Making Use of Fruits in Season

Summer Strawberry Salad

The key to summer is salads, they are light and not overfilling. They are also very refreshing and easy to make when the temperature is 94 degrees out. Personally, I hate boring salads. The worst thing about a boring salad is when people expect you to eat it as a main course. I have been trying to change people's perceptions of salads. For those of you who don't know romaine letuuce has absolutely no nutritional content. This is why the only thing it is good for is complimenting sandwiches, burgers, and a good antipasto. There are three components to a healthy and filling salad. First, mix up your base! I love using a nice organic fresh spring mix or fresh spinach. Both add plenty of healthy nutrients and vitamins to your salad. Next, utilize the fruits that are in season. Summer is a perfect time to use strawberries or blueberries in a salad, they add a natural sweetness. Next, adding walnuts, almonds, or cashews can make all the difference. They add a dose of healthy fat and give the salad a variety of texture. I also love adding crumbled cheeses to my salads, but some people don't which is why I say its an option. However, if there is one thing that I learned from french cooking it is that fruit and cheese compliment one another very nicely.

Ingredients

1 Bag of Spring Mix or Spinach salad mix
1 Container of fresh strawberries (I reccomend Driscols or better fresh strawberries)
1 Container crumbled blue cheese
1 bag silvered almonds (sweetened or unsweetened depending on your preference)

Directions

This salad is super simple. First, quarter your strawberries. If you have extra time on your hands you can quarter your strawberries and put them in a medium sized bowl, add water and a little sugar (or 0 calorie sweetner) and let the strawberries soak for extra sweetness! After you are done with your strawberries simply toss all the ingredients together. This can be served with a vinagarette or there is a dressing on the bottom you can serve it with. If you want to make this salad more filling simply add grilled chicken.

Dressing
Ingredients


Dressing:

1 tablespoon sugar


2 tablespoons red wine vinegar


1 tablespoon water


1/8 teaspoon salt


1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Yields: 4 servings.