> to make your salad dressing yourself.<\/p>\n

      Step One: The Greens<\/h2>\n

      \"\"<\/p>\n

      An Epic Salad should have greens as its foundation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

      I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve had salad without greens before, and that\u2019s great. (Potato and macaroni \u201csalads\u201d don\u2019t count!)<\/p>\n

      But greens are such a great addition to any diet that it would be a shame to leave them out of the dish that they were born to be in.<\/p>\n

      Many types of greens will do the trick here. Lettuce is the classic, with green leaf, red leaf, and romaine leading the pack. (Just do yourself a favor and avoid iceberg lettuce. Yes, it\u2019s cheap, but you\u2019re essentially paying for flavorless crunchy water.)<\/p>\n

      You can also go the fancy-pants route and get things like field greens, spinach, and arugula.<\/p>\n

      The greens you want to avoid are dark ones such as kale and collards. These bitter greens require cooking before they are really edible. And that kinda defeats the purpose of having a quick salad!<\/p>\n

      I should also add here that prepackaged washed greens get the TGCC Seal of Approval. You end up spending a bit more money than if you\u2019d by the greens in bulk and prepared them yourself, but the quality of bagged greens these days is generally pretty good.<\/p>\n

      But if you want to save a little cash, here\u2019s how you can prepare the greens yourself.<\/p>\n

      First, fill up the kitchen sink with water. (Make sure it\u2019s clean!)<\/p>\n

      Then, lay out a towel. Fold it if necessary for space. You can use hand towels or paper towels as well. You just want to make sure you have enough to absorb all the water from the lettuce.<\/p>\n

      \"\"<\/p>\n

      Tear the leaves off the head of lettuce and throw them in the sink. Shake the leaves underwater for a few seconds to get rid of any dirt.<\/p>\n

      \"\"<\/p>\n

      Now take the leaves out of the sink, tear them up into bite-size pieces, and spread out in a thin layer on the towel.<\/p>\n

      \"\"<\/p>\n

      Then roll the towel up tightly and squeeze to get out the last of the moisture.<\/p>\n

      \"\"<\/p>\n

      If you are going to use all the lettuce in a couple days, you can just keep the towel roll in the fridge, taking out leaves as you need them.<\/p>\n

      It\u2019s a pretty weird technique, but I\u2019ve found it to be the fastest way to prep lettuce when I\u2019m eating lots of salad.<\/p>\n

      Step Two: The Plants<\/h2>\n

      \"\"<\/p>\n

      While greens are the foundation of any good Epic Salad, the other plants you add really give it personality.<\/strong><\/p>\n

      With all the different tastes, textures, and colors in the plant kingdom, you\u2019re sure to find something that you\u2019ll enjoy.<\/p>\n

      The most obvious choices for salads are the veggies you can eat raw. Salads are inherently good summer meals and anything you can do to keep prep easy is optimal.<\/p>\n

      Here\u2019s some good additions:<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Tomatoes<\/li>\n
      • Sliced Onion<\/li>\n
      • Radishes<\/li>\n
      • Avocado<\/li>\n
      • Carrots<\/li>\n
      • Cucumbers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        This isn\u2019t to say that your veggies MUST be raw. Leftovers can work here as well:<\/p>\n

          \n
        • Green beans<\/li>\n
        • Asparagus<\/li>\n
        • Pea pods<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Additionally, fruit and nuts are good additions that are often neglected:<\/p>\n

            \n
          • Apples<\/li>\n
          • Tangerines<\/li>\n
          • Dried cranberries<\/li>\n
          • Walnuts<\/li>\n
          • Cashews<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Like bagged lettuce, there\u2019s a pretty good selection of cut-up fresh veggies at most supermarkets. These are generally pretty good, so feel free to use them if you\u2019d like. Nuts and dried fruit are likewise ready to go out of the package.<\/p>\n

            But don\u2019t think you\u2019re stuck with the stuff that\u2019s already prepared. A few basic knife skills such as peeling and slicing will ensure that you can throw any veggie you can find into your salads.<\/p>\n

            The possibilities for fruits, veggies, and nuts in your Epic Salad are virtually endless. Stick with just a couple selections and you\u2019ll have a unique and tasty meal every time.<\/strong><\/p>\n

            Step Three: The Animals<\/h2>\n

            \"\"<\/p>\n

            Don\u2019t get me wrong, fruits and veggies are great. But you can rarely make a full meal out of them.<\/strong><\/p>\n

            That\u2019s where the animals come in.<\/em><\/p>\n