I am a big fan of salads but I tend not to eat them enough!  With that being said, I am here enlisting some of my favorite tips for making a great salad.  Some people say that a great salad is all in the dressing – well I am not sure I buy that statement.

I am a big advocate that fresh ingredients will deliver top notch results.  Salads are meant to be simple, yet flavorful and can be created without any stress or time constraints.

Salad Tips

1.  Add Dark Greens to the Mix.

Romaine, arugula or spinach will add a whole host of vitamins and nutrients to your salad, including vitamin A, vitamin C and folate.

2.  Watch the Dressing.

Control exactly how much dressing goes into your salad by referring to the serving suggestion on the label. It’s also a good idea to keep the dressing on the side so you can add a little at a time without overdoing it.

3.  Include Fruit in Green Salads.

Fruit like orange sections, cubed mango or dried, unsweetened cranberries will add not only more flavor and color but also vitamins and antioxidants.

4.  Pack in the Protein.

When eating a salad as your main meal, make sure it provides at least 10 to 15 grams of protein per serving. To meet this requirement, add 3/4 cup of chickpeas or
lentils, two hard boiled eggs or 1/4 cup of nuts.

5.  Dress Simple and Late.

Salad dressings do not have to be anything complex.  A simple dash of olive oil, vinegar and some grainy mustard makes for a great dressing.  Another tip I noted from Michael Smith is to dress the salad just before serving.  He often puts the dressing in the bottom of the bowl and tosses once you are ready to eat.

So next time you make a salad let me know what you think of the salad tips.  I listed a few salads I made in the past so be sure to check them out.  I like to keep it simple so you will not see anything extravagant.

Other Zesty Salads

Fresh Crisp Salad with Feta

Pesto Salad

Asparagus Bacon Salad

Summer Chicken Salad in the Winter

I hope you have a great Thursday.  House plans are moving along quite well and we should have the new plans finalized soon.  We are moving forward with lot preparation and than the breaking of the ground.  I will keep you posted.

I am heading on the road for a week in the first week in June.  With that said – I am making a call out for guest posts!  Let me know if you are interested by contacting me.

Take care

zesty

Yes you read the title right, Zesty made beer bread!  I had a few requests for this recipe so I thought that I would share it with you.  No yeast, No rising, simply dump in the ingredients – give it a mix and drop it in the pan. Can you really get any easier than that?

I was thinking about making this all day long at work. As soon as I got home, I ran in the house, dropped my stuff and got right to it.  Oh so simple, I could not wait to share.

This bread would be ideal to go along with a nice hearty stew or even along side a nice pasta dish.

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