Dressing Up a Simple Salad

I love salad. I eat it every day. Usually, I keep a container of salad in my refrigerator so that I can pack it in my husband's lunchbox in the morning or pull it out for a quick lunch myself. Low in calories, it is full of nutrition. 

One of the things I like best about salad, though, is its simple beauty. A great salad can be just a bowlful of lettuce leaves with a wonderful dressing and croutons. It can be an elegant field of greens with fancy cheeses and artichoke hearts. Or it can be a riot of color with fresh fruits and vegetables and a topping of sunflower seeds. The possibilities are endless. A salad should be a work of art. With a little care, anyone can turn a simple salad into a masterpiece. And it isn't even necessary to have expensive ingredients on hand. 

Today, I started with a bowlful of romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces. I always make sure that the lettuce is small enough that it does not have to be cut with a knife or, worse, cause a person to choke on a giant leaf. I added some sliced sweet onions, radishes, and carrots that I slivered with a vegetable peeler. Simple! Then, to dress it up a bit, I sliced part of an unpeeled pink lady apple into the dish. That little touch of sweetness and crunch added some interest to the salad. And then to make my salad worthy of the finest restaurant, I decorated it with a few candied walnuts and spiralized beets. Served with a nice homemade raspberry vinaigrette, my salad was as pretty to look at as it was delicious to eat!

The walnuts are quick and easy to make, as is the raspberry vinaigrette. Here are the recipes:

Candied Walnuts                                                                 

2 Tablespoons butter                                              

1 Cup walnuts                                                          

2 Tablespoons sugar                                                 

Melt the butter in a small skillet.                                   

Add nuts, stirring to coat with butter.                            

Add sugar and stir, allowing to caramelize.                   

Pour onto parchment or waxed paper to cool.

Raspberry Vinaigrette

1/3 Cup seedless raspberry jam

1/3 Cup red wine vinegar

1/4 Cup vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Wisk together all ingredients and pour into bottle.

Keep refrigerated.

Enjoy! And happy salad-making!