I guess I should look at salads. Tey may sound simple to cook, but there are a number of different ideas on how to make one. So let's talk salads...
Dressing: Let's start off with a healthy dressing. I prefer a basic vinegar/oil dressing. In a bowl, combine two cups of olive oil (or your preferred oil) with half a cup of vinegar. You can use any kind of vinegar really, but as I'm diabetic I prefer to keep away from cider, balsamic, and rice vinegars as they have too much suugar for my good. Add in a quarter cup of the mustard of your choice (I prefer stone ground), two tablespoons each of pepper and minced garlic, and a tablespoon of salt. Throw in any other spices you like and you should have enough dressing for about a week.
Toppers: Here's where a lot of the crunch comes in. Tortilla strips can make for a beautiful salad, especially if you get the multi-colored or red ones. Sunflower seeds also work, especially as they have a number of health benefits. Croutons are always good.
Lettuce: Keep it simple: Chopped Romaine works well, as does iceberg lettuce. Both are also usually pretty cheap. Bagged lettuce also works, especially the so-called "garden mix" with iceberg and cabbage in it.
Others: I try to keep it simple and so I usually go vegetarian with my salads; I usually don't add any meat. But if you do, crumbled bacon, chopped sliced ham, and finely sliced hot dogs are the best way to go. Most other meats seem to add a wrong texture or overpower the rest of the salad. That said, the vegetables rule here:
Sprouts: A nice little protein boost, also add a certain amount of crunch.
Mushrooms: Additional VitamIn B, as well as nice textureif eaten fresh. I prefer white mushrooms due to cost and that slight crunch.
Tomatoes: A little sweetness as well as other vitamins.
Kale Chips: A lot of Vitamin K, as well as a nice smoky flavor. Kale chips are made by cooking oiled and de-ribbed kale leaves at 350 degrees for fifteen minutes. I then crumble them.
Avocadoes: Some nice fats and proteins, as well as a nice texture. Sliced or diced.
Brocolli/Cauliflower: Some nice cunchy texture, as well as some color and additional vitamins.
Chili Peppers: Additional heat. Preferably diced.
Bell Peppers: A little additional spice and nutrients without ay real heat. Preferably diced.
Black Olives: Prefered sliced, but can add their own earthy flavor to the salad.
Purple Onions: A little additional spice and crunch, as well as a nice selection of vitamins.
Obviously you can add pretty much anything to your salad. Experiment and figure out what you like, but have some fun with it and just go crazy!
Dressing: Let's start off with a healthy dressing. I prefer a basic vinegar/oil dressing. In a bowl, combine two cups of olive oil (or your preferred oil) with half a cup of vinegar. You can use any kind of vinegar really, but as I'm diabetic I prefer to keep away from cider, balsamic, and rice vinegars as they have too much suugar for my good. Add in a quarter cup of the mustard of your choice (I prefer stone ground), two tablespoons each of pepper and minced garlic, and a tablespoon of salt. Throw in any other spices you like and you should have enough dressing for about a week.
Toppers: Here's where a lot of the crunch comes in. Tortilla strips can make for a beautiful salad, especially if you get the multi-colored or red ones. Sunflower seeds also work, especially as they have a number of health benefits. Croutons are always good.
Lettuce: Keep it simple: Chopped Romaine works well, as does iceberg lettuce. Both are also usually pretty cheap. Bagged lettuce also works, especially the so-called "garden mix" with iceberg and cabbage in it.
Others: I try to keep it simple and so I usually go vegetarian with my salads; I usually don't add any meat. But if you do, crumbled bacon, chopped sliced ham, and finely sliced hot dogs are the best way to go. Most other meats seem to add a wrong texture or overpower the rest of the salad. That said, the vegetables rule here:
Sprouts: A nice little protein boost, also add a certain amount of crunch.
Mushrooms: Additional VitamIn B, as well as nice textureif eaten fresh. I prefer white mushrooms due to cost and that slight crunch.
Tomatoes: A little sweetness as well as other vitamins.
Kale Chips: A lot of Vitamin K, as well as a nice smoky flavor. Kale chips are made by cooking oiled and de-ribbed kale leaves at 350 degrees for fifteen minutes. I then crumble them.
Avocadoes: Some nice fats and proteins, as well as a nice texture. Sliced or diced.
Brocolli/Cauliflower: Some nice cunchy texture, as well as some color and additional vitamins.
Chili Peppers: Additional heat. Preferably diced.
Bell Peppers: A little additional spice and nutrients without ay real heat. Preferably diced.
Black Olives: Prefered sliced, but can add their own earthy flavor to the salad.
Purple Onions: A little additional spice and crunch, as well as a nice selection of vitamins.
Obviously you can add pretty much anything to your salad. Experiment and figure out what you like, but have some fun with it and just go crazy!
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