For The Union-Tribune
Well, holiday indulging was fun, right? But now we’re in January, the annual period of vowing to eat less and eat healthy. That means focusing on everyone’s go-to healthy meal: salads.
I love a good salad. I love the crunch of lettuce, the sweetness of tomatoes — all the things we think of as conventional salad ingredients. But when it’s chilly outside, it can be hard to wrap your mind around conventional salads, those dishes we tend to turn to in summer when we need something refreshing that we don’t have to turn on the stove to make.
But how about winter salads? Now we’re talking about very different ingredients with bases that can range from whole grains to tubers and root vegetables, along with roasted winter squashes, beans, proteins like chicken or pork or tofu and tempeh. And, no we don’t avoid greens, but instead of lettuce, we can incorporate heartier kale or spinach or endive. We can add citrus for brightness or pears, apples or pomegranate seeds. And toasted nuts. Dress with your favorite vinaigrette and you have a meal that’s not just hearty, but also healthy.
I asked Jacqueline Gaistman, owner with sister Jeanette of Our Green Affair Café in Solana Beach, to give readers her approach to winter salads. We have two recipes of theirs, which share the same base and the same dressing but taste very different. That means that home cooks have a template for creating unique salads and face less prep.
Jacqueline Gaistman adds cherry tomatoes to the Sprout and Grain Salad With Chickpeas and Chorizo. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
The Gaistmans launched the original business in Pacific Beach in early 2020, just days before the COVID shutdown. They added another spot in Hillcrest. It was a response to Jeanette’s diagnosis with Crohn’s disease, which has since gone into remission. At the time, the family began to focus on clean eating but in a way that still served their love of food. They ended up shutting those locations down and, in April 2024, relaunched the business in Solana Beach as a cafe with a broader menu to appeal to more people. Gaistman explained that it’s for people who are little bit more inclined to eat clean food made in-house.
“In our previous business we had Our Green Affair minus the cafe and it was strictly salads and bowls and wraps,” said Jacqueline Gaistman. “Our Sprout and Grain Salad is actually one of our original salads and we decided to bring it back for the season because it’s really a meal. You’ll be nourished. You’ll be satisfied. And I promise you, this will keep you full.”
The salad has a Latin accent in its flavors — not surprising, since the family is originally from Mexico. There’s chorizo and black beans, jicama and cherry tomatoes, roasted corn, and crispy chickpeas roasted in olive oil, cumin, chili powder and salt and pepper. The base is a mixture of rice and quinoa, along with fresh spinach. There are also roasted broccoli florets and alfalfa sprouts, all mixed in “Mama’s Dijon Dressing.”
The dressing, said Gaistman, is a tribute to the sisters’ mom, Ana.
Roasted corn is scattered on a Sprout and Grain Salad. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
“It was just a little bit of an ode to her for everything she’s done for us,” said Gaistman. “It’s something we grew up eating. Everything tended to be made in the house so it’s nice to recreate it and share it with the rest of the world just as a little piece of home.”
Mama’s Dijon Dressing couldn’t be simpler — just Dijon mustard, white wine vinegar, agave nectar, a pinch of salt, ground black pepper and olive oil. As with all vinaigrettes, you mix together all the ingredients but the olive oil and then gradually whisk in the oil to emulsify it. The result is a tangy, creamy dressing.
Our Green Affair’s second salad, Snow Place Like Home, feels like the quintessential winter salad. It features butternut squash and cauliflower florets roasted with warm spices like paprika and turmeric, respectively. There’s chopped kale along with thinly shaved fresh Brussels sprouts, toasted slivered almonds and goat cheese. And there’s the rice and quinoa mixture. Mama’s Dijon Dressing is the chef’s kiss. The salad is hearty, full of warmth and dancing flavors.
Both salad recipes, said Gaistman, are really templates to follow. So, feel free to change things up. Instead of rice and quinoa, add wild rice, barley, farro, wheat berries, bulgur or others you enjoy. Incorporate other types of spices. Other vegetables.
“If you have something in your fridge, like fennel, you want to use, add it,” said Gaistman. “You can do it raw. You can do it cooked. It’s not like baking. You don’t have to follow a strict regimen to get the end result you really want. It’s very flexible. I just want to make sure you’re happy.”
Mama’s Dijon Dressing
Makes 1 1/2 cups
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons agave nectar
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
DIRECTIONS
1: Whisk together all ingredients except the olive oil.
