It's week #4 of my 2018 challenge to try one new whole-food plant-based (WFPB) recipe each week. I recently came across this recipe on the Plants-Rule website by Chef Katie Simmons. I made some personal touches, based on the ingredients I had on hand.

What I like about this recipe (besides the fact that it's healthy):

• I love its bright, beautiful colors.

• Minimal mess - requires just one bowl.

• My kids liked it. (Score! Always a win if I can get my kids eating more veggies.)

• It's not overly sweet. I would describe it as lightly-sweet, crisp, and fresh tasting.

• Not only is it a great side for dinner, this cool dish can be conveniently packed in lunches too. It keeps well in the refrigerator through the week.

What I ended up using/doing:

Note: I rarely follow a recipe exactly, and I tend to make large batches. This is my (adapted) version. 

• Zest + juice of one large orange (I almost always include the zest when a recipe calls for the juice of a citrus fruit. Including the zest really enhances the citrus flavor.)

• Zest + juice of one lime

• 1 Tbsp poppy seeds

• I didn't have honey mustard on hand, so I ended up using 1 1/2 Tbsp yellow mustard and 1/2 Tbsp honey.

• Two apples, cut into bite-sized chunks (I used Honeycrisp variety.)

• One small head of red cabbage, shredded (This probably made about 4 cups of shredded cabbage.)

• Half of a 10-oz package of julienned carrots

• I seasoned mine (to taste) with a tiny bit of salt, a little black pepper, a decent amount of fresh parsley, and a scant sprinkling of garlic powder.

• Note: I didn't have flax meal on hand, so I didn't use it. But next time I plan to.

I basically added all of the above ingredients (in the order listed, mixing as I went) into a large plastic container with a lid.

We enjoyed it throughout the week.  

I hope you enjoy it too!

This post was originally published on January 22, 2018.