That fresh, crisp, flavorful goodness of a salad makes for a healthy meal, or an amazing starter. Salads offer a smorgasbord of different ingredients all in the same bowl!! I enjoy the eclectic mix of a garden salad, the robust flavors of a "Southwestern-Inspired" taco salad, but can never really decide between the Asian-Fusion, sushi topped salads. There are so many different forms and types to choose from, but my all-time favorite would probably be a sweet and crunchy fruit salad. I recently visited an establishment that had a lot of salads that had so many ingredients that you normally wouldn't think that comes in a salad. The meats, cheeses, fruits, nuts and veggie combinations had my server returning to the table four times! I ordered a spinach, raspberry & blackened shrimp. They threw in toasted almonds, red onions & dried cranberries, topped with a bacon-blue cheese dressing & there was a raspberry drizzle on the plate. When I saw this picture, it reminded me of my salad, so, I felt inspired to post it. Salads have many health benefits and you don't mind eating your veggies if you have an amazing foundation of mixed greens, a splash of colorful peppers, carrots, onions, fruits to round out the savory, and some protein to give a full-balanced meal to an item that was once an aperitif. So, before you scroll through the entire menu, make a stop at the first two pages to see if you can't find your "salady" tasty bite!
Chef Tara Browning
P.S.- Listed below is a link provided to start your salads off to a great start!!
http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_salad_recipes
