Written by Christie Crawford
Clarksville, TN – Eat more greens! Every dietitian, nutritionist, and even your mother makes that statement. It used to be on your home table, or on restaurant menus as a side, and perhaps even served as a main entree for lunch. But with more vegetarians and individuals wanting to eat healthier; dinner salads are becoming quite commonplace.
May is National Salad Month. Makes sense with all the green crops ready for the picking. You can easily grow lettuce at home or find it in grocery stores and farmers’ markets. What is new is the addition of non-typical ingredients, such as fresh herbs, nuts, cheese, fruits, and grains. Add to that a fresh dressing, and you really won’t miss a thing when you replace your normal fare with an entree salad.
Here are a few tips to make your salad a cut-above boring:
- Mix your greens variety – try a spring mix or add arugula, spinach, red and green leaf, butter or Romaine types
- Add some cooked grains such as quinoa, bulgur, farro or brown rice as a base
- Consider adding raw or cooked vegetables
- Experiment with different salad dressings
- Substitute salad for one meal a week
- Serve a salad with every meal (fruit salad is great for breakfast, especially topped with your favorite yogurt, granola, and a hint of honey)
- Try a different salad each week-this is a great way to add some different ethnic flavors in your choices
- If you need to add some protein, consider hard-boiled eggs, rotisserie or grilled chicken, sliced steak pork, or grilled fish or shrimp on top
Here are 4 salads you may want to consider adding to your menu, including one for breakfast:
Beets and Greens Salad (adapted from The Feed Company Tavern, Chattanooga)
Ingredients:
Mixed salad greens
*Roasted golden beets (you can substitute whatever variety you can find)
Golden raisins
Toasted Pecans
Goat Cheese
Bottled Champagne Vinaigrette (Girard’s or Brianna’s work well)
Salt and Pepper
Instructions:
Wash and dry beets, then drizzle generously with olive oil and wrap in foil packets. Roast at 400 degrees for one hour. Once cooled, the skin will slide off then you can thinly slice. Layer salad greens, then beets, then raisins.
Toast pecans and chop roughly, and spread on top. Add dollops of goat cheese on top then add salt dressing. Lightly sprinkle salt and pepper as desired.
Make about an hour before serving to let flavors absorb. Add dressing as needed.
Strawberry Feta Salad (courtesy of AllRecipes.com )
Ingredients:
1 cup slivered almonds (can substitute walnuts or pecans)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup raspberry vinegar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 head romaine lettuce, torn (can substitute baby spinach)
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• optional (avocado chunks)
Directions:
Place almonds in a skillet over medium-high heat; cook, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted. Remove from heat; set aside. Make the dressing by whisking the garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, raspberry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil together until well combined.
Place toasted almonds, romaine lettuce, strawberries, and feta cheese in a salad bowl; add dressing and toss to coat.
Vegetarian Taco Salad *(courtesy of www.tasteofhome.com )
Ingredients:
1/3 cup guacamole (make your own or use prepared)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared Italian salad dressing
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
3 cups shredded lettuce
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup canned kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup sliced ripe olives
1/2 cup crushed corn chips
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
In a small bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the lettuce, tomatoes, beans and olives.
Arrange lettuce mixture on 2 serving plates; top with guacamole mixture. Sprinkle with corn chips and cheese.
*Can add shredded or grilled chicken, beef or shrimp on top to make a non-vegetarian version.
Fruit Breakfast Salad (courtesy of www.foolproofliving.com )
Ingredients:
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 15 oz can mandarin oranges, sectioned or equivalent of fresh
1 cup blueberries
1 banana, sliced
2 kiwis, peeled and cubed
1 cup grapes, halved
Note that any fresh fruit can be substituted depending on the season, ie. pineapple, apples, peaches, figs, pears
Dressing:
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
2 tsp lime zest
4 tbl lime juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbl honey (optional)
Possible Toppers:
Handful of mint, chopped
Unsweetened coconut flakes
Yogurt
Granola
Cut fruit and arrange on platter. In a small bowl or mason jar, mix the orange juice, orange zest, lime juice, lime zest, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Either whisk or vigorously shake everything until combined thoroughly. Drizzle over the salad. Add topper of choice.
