Dukan Diet

Memorial Day means the unofficial beginning of summer in the U.S., or as I like to think of it, the beginning of Salad Season!  I love those warm summer days when a big plate of salad seems like the perfect lunch, and I'm always looking for ideas for my next salad creation.  This Barely Blanched Broccoli and Cauliflower Salad with Red Bell Pepper, Radishes Red Onion, and Cashews was inspired by a salad I bookmarked years ago on a blog that's no longer posting.  I changed it quite a bit from the original salad and it took me a couple of tries to get it right, but I love all these ingredients and this final version of the salad is definitely a keeper.

(Today's pick for A Month of Daily Phase One Recipes is this delicious Napa Cabbage Asian Slaw.  I've made this for several Denny family parties, and it's always been a hit!)

When I spotted this crunchy Napa Cabbage Asian Slaw recipe in The Sunset Cookbook, I knew I had Napa cabbage in the fridge, so I immediately started checking to see if I had the other ingredients.  I found sugar snap peas, radishes, green onions, sliced almonds, and all the dressing ingredients, but no cilantro.  It was cold outside and I didn't want to go to the store, so I thought I'd try making it without cilantro (gasp!) and all you cilantro-adverse people out there will be happy to hear that the salad was fantastic even without it.  Of course, cilantro lover that I am, I'd definitely add the cilantro if I had some on hand!