Youth in a Bowl: Crunch this Anti-Aging Spring Salad
May 25, 2012 by Jolene
Filed under *Featured*, Beauty Foods, Eat Pretty: Recipes
Your body — and your skin — have been holding out all winter for fresh spring produce to arrive. Get your skin out of winter mode with this anti-aging salad, designed to show off spring’s bounty and give you a big boost of beauty nutrition. To thoroughly enjoy this beautifying meal, take a trip to a local market that carries fresh produce and shop for organic (the most nutrient-dense) veggie choices where you can. Picking out fresh ingredients by hand adds a whole new level of beauty to the experience.
Here’s what you need to know about the beauty foods in this amazing salad:
WATERCRESS has been shown to repair DNA damage (amazing, right?) in human trials in the US and Germany, and it has natural detox properties. MACHE is a natural plant source of inflammation-calming omega 3 fatty acids. Organic EGGS are packed with protein, one building block of healthy collagen. ASPARAGUS is a diuretic that reduces bloat and water retention, plus it boosts the body’s production of glutathione, a nutrient that can stop the action of some enzymes that break down collagen (and cause wrinkles!). PEAS are high in vitamin C (important for collagen production) and zinc (a beauty mineral that keeps skin, hair and nails healthy). And RADISHES contain the beauty minerals sulfur and silicon, and vitamin C — an incredible glowing skin combination.
Now for the recipe…
- 1 bunch watercress, tough stems removed
- 4 cups mache lettuce
- 8 spears asparagus
- ½ cup shelled English peas
- 2 hard-cooked organic eggs, peeled and chopped
- 4 radishes, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tsp mustard
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- Trim the tough ends from the asparagus and blanch in boiling water for about 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Chop into bite-sized pieces and set aside to cool.
- In a small bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, mustard and pepper. In a large salad bowl, toss the watercress, mache and peas with the dressing.
- Divide dressed salad mixture into two bowls. Top each with half the radishes, asparagus and chunks of hard-cooked egg.
Image: food-hub.org
