"Tired Skin" Salad

  I just read this article on tired skin, and what kinds of foods to eat to make you look less tired.  Obviously, getting enough sleep is the best remedy for being tired, but until that IS possible this article suggests some foods to help you LOOK less tired.  Friends, I am not a health and fitness guru, so I can't substantiate the following claims, but the nutritional science behind the article sounded good to me.  Since I don't always get enough sleep, or the right kind of sleep, I decided to try this now and again. Many of these foods can be incorporated easily into your diet on a regular basis.  You don't need to eat them all at once.  However, as a kickoff, I decided to create a "Tired Skin Salad".  I can't give you too many exact measurements, and my portion size was huge.  So if you decide to try this, use the basic ingredients, but adapt it to your own needs and tastes.  Here are the food suggestions from the article:

1. Green tea (even better with a squirt of lemon!)
2. Salmon
3. Brazil Nuts, Tuna, and Mushrooms (good sources of selenium, though many other nuts and seeds are also good sources.
4. Spinach (Other leafy greens are good as well.)
5. Tofu
6. Water
7. Kiwi fruit
8. Dandelion greens and fennel greens  

So here was my salad idea:

Spinach, torn or chopped (I used about half a bag of baby spinach per salad, though this may be too much for some of you.
Leafy Greens, torn or chopped (I used a couple leaves of Kale, chopped, per salad.  You could use any type of leafy greens.  Just enough to make a nice combination with the spinach.  You wouldn't want to just use all leafy greens because a lot of them are strong flavored.  Best to temper them with the spinach.)
1/4 block tofu, diced small
1/2 cup toasted and chopped Brazil nuts
1/3 cup dried cranberries
Red onion, chopped (I chose red onion because it is more suited to being eaten raw in a salad,  You could probably use green onion if red didn't suit you, though green might not be as flavorful.  I just used enough to flavor the salad, but you can add as much as you like.)
3 crimini mushrooms, sliced and wilted (30 seconds in the microwave.  If there is any juice, add that to the salad as well.)
1 to 2 Tablespoons Bleu Cheese

I put all of these ingredients into  a gallon zip lock bag.  For the  dressing, I squeezed in the juice of one small lemon, added 1/4 cup olive oil, and a couple pinches of salt and pepper.  I often use this dressing on a lot of salads.  Close bag and give it a few good shakes.  Open bag and place salad in a large bowl.  Depending on the size of your salad, you may need to adjust the dressing ingredients.  Play with it and see what you come up with.  As I said, many of these foods can be incorporated individually into your diet.  You don't need a big salad, but it is kind of fun.

The article also suggested staying away from sugar, fried foods, salty foods, and processed food, among other things.

Split Pea Pancakes with Mushroom Relish

1 1/4 cups dried green split peas
8 3/4 cups water, divided
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1 Tablespoon grated unsweetened coconut
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 teaspoon ground turmeric, divided
1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon canola oil, divided
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 cup finely chopped red onion
1 serrano chili, minced
2 cups sliced shiitake mushroom caps (about 6 ounces)
1 cup chopped tomato
2 teaspoons sambal oelek (ground fresh chili paste)

1. Place peas in 8 cups water;  let stand for 2 hours.  Drain.  Place soaked peas, cilantro, ginger, coconut, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until smooth.  With processor running, slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup water until a smooth batter forms. 
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat.  Add 1 Tablespoon oil and mustard seeds;  saute 3 minutes or until seeds begin to sizzle and smell pungent.  Add onion and serrano;  saute 3 minutes, or until tender.  Add mushrooms;  saute 6 minutes or until lightly browned.  Add remaining 1/4 cup water, tomato, sambal, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon turmeric.  Simmer 5 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from pan;  wipe pan clean with paper towels.
3. Return pan to medium high heat; spoon 8 (1 1/2 Tablespoon) mounds of batter into pan;  flatten slightly to make pancakes.  Pour one-third of remaining 1/2 cup canola oil around cakes.  Cook 90 seconds on each side or until golden brown.  Repeat procedure twice with remaining batter and oil.  Top each pancake with 1 Tablespoon relish.