Lasang Pinoy: Going Green

Salmon Caesar Salad at Oliver's

One of my biggest regret is not learning to love eating vegetables. I was very picky with food when I was a kid that my father overdosed me with vitamins, milk and whatever food I showed interest in. Whenever my mother cooked laswa (a soupy mixture of squash, stringbeans, eggplant, ampalaya, okra, saluyot and malunggay), I would become little miss drama queen, run to lolo's sari-sari store and point at Spam or Libby's corned beef at the shelf. I was probably the reason why the store went bankrupt.

Through the years, I've been trying to eat vegetables but old habits die hard. I still can't swallow vegetables in laswa but I learned to love green salads. One food that research has shown most highly associated with longevity is leafy greens. The added health benefits of green salads are that they are raw. I've read articles about how raw vegetable consumption is our strongest defense against cancer than any other foods.

For going green, try this Pomelo Shrimp Salad with vinaigrette dressing. Simple and easy to prepare---just toss in fresh lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, turnips, onions, radish, pomelo, cooked shrimps, crab meat, a twist of lemon and the dressing. You can also throw in some crushed cashew nuts for additional crunch.

More green ideas at spiCes.