I know what you're thinking: "Another simple side dish? Another post that centers around celery?
Come on, lady. We're looking for a culinary creativity. Vegetarian masterpiece. Not Cooking 101 with the world's most stringy vegetable."
Trust me. I hear ya.
But sometimes, the days get so busy that you only find time for a simple veggie dish to round out your day.
Tomorrow I'll bring you Artichoke Lasagna. So give me a pass on today, and let's talk celery and walnuts.
I made this salad last night, knowing that today wouldn't provide time for dinner-cooking. I ate so much out of the serving bowl last night, you probably could have counted it as my fourth meal. Bonus: It takes 10 minutes to prepare.
Celery isn't often prized as the centerpiece of a delicious dish. More often it plays the role of supporting actor. However, in this awesome dish, celery is paired with a full cup of toasted walnuts, a little salt n' pepper, and some grated Parmesan for a powerful flavor punch (the non-violent kind).
Wow. Fourth meal.
Pair this guy with any number of main course dishes. Or, play me for the evening and eat a massive bowl for dinner while you pre-cook lasagna noodles. I think I ate my weight in toasted walnuts.
Totally worth it. Fourth meal rocks.
Celery, Walnut & Parmesan Salad
(recipe courtesy of Cooking Light)
This side dish is so flavorful and filling--toasted walnuts give it the protein needed to bump it up to a filling "supporting actor" role. Don't forget to TOAST the walnuts. Absolutely necessary.
Ingredients:
- 5 ribs of celery, thinly sliced (about 3 - 4 cups)
- 1 cup of chopped walnuts, toasted
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Ground pepper to taste (we used A LOT!)
- Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Super Simple: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Stir, eat, enjoy. Repeat.
I can see the celery being a fantastic contrast to the nuts and cheese.
ReplyDeleteAmen to 4th meal. My 4th meal as of late has been a potpourri of toasted bread, pumpkin/cran apple butter and cream cheese or peanut butter. It's how we do.
I'm not big on celery solo, so I never really know what to do when I've got a bunch left over from making a soup or something. This sounds like a good problem solver!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your artichoke lasagna! :)
Toasting nuts makes such a difference! I love celery, and so I don't mind these recipes. I imagine that the nuts added a wonderful crunch to the dish. Thank you for sharing, and I'm also looking forward to that artichoke lasagna.
ReplyDeleteoh I think that looks great! Ha, I always end up loving the side dishes more than the entree so keep 'em coming!
ReplyDeleteI have a corn and celery scallop recipe that i need to bring out of moth balls. thanks for reminding me :)
ReplyDeleteSee I think side dishes are just important as the main dish -- and I like this one because it is simple!
ReplyDeleteThe nuts and cheese sound delicious--celery is a veggie I'm still struggling to like. But my life goal is to like (and make) everything, so I'll have to work on it.
ReplyDeleteIm not a huge celery fan, but if it takes on another flavor I can deal with it. I actually love it in soup, so maybe I dont like it raw. I dont know lol This is super simple though and would be such a perfect side dish for a picnic!
ReplyDeleteI love love love celery {is that weird?}. Another good one is to top it with basil and mozzarella cheese.
ReplyDeleteTrust me.