Reasons why you must absolutely make this salad for your honey on Valentine's Day (what you didn't learn in sex ed) and why you must not let your young teenagers have even a bite of this fruit and veggie mix, which is more of a love potion than an actual salad. Whew, got all that?
So let's not beat around the bush here, Vitamin C-packed pineapple is said to help counter impotence, fennel contains natural plant estrogen, and spicy radishes are reputed to have been the Egyptian pharaohs' stimulator of choice. Wow.
Moving on, the dressing makes the mixture even more alluring: ginger's warming qualities rev circulation. And sesame seeds are rich in arginine, an amino acid needed to produce nitric oxide which expands blood vessels to enhance blood flow to the sex organs.
Are you running to the store yet?
Let us not forget that not only is salad a nice palate cleanser between courses, it can also freshen your breath. Chlorophyll, the green pigment found in plants (and especially in fennel and watercress) is a natural deodorizer used in many breath mints. Just remember when you go in for the big kiss, try to remove any of the black sesame seeds that may be lurking between your teeth.
Have fun!!
It starts out a little scary looking but so does love sometimes. Anyway, I like making my dressings in a mason jar and just shaking them up. But if you don't have a mason jar, whisk together lemon juice, honey and ginger in a small bowl. Whisk in oil, then sesame seeds. Season with salt and pepper.
Prepare your salad ingredients. I used a mandolin to thinly slice my radishes and fennel. Toss fennel, pineapple, radishes and green onions with salad dressing in a large bowl. Stir in avocado and arugula gently, season with salt and pepper. Divide among four plates and serve immediately.
You might even get lucky and find a heart in your arugula. It was definitely a sign. Of something.
Pineapple-Fennel Salad with Ginger-Sesame Dressing
Adapted from Vegetarian Times
Dressing
1-1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
2 Tablespoons black sesame seeds or toasted sesame seeds
Salad
1 medium fennel bulb, quartered and thinly sliced (1 cup)
1 cup diced fresh pineapple
1 cup thinly sliced radishes
2 green onions, thinly sliced (1/4 cup)
1 cup diced avocado
3 cups arugula or watercress
It starts out a little scary looking but so does love sometimes. Anyway, I like making my dressings in a mason jar and just shaking them up. But if you don't have a mason jar, whisk together lemon juice, honey and ginger in a small bowl. Whisk in oil, then sesame seeds. Season with salt and pepper.
Prepare your salad ingredients. I used a mandolin to thinly slice my radishes and fennel. Toss fennel, pineapple, radishes and green onions with salad dressing in a large bowl. Stir in avocado and arugula gently, season with salt and pepper. Divide among four plates and serve immediately.
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Yes..I agree, that is one sexy salad
What happens when you serve this to your already love hungry husband? WOW, I can just imagine. This salad also presents beautifully in spite of the scary looking ingredients in the beginning. I have never used black sesame seeds before…I am glad you mentioned toasting them instead, because I probably could not find the black sesame seeds in our grocery stores. My husband’s birthday is the day after Valentine’s Day, plus we have Mardi Gras going on, President’s Day, all within the same couple of days. Superbowl and Mardi Gras are now sort of conflicting this weekend…It will be a very busy February for me. I am glad I love my kitchen!! Thanks for all you fabulous recipes and photos to go along with them. I could not live without your website. It has become a way of life for my husband and myself.
What an unusual combination of ingredients. With all that love power, I’m not going to wait to V-day!
Great post Cathy. Talk about incentive to get the big guy to eat his greens. Wait till I tell him this one!
I learned a HUGE lesson with this post today!
READ before judging!
I always scroll down and look at all the pretty pictures first and then back up and dig into the meat of the post. At first glance I thought I saw caviar and was all, “Um nope, we’re just gonna skip this one altogether!” But then I happened to see “black sesame seeds” and said, ‘Whoaaaa there Nelly! No need to be so hasty!”
I can happily report that I WILL indeed be making this!
Barbie-
Black sesame seeds are available in almost every spice aisle.
OMG I am RUNNING to the store, I’ll let you know if it works…LOL.
Cathy the colors in this salad are just live jewels and I can imagine the play of flavors when it’s eaten. I’m going to have to give this salad a try. Have a great day…Mary
Cathy, the colors in the salad are gorgeous and I can just imagine how wonderful the black sesame dressing will taste on it. This is really very nice.
In never thought of salad as sexy…. Until today!
Great photos! I like the recipe too.
Very beautiful, interesting, and inspiring! This makes me want to eat more salads!
oh Cathy this looks WONderful. Can’t wait to make it and love that little arugula heart! Very cool.
What a beautiful salad. I can’t wait to try it. Love the combination of vegetables and fruit.
What’s not to love or lust after.
Who would have ever thought a salad could be an aphrodisiac? I love it.
haha! very nice! looks good!
That’s hysterical! I love your take on Valentine’s day. Hope you and the wild boar and fun evening. I’m sure it will be delicious.
I am sold on the idea Cathy. Absolutely making this.
I think I’m going to buy a giant bottle of Arginine at the health store tomorrow!! Who knew!!
Beautiful photos, and it sounds delicious. I just juiced the only fennel bulb I had on hand, now I will have to go to the store! I am looking forward to making this~
No question, this salad is irresistible!
i would inevitably walk around for hours with at least one of those suckers in my teeth–there’s no way around that.
great, bright, refreshing salad, cathy!
Nice – this is definitely the perfect salad for Valentines Day!
I love everything about this salad – my hubby? Not so much! Love that you found a heart in your greens!
I love this salad! So colorful and such healthful meaning behind it. Now, if I could only get hubby to eat such a beauty. Sigh
Jenn
Oh geez, sprinting to the store…I need some LOVE POTION!!
Great post! I really like Vegetarian Times too. This sounds like a very refreshing salad.
Such a cute post and such a fabulous salad!
This is an interesting and important issue, thanks for coming with this!
Our taste buds must be similar because there are tons of recipes out there but I always am pleased to find something on your site. Always just a little different without being weird.Thank you
very much for sharing your collection.
What an incredible combination of ingredients in this salad! Sounds just excellent!
Ha! Awesome. I’m not even a big fennel fan, but I would totally try this. If for no other reason that for less… culinary purposes.
I just recently tried fennel (I’m only 19, give me a break
and really liked it. Who knew it had other attributes as well.
Your description of WHY we should all make this salad was just hilarious! Has Comedy Central gotten hold of this yet?
Gorgeous! Love the colours and the sesame seeds add a nice touch.
My sweetie would turn his nose up at this and suggest we get to the Valentine’s celebration instead.
so summer like …
Just the photo makes me feel warmer
The dressing looks so great on the bright veggies. Sounds delicious too!
Local Ocean in Newport, Ore., has a fennel slaw that I adore, so this sounds good to me!
I love fennel! I can’t wait to try this!