Twitter #Weekendeats: Crunchy, Thai papaya, and other sexy salads

Salads get a bad rap. Often the obligatory first course at a dinner, a plate of greens drenched in dressing is easy to overlook. But sometimes, if you get creative, a salad can be the real star of a meal or even a meal in itself.

Monday morning’s #Weekendeats chat participants went beyond the Caesars and Cobbs and got creative with their salads. Here are some highlights:

Susan Orlins from the blog Confessions of a Worrywart shared a recipe for a crunchy salad made with broccoli, carrots, cabbage, jicama, bell pepper, radish, celery, pine nuts, pistachios, blue cheese and pomegranate. Whitney Ladder shared a photo of to-go containers filled with Chinese chicken salad and plenty of crunchy wontons made by farm-to-table delivery service Paleta.

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For a different green, Michelle Jenkins from the blog DailyWaffle shared a recipe for an asparagus and tofu salad with sesame-miso vinaigrette. And Crystal K offered a photo of her Thai papaya salad with green papaya, bits of chile peppers and tomatoes.

Sometimes salads are all about the meat! Tony Chen from the blog Sinosoul.com shared a photo of his pig ear, seaweed and tofu salad from Monja in Rowland Heights. And Victor Alsobrook from the blog 2Sense-LA shared a photo of the Lady Falco flatbread from Bin No. 73 in Venice made with crispy prosciutto and a salad of red cabbage, arugula, herbs, marinated olives, cherry tomato and Manchego cheese.

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Please join in by tweeting your #Weekendeats at us Monday mornings @latimesfood and share your photos with us in our “Weekend Eats” gallery. We’ll feature some of the photos here on Daily Dish, so be sure to check back for more #Weekendeats and #Foodporn throughout the week.

Hope to see everyone next Monday morning on Twitter! It’s sure to be a drool-worthy good time.

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