hearty & spicy winter salad

another day, another delicious salad for lunch!  this time with rye berries.  as it turns out, they’re pretty stinking good- for berries that aren’t filled with sweet juice. i like a lot of kick in a salad lately, so i went for the arugula and spicy balsamic combo. with the sweetness of the currants and roasted root veggies it was pretty much perfect! how-to below, if you’re curious.  

INGREDIENTS

celery root

carrot

parsnip

red onion

dried currants

rye berries

arugula

balsamic vinegar

olive oil

red pepper flakes

sea salt 

HOW TO

soak 1 cup of rinsed rye berries overnight, then drain and cook in rice cooker with 1 3/4 cups of water.

chop the celery root, parsnips, carrots and red onion into bite size pieces.  lightly coat in olive oil, sprinkle on a couple shakes of sea salt and roast at 350 degrees until soft.

for the dressing: mix olive oil, balsamic vinegar,red pepper flakes and sea salt, to taste. i prefer mine of the tangy side, so lots of vinegar and a fair amount of red pepper flakes. spicy!

pile the arugula onto a plate, a healthy spoonful of rye berries and an equal amount of roasted veggies. add a spoonful (or two!) of currants, balsamic vinaigrette and if you’re lucky, a hunk of crusty bread.

easy, delicious, satisfying even on a cold day. oh, and extra healthy to boot. hope you love!