Cranberry Zucchini Salad

I've read a ton of blogs, a ton of websites, and a ton of recipes in my search of healthy food for my family. I'm particularly interested in the Paleo way of life, primarily because the focus is on whole, healthy foods - most of which I'm not allergic to.

I think a lot of people assume that just because something is labeled "paleo" you can eat as much as you want with abandon and still be healthy. There is so much more that goes into it than that. The primary focus of paleo is two-fold, but I think too often people get caught up on only one side. First, you want to eliminate processed foods, dairy and grains. Getting rid of the processed, chemical filled foods is very important. But the foods you replace it with is probably even more important.

If your diet is laden with paleo desserts, steak and bacon - even these things are all paleo approved - you're not going to see results. The main component of a paleo diet should be vegetables, followed by fruits, lean protein and healthy fats. I will be the first to admit I do not eat as many vegetables as I probably "should." I do great with the fruit, lean protein and sticking to only healthy fats, but I need to do a better job of eating more veggies. The challenge for me is that I get bored with traditional vegetables (even if they're roasted, which is amazing, by the way).

I'm thinking of doing a Whole30. I'm still in contemplation mode, though. I remember how I felt trying to manage the carb flu not on a Whole30, and I'll be honest, the thought of feeling like crap for a couple of weeks terrifies me. In the meantime, my focus is simply including more vegetables.

Last night I was making flaky chicken tenders. My focus is usually on the main dish, with sides as an afterthought. Since there was no vegetables in the main dish I needed to add something. Salad is a really good way to get your veggies in. I'm not a big salad fan, though. I don't care for lettuce (call me weird). I was digging around for some recipes yesterday and knew I wanted to use zucchini or broccoli (since that was what I had in the refrigerator). I just wasn't finding anything that was doing it for me. I don't know how I thought of it, but a zucchini salad sounded really tasty. Keeping it simple was the best strategy.

I sliced up the zucchini with the mandolin and then just stared at it, trying to decide what to do next. I thought a sweet and tangy dressing would work. Oh, cranberries go good with sweet and tangy. Mmkay, needs some crunch. Sunflower seeds! Including the slicing it came together really fast. I made it first before proceeding with the rest of the dinner, so it had marinated wonderfully by the time dinner was served. I recommend you do the same, because it was fairly bland when I first tossed it. Make it about an hour ahead of when you plan to serve it, but not much more, as you don't want the zucchini getting too mushy. If you don't have a mandolin you can use the large holes of a cheese grater to shred the zucchini or, if you're feeling really ambitious, julienne by hand.

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini
1 heaping spoonfull date paste (about 1 1/2 T.)
1 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. light extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp onion powder
Sea salt & ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup dried cranberries (low- or no-sugar added)
2 T. raw, unsalted sunflower seeds

Directions:
Julienne or shred zucchini and put in a large mixing bowl.

In a small mixing bowl, combine date paste with about half of the vinegar and olive oil, then sprinkle seasonings. Whisk well. Add more of the vinegar and oil (trying to keep ratios even) until sauce is still thick but pourable. You may need slightly more or less of the vinegar/oil mixture.

Pour sauce over zucchini and toss with a wooden spoon. Add cranberries and sunflower seeds, tossing again to combine. Cover and refrigerate for about an hour. Toss well before serving.