Super Salad (w/ Baked Tofu)

Super Salad (Raw or Unraw)

What you'll need:
Lettuce
Spinach
Cucumber
Carrot
Tomato
Kale (optional)
Alfalfa sprouts (optional)
Chopped raw nuts of your choice
Dried fruit of your choice
Your favorite dressing
-
1/2 block of firm or extra firm tofu, drained & cubed*
Balsamic vinegar*
Sesame oil*
Olive oil*
Soy sauce*
Pepper*
1 clove of garlic, minced*
Ginger (finely chopped root or powder)*

* For the unraw part: This is a recipe for baked tofu, which is a great addition to any salad, but it of course is not mandatory if you prefer to keep it raw. Add the following to your cubed tofu (probably in some sort of a bowl): 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of ginger, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil, and some pepper. Mix well, and then place on a baking sheet with foil. Bake on 350 for 20-30 minutes (stirring occasionally) either in a conventional oven or toaster oven.

For the salad: I like the begin with a base of equal parts spinach and lettuce. I usually just add everything to a large plate, so in essence what follows will be for one single salad. After that, I add about half of 1 small peeled cucumber, cubed into quarters. Next I add chopped carrots, about 5-8 baby carrots. Last of the vegetables, I add one whole diced tomato. Finally, I sprinkle however many chopped nuts and dried fruit I want; my favorites being cashews and almonds with dried cranberries. If you're going unraw, then now would be a good time to put your baked tofu on. And as for dressing, I am a fan of Bragg Ginger & Sesame, or any shiitake sesame vinaigrette.