Celery Salad with Oyster Mushroom and Nkatie Cake Recipe
I didn't eat meat this week. Scratch that. My husband and I didnt eat meat this week 😁. Well, our reason was to see how we both would feel physically if we abstained from chomping down on pork, beef and chicken and not forgetting fish. I think we were also in a place of 'hmmm 🤔' after watching 'What The Health' on Netflix. Also we are ICGC members and it's #SEM2017 so what better way to break with greens? How was it? TOUGH! More for my husband anyway 😆, on the third day he was literally screaming, 'WHERE'S THE MEAT? I NEED MEAT! 😫' Me: 😒.
Anyway, we did well from Day 1 switching between drinking vegetable soups to salads and a bit of rice and Friday we ended it with FISH! 😅 I tried hard to stay away from places where meats were being grilled, quietly averted my eyes from the butchers stand at the market and focused on the vegetable stands. I love greens, I can eat them all day but man needs some chicken breast 😬.
This salad is a new recipe I developed on the go for a late lunch break. I had gone to North Industrial Area earlier in the day when I spied a Farmers Market signboard and decided to go check out what they had in stock. The celery was actually reasonably priced so I grabbed that before my mind could change. Celery salad here I come.
The ingredients are very easy to get, aside the celery which you can get in the major supermarkets in the city. But you can totally switch the celery to maybe cauliflower or cucumber. You will just get a different taste. I bought 1 0.50p peanuts from the corner store for the nkatie cake flavour. Isn't it time I started making my own homemade roasted peanuts like my Mom used to make? YASS!
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 10minutes
Level: Easy
Serves: 2 adults
Ingredients
2 medium-sized tomatoes
1 stick of celery
1 lettuce bunch
1 red onion
handful of oyster mushrooms
2 sticks of carrots
1 mini-bag of 0.50p pealed peanuts
3 tablespoonful brown sugar
salt and pepper
Directions:
1. Wash all vegetables in salt water to kill any nefarious germs and drain in colander.
2. Wash mushrooms under running water. Soaking mushrooms in water is a no-no, the mushrooms will become soggy.
3. Slice up celery, onions and carrots into matchstick lengths.
4. Slice tomatoes into thin circles
5. Layer a glass bowl with the vegetables starting with the lettuce followed with carrots and onions.
6. Place a pan on fire and Saute mushrooms in olive or coconut oil for two minutes. Sprinkle a dash of salt on mushrooms.
7. Layer mushrooms on the salad.
8. Using the same pan and over medium-heat pour in sugar and stir until it caramelises into a light brown colour. Pour in peanuts and stir through till they bunch up nicely. This should be done in 4 minutes. A longer time will make the caramel taste bitter.
9. Layer the peanuts next.
10. Sprinkle on your vinaigrette of your choosing. You can make your own vinaigrette or use a store-bought one but you know me, right? Use this vinaigrette recipe I made for a cashew salad it works great too!
11. Sprinkle or Shower that salad with vinaigrette love 😍 and enjoy!
What can i tell you about the nkatie cake, celery and mushroom dance in my mouth? It was all twirls, crunches, flips and fantastic shaking going on...oh man! My tummy was rejoicing and singing! Nothing like making your own soul food I tell you! A perfect meal for eating light and healthy. My decision to use nkatie cake for a surprise crunch came quite late but a decision I didn't regret making at all :D.
