A Little Salad and I Love Balsamic Vinegar!

Happy Friday and welcome to the closest day to the weekend you can get!  Whooo Hooo.  So as of late I have been trying to eat more salads in the middle of the day instead of sandwiches and other things for lunch.  Whether it is working on the waist line or not – we shall see!  Let’s just say I really do love salads but sometimes I get tired of the same ole dressings you see inside the fridge door so most of the time I just whip up my own.

It is nothing extravagant by any stretch just a simple vinaigrette.  Lately I have been obsessed with Balsamic Vinegar! I love it.  The tartness and the flavor in such a small amount is incredible.  Here is a simple salad I whipped up.

During the excitement of building the salad, I forgot to add the walnuts before snapping the pic…. my apologies

Ingredients

Few handfuls of Leaf lettuce
Grape Tomatoes
Carrots
Feta cheese
Red peppers
Cucumbers
Toasted walnuts
1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1 Tsp. Dijon Mustard
1 Tsp. Garlic ( crushed)
3/4 Cup Olive oil
Salt
Black pepper

Method

Chop and toss all ingredients in a bowl.
Over a medium dry saute pan, slowly roast the walnuts until toasted.
In liquid measure or small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper.  I also like to use a mason jar to add it all in and throw the lid on and shake it up.
Dress the salad
ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Dress your salads just before serving to avoid wilting of the greens and causing the salad to be soggy.  Also if you are adding nuts to the salad it is a nice idea to toast them before adding them to the salad for enhanced flavor.

So that is my salad!  No of course if you are interested in salads then the world is endless.  The varieties and possible ingredients go beyond what the mind can imagine.  If you want to participate in a Salad Challenge – go check this out.  RhodeyGirlTests is hosting a “I LOVE SALAD” Challenge.  I think I should check it out.

Question of the day: Favorite Dressing

What is your favorite dressing?  Does it depend on the greens, vegetables, or do you have a staple that you go to every time?

I am off for now but back again on Monday.  Zesty will be performing super dad duties all weekend as Mrs. Zesty is off for a girls weekend of running and shopping.  Have a great weekend.

Take care

zesty

Download ZestyCook.com's Recipe E-book Free for Subscribers only: Simply ZestyA Little Salad and I Love Balsamic Vinegar!

Related posts:Chipolte Chicken and Pear Salad
Beans, Basil and Balsamic!
Avocado to the Rescue!
Rustic Mediterranean Pasta w/ Tomatoes
A Sassy Lentil Salad