Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette & Field Roast

Wow, it's been almost a month since I've posted. I've been doing some traveling for work and pleasure and staying extremely busy! Wanted to share a recipe for an amazing, quick homemade vinaigrette salad dressing that I make on the reg, and also review one of my favorite new faux-meat products - Field Roast!

The inner carnivore in me is always looking for hearty, delicious things to chew on that satisfy my protein cravings and make me wonder, with all the amazing products out there, why I took so long to stop eating meat! Many vegetarians don't take well to the fake meat replacements, and I guess its fair to say that some of the products out there tend to be rubbery and un-appetizing.

Fortunately, I have found a few that I really like. I discovered Field Roast at my local Whole Foods and decided to give it a shot. I bought the 'quarter loaf' retail item in Lentil Sage and was excited to read the nutritional panel. It is VERY low fat, with only 1.5 grams per serving (zero saturated or trans fats) and it packs a whopping 16 grams of protein into each serving. It is also relatively low in sodium, which is something I've been paying a lot of attention to lately. And the suggested serving size is pretty on point, certainly enough to add to a salad or sandwich and fill you up properly. I've made salads with it several times now, and to me it is the perfect vegan lunch - a big, hearty salad that leaves me full and happy with no carbs. I haven't tried the other flavor varieties, but the lentil sage loaf is flippin' incredible! I've alos heard excellent things about their vegan sausages, but trust me, the Field Roast loaves are dynamite!

The vinaigrette is simple, easy and always satisfying. A little goes a long way and I love the way it coats the lettuce lightly, unlike a lot of store bought dressings. Although it can be made in bulk ahead of time, I generally make it just for me everyday so that it comes out a bit different every time, making it a tad more spicy or sweet depending on what I'm feelin' at salad time...

Here's the recipe:

Equal parts extra virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar - about 1/2 tbsp each.
2-3 tsp brown or dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
a few drops balsamic vinegar
cayenne pepper
fresh ground black pepper

Put the oil, apple cider and balsamic vinegar, mustard, and honey together in a small bowl. Add a few pinches of cayenne on top and grind some black pepper on as well. Mix well so that it emulsifies, and that's it. I love using different mustards, as they really change the flavor. I have an aioli garlic mustard that works great, or sometimes spicy brown is the way to go. Some days I add lots of cayenne which gives it a nice kick, or you can add more honey/less mustard for a sweeter vibe.

When using the Field Roast, I like to keep the salad fairly simple because I love it's flavor. Here's how this one went down...

organic baby greens
about 2 oz. of Field Roast, sliced and cubed
1/4 cup raw walnuts, crushed
1 jarred roasted red pepper, drained and diced
vinaigrette

The Field Roast and walnuts go really well together, and with the dressing and a bit of roasted red pepper tossed in, its a hit. I make this almost daily, and I urge you to get inspired and creative with the salad fixins and make it happen! Would love to hear if anyone has suggestions for other uses of Field Roast...