Gaby
This salad brings together ingredients that support vision, brain function, and the immune, nervous, digestive, and cardiovascular systems.
Ingredients (for 4 servings): persimmons – 3; mandarins – 2; mozzarella – 240 g; pumpkin seeds – 1/2 cup; walnuts – 1/2 cup; cranberries – 3/4 cup; arugula or spinach – 2 handfuls; maple syrup – 2 tablespoons; cranberry or pomegranate juice – 1/4 cup; lemon juice – 1 tablespoon; balsamic vinegar – 1 tablespoon; olive oil – 1 tablespoon; ground black pepper – to taste; salt – to taste.
Toast the walnuts and pumpkin seeds in a skillet, drizzling them with maple syrup. Transfer them to a separate dish, season with salt, and let cool.
In a large bowl, combine the chopped persimmons, mandarin segments, greens, and cranberries (fresh or dried). Add the mozzarella and the nut-and-seed mixture. Toss to combine.
For the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar. Season with pepper and salt. Dress the salad and serve immediately.
Life Hack
Microwave unpeeled mandarins on high for 30 seconds to sweeten tarter fruit. That’s often enough to make under-ripe mandarins, oranges, or grapes taste sweeter. Or heat unpeeled mandarins in a 50°C (122°F) oven for 5 minutes, then plunge them into cold water. When shopping, pick heavier mandarins — they’re juicier — and look for a reddish hue to the skin. Sour mandarins usually look less vibrant and weigh less.
