Carnival Salad with Tropical Skewers

It is freezing here in Texas, so getting me to eat a traditional salad is not a likely event. However, if you dress it up and make it reminiscent of drive around my native Eastern Caribbean, there is certainly room for negotiation. Hehe... While it does not include all these things, this salad reminds me of mangoes, bananas, pineapples and all the healthy yet yummy things that grew on my grandma's farm and in her garden. You probably realize that there is a reoccurring theme of me talking about my grandma, but it's because it was at her feet that I learned how cook. So, she is a huge part of the way I view food. Now let's talk about how I made this...

Ingredients (Serves 3-4)

• 1 package tofu/tempeh or 1 large chicken breast(stripped)
• 2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
• 1/2 yellow zucchini squash( about 200 grams)
• 1/2 pear (about 200 grams)
• 1 vine ripened tomato
• 3 mushrooms
• 1 cup sliced red and/or yellow peppers
• 1 cup fresh blackberries
• a small bunch of ciliantro
• 1/2 lemon
• 2 tbsp. vinaigrette dressing
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3-4 bamboo skewers

 Directions

Cut the zucchini and pear into spears as seen above. Slice tomatoes, mushrooms and peppers. Chop cilantro.

Combine all ingredients into a salad bowl with salad dressing and place in refrigerator to marinate while preparing skewers.

Skewer tofu, tempeh or chicken onto bamboo skewers with pineapple as seen below. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the skewers, add salt and pepper to taste and grill in a non-stick stove top pan until cooked.

Add skewers to salad and serve it up.