Hawaii to Morocco Spicy Power Salad

This is one of my favorite salads! Any time I can add dates to anything I tend to morph the flavors towards those from the far east. Another concoction of sweet, salty and pungent round out this tropical yet warming salad.

Avocado

The Hawaii to Morocco salad is particularly good for immunity and gut health with the digestive enzymes, anti-bacterial and anti-parasidic properties in papaya and papaya seeds as well as the same incredible benefits from garlic, which also includes vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium and zinc. The dietary fiber found in dates also helps with digestion and allows your body to absorb their high levels of vitamin A and K as well as copper, niacin, pantothenic acid and riboflavin. Protein rich with good, healthy fats from pecans, avocado and mushrooms, the Hawaii to Morocco Spicy Power Salad is a super tasty, fully balanced meal.

Papaya

Tip: With all H Lyfe Method recipes, if your local supermarket doesn’t carry a specific ingredient, chances are, you can order it on Amazon. Amazon is such a great resource if you’re a healthy eater. It surely is for me personally as their organic, non-GMO and vegan food assortment is out of this world and living in Hawaii, food is not only expensive but the shipping to get certain things here can be off the charts. If you sign up for Prime, you get free shipping and you never have to leave your house in search of that “obscure” ingredient.

Dates

Hawaii to Morocco Spicy Power Salad

Serves: 3-8 (Depending on if it’s a side or a main course!)
Prep Time: 15 minutes (mostly chopping time!)
Total: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
– Approximately 1lb of “soft” salad greens to include: butter lettuce, green and red oakleaf
– A few cups of arugula for a bit of spice and nutty flavor
– 1 papaya (non GMO)
– 1 avocado
– 1/2 red onion
– 6 baby porta bellow mushrooms (sautéed)
– 1/3 cup macadamia nuts or pecans (chopped)
– 1/2 cup pitted Medjool dates (chopped)
– 10-15 garlic cloves (oven roasted)
– Hemp seeds

Dressing:
– 1/3 cup olive oil
– Juice of 1 lemon
– Juice of an orange
– 1 tsp. garam masala (or cinnamon and nutmeg)
– 1 ½ Tbs. balsamic (apple cider or white) vinegar
– 1 tsp. garlic powder
– 1 Tbs. ground papaya seeds (optional)
– 1 Tbs. sea salt or to taste
– 1/2 tsp. black pepper or to taste
– 1 ½ Tbs. coconut sugar

Instructions:
1. Chop lettuce into small, bit size pieces and place in bowl
2. Roast garlic cloves in the oven for 10-15 minutes on 375 degrees
3. In a pan, sautee mushrooms in water or oil of your choice with sea salt and garlic until tender
4. Chop onion, papaya and avocado and place in the salad
5. Top salad with roasted garlic, sautéed mushrooms, pecans, dates and hemp seeds
6. Mix all salad dressing ingredients together with a whisk, pour on salad and toss!

Tip: I like to place the avocado and papaya on the top of the lettuce kind of in a circle around the perimeter of the bowl for presentation purposes. Use your creativity here. When food looks pretty, we eat it slower and savor it more.

Variation: Instead of the papaya, try adding roasted butternut squash or kabocha pumpkin for a “warmer” salad heading into fall.