Make Your Salad Great Again
I have a few friends who can eat salad every day of the week. When I ask them what kind of salad they eat, they describe a very basic dinner-type salad made extra “exciting” by the addition of Craisins® (ahem, those are soaked in sugar) and some kind of crumbled or grated cheese.
You might be okay with this salad staple, but for me, the same basic salad, day after day, makes me yawn. Not only that, I really don’t even look forward to eating it. If I am going to get excited about having a salad, it needs to be a real “theme-party” salad through and through.
The Greek Salad:
Romaine lettuce, fresh chopped dill, parsley, and scallions, thin sliced pepperoncini, sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, kalamata olives, feta cheese crumbles. Top with a healthy Greek dressing.
The Italian Salad:
Mesclun lettuce mix, fresh chopped basil, halved Marzano (grape-type) tomatoes, roasted red peppers, pine nuts, shredded mozzarella, parmesan, Romano or fontina cheese. Serve with a simple dressing of EVOO, balsamic vinegar, minced garlic, S & P.
The Mexican Salad:
Romaine lettuce, fresh chopped cilantro and scallions, cucumbers, diced tomatoes, avocado, shredded pepper jack cheese, sliced black olives, and crumbled paper-thin tortilla chips. Toss with a simple vinaigrette dressing.
Springtime Salad:
Butter (Bibb) lettuce, sliced hearts of palm, mandarin orange segments, and sliced almonds. Lightly dress with a homemade vinaigrette of orange juice, EVOO, a touch of Dijon mustard, S & P.
Wintertime Salad:
Shredded iceberg, red cabbage, carrots, mix, diced apples and pears, walnuts, and crumbled blue cheese. Drizzle with a Buttermilk ranch dressing (whisk with some milk to thin it out).
The addition of fresh herbs to any salad really takes it to a new level. All of these great salads can be made even more filling with the addition of a protein. Think hard boiled eggs, leftover shrimp, salmon, or shredded chicken, and BEANS—these tiny gems come in so many shapes, colors, and textures. (Trick of the trade: Rinse beans in very hot water to make them less of a “gas” to eat, haha.)
Don’t settle for boring food, just because it’s healthy. Make your salads GREAT again!