Back Up Summer Salad

Salads don't have to be crazy with prep time after long hours of classes, practice or working all day--and sometimes, using common ingredients in different ways makes all the difference!  It really doesn't take much to turn a simple head of lettuce into a delicious meal.

A simple mistake led to this crazy delicious salad dressing that makes all the difference when you put this salad together--the vinaigrette was accidentally mixed with the goat cheese which did not combine easily at room temp; however, when everything was brief 'nuked' in the microwave, a succulent, creamy dressing emerged! 

Give me more! Add this to any summer grilling, i.e. Grilled Spicy Chicken Thighs or Asian Flank Steak, and you will have a simple meal in seconds!

Back-Up Summer Salad

Equipment:

Large salad bowl

Small mixing bowl

Ingredients:

Romaine lettuce, chopped

Fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered

Sliced almonds

Feta or Goat cheese, diced 

Protein: grilled shrimp, chicken if you like

Dressing:

Raspberry or Strawberry Vinaigrette

2-4 oz of goat cheese or cream cheese

Instructions:

1. Wash your hands.

2. Chop, wash and dry the lettuce. Add to the large salad bowl.

3. Hull and quarter the strawberries. Add to the lettuce.

4. Sprinkle the sliced almonds and 2 oz of diced feta or dollops of goat cheese.

5. Microwave 3 oz of soft goat cheese x 20 seconds in small mixing bowl.

6. Add your vinaigrette to the goat cheese and stir well.

7. Put it all together!

Experiment with other options, i.e. add cucumbers, exchange the base vinaigrette, use a different berry or fruit such as tangerine or blueberries, find out if walnuts or pistachios are more your style!
Great way to construct a salad!