I visited my mother in Hong Kong around this time last year. Despite the fact that she’s older, her life was busier. On top of her packed routine activities, she had a pair of new twin granddaughters to take care of. For those few weeks, I witnessed her flying through her days with non-stop tasks that involved both physical and mental abilities. I remember when I had my first child, the first couple weeks were totally zombifying. The inexperience was one thing, but the physical level it requires to be a new mom was immeasurable. My mom surely had the experience, but she’s in her 60s, she still looked energetic. Very energetic, like she already has two babies attaching to her body, and she’s ready to help out the house building across the street!

How does she do that? She eats red rice. Every morning she cooks herself a bowl of red rice, and eats it with black beans, oatmeal and raisins for breakfast. It gives her energy and helps her bowel movement. I promised her I would have the same breakfast back home.

Except I didn’t keep on doing it for a very long time. Chaotic mornings are not a very good excuse, I know. But anyway…

More than often, I looked at that big box of red rice I had bought a few days after I came back from Hong Kong, and I would only think about my mom and wonder how to use it. Besides red rice, nuts and avocado are also my mom’s favourite power food. And it inspired me to come up with this super power salad. I top a big bed of vegetables with all these power ingredients that my mom loves – red rice, cashews, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries and avocado, and serve it with some ginger peanut sauce. This salad has all the flavours and textures that everyone loves. Crispy vegetables, crunchy nuts, tangy dried cranberries, buttery avocado, creamy dressing…So irresistible and unforgettable, and most important, truly healthful!

I’ve been having this super power salad a couple times every week. For lunch or dinner. And the crave is still here! I just love eating it! And every time I am eating it, I am thinking about my mom. That short period of my super power salad time is the time I am connecting with her. Totally enjoying it!

Ingredients (serves 2):
Ginger Peanut Sauce
3 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons water
Salad
4 cups washed and cut lettuce (red, green, butter or romaine)
2 cups baby spinach
1 cup cooked rice (red, brown or any long grain rice)
1/2 cup roasted cashews
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1 avocado

Directions:
To prepare dressing, warm peanut butter and honey in microwave for 10 to 15 seconds until peanut butter is thinned. Whisk in other dressing ingredients. Set aside.
Mix lettuce and spinach. Place vegetables on the bottom of a large salad bowl.
Scatter rice, cashews, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries on top.
Cut avocado in cubes and put it on the salad.
Drizzle dressing on top and serve.