2: Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking or blending constantly to emulsify and create a thick, creamy texture. Taste the dressing and add a pinch more salt or pepper if needed.
Kale and Brussels sprouts are enriched with roasted butternut squash and cauliflower, goat cheese and toasted almonds. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Snow Place Like Home Salad With Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts
Makes 4 to 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
For the vegetables:
2 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
Olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 to 1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper
2 1/2 cups cauliflower florets
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
For the greens:
5 cups loosely packed kale, chopped
Olive oil
Salt
20 to 30 Brussels sprouts, thinly shaved
5 cups of cooked rice and quinoa
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
5 tablespoons slivered almonds
1/2 cup Mama’s Dijon Dressing
The components for Snow Place Like Home Salad With Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts. Both salads begin with a cooked rice/quinoa blend as the base template and greens. Then, they diverge with savory toppings. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Thinly shaved Brussels sprouts. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Roasted butternut squash. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Roasted cauliflower with turmeric. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Toasted almonds. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Goat cheese, (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
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The components for Snow Place Like Home Salad With Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts. Both salads begin with a cooked rice/quinoa blend as the base template and greens. Then, they diverge with savory toppings. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
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DIRECTIONS
1: Roast the butternut squash and cauliflower: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place butternut squash cubes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle on garlic powder, salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven.
2: Place the cauliflower florets on a second baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle turmeric powder, salt and pepper. Toss until yellow. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes until tender and lightly browned.
3: Toast the almonds: Keep the oven on at 400 degrees. Spread almonds on a small baking sheet or piece of foil. Roast for 3 to 5 minutes. Shake the pan once. Check every minute after 3 minutes. Be vigilant so they don’t burn.
4: While the vegetables are roasting, place 5 cups of kale in a large serving bowl. Add a generous drizzle of olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Use your hands to rub and squeeze the kale for 30 to 60 seconds to soften it. Add the thinly sliced Brussels sprouts to the kale.
5: Assemble the salad: Place the cooked rice/quinoa blend over the greens. Add the warm roasted veggies. Sprinkle with goat cheese and slivered almonds. Drizzle 1/2 cup of Mama’s Dijon Dressing. Add more if needed. Toss well and serve.
Spinach gets a boost from chickpeas, broccoli, corn, chorizo, black beans, cherry tomatoes, jicama and alfalfa sprouts. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Sprout and Grain Salad With Roasted Chickpeas and Chorizo
Makes 4 to 6 servings
INGREDIENTS
1 can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and dried
Olive oil
Salt
Ground black pepper
Cumin to taste
Chili powder to taste
2 1/2 cups broccoli florets
2 1/2 cups corn (canned, thawed frozen or cut fresh)
1 1/4 cups (or 10 ounces) chorizo
2 1/2 cups black beans
2 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half or diced
1 1/4 cup jicama, peeled and diced into small cubes
5 cups cooked rice/quinoa blend
5 cups loosely packed spinach, washed and dried
5 handfuls alfalfa sprouts
Mama’s Dijon Dressing
Components for a Sprout and Grain Salad. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Crispy, roasted chickpeas. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Seasoned and roasted broccoli. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Roasted corn. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Sauteed and crumbled chorizo. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Black beans. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Jicama. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Cherry tomatoes. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Components for a Sprout and Grain Salad. (Hayne Palmour IV / For The San Diego Union-Tribune)
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DIRECTIONS
1: Roast the chickpeas: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss chickpeas with 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder. Spread on a baking sheet and roast 20 to 30 minutes, stirring halfway, until golden brown and crunchy. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Keep oven on.
2: Roast the broccoli: Spread broccoli florets on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and ground pepper. Toss to coat and roast about 10 to 15 minutes until brown. Remove from oven but keep oven on.
3: Roast the corn: Toss corn with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on baking sheet and roast for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly charred. Or turn off oven and cook in hot skillet on stove for 5 to 8 minutes.
4: Cook the chorizo: In a large skillet, sauté the chorizo, crumbling as it cooks. When browned, remove from heat, drain off most of the excess grease and set aside.
5: Assemble the salad: Place the cooked rice/quinoa blend into your bowl or serving platter. Layer the spinach, black beans, jicama and tomatoes over the grains. Add the broccoli, cooked chorizo and roasted corn. Top with the roasted chickpeas and alfalfa sprouts. Drizzle with the dressing. Toss before serving.