Recipe: The Perfect Salad
May/111
by Melissa McKinnon
1. Start with a Leafy Green Base: the darker the green, the more nutritious. Be creative and try a new lettuce variety, especially if you’re stuck on Iceberg; Bibb, Red Leaf, and Romaine are always good options, or you can branch out and add spinach, kale, or other greens likes collards, mustard greens, or Swiss chard. My favorite is the Organic Girl brand (when I can’t get it from my own garden).
2. Add Some Color: I suggest at least one from each color group below…
- Something Red: grape tomatoes, red pepper, strawberries, pomegranate arils, sliced beets, dried cranberries, radishes, apples
- Something Orange or Yellow: bell peppers, carrots, banana peppers, mandarin oranges, mango salsa, corn
- Something Green: peppers, cucumbers, sprouts, green beans, granny smith apples, pears, zucchini, artichoke hearts, celery, broccoli, peas
- Something Blue or Purple: blueberries or other berries, purple cabbage, grapes, purple carrots, raisins
- Something White: mushrooms, onion, cauliflower, garlic or shallots
3. Add a Protein: this can be grilled chicken or salmon on top of the salad, or something simple like a half cup of rinsed and drained beans (kidney beans, black beans, whatever your favorite is), a hardboiled egg or an ounce of low-fat cheese.
4. Add a Healthy Fat Source: 1 Tbsp. of olive oil or chopped olives, ¼ avocado, or a small handful of nuts and/or seeds. You need healthy fat in your meal if you want to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins available in the rest of your salad!
5. Add Some Flavor: balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, fresh herbs, freshly cracked black pepper, etc. Stay away from high-sodium and saturated fat laden options. Something crunchy is always fun too (depending on what you’ve already added): whole wheat croutons, asian noodles, or these salad toppers from Oh She Glows are all fun ideas.
Bon Appetit! And Enjoy the Journey!
Melissa, My Journey to Lean Blog
Recipe: Organic Bacon and Greens Snack Wraps
Mar/112
Hi! My name’s Melissa and I’m excited to represent the Upstate of South Carolina on the Carolina Farm Stewardship Blog! Each week, I receive organic produce delivered to my home in a “sweetness basket” from Milk & Honey Organics (more about them in an upcoming post). This week’s basket had Collard Greens in it. I’m from the North, and while I love the South and all it has to offer, I have struggled to perfect the art of collard greens. This recipe was my first real success with the lovely, leafy vegetable. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Organic Bacon and Greens Snack Wrap
by Melissa McKinnon
Ingredients:
- 3 strips organic bacon, chopped
- 1 bunch organic collard greens (spinach would work too), washed, dried, stems removed, and chopped (about 3 c. chopped, fresh)
- 1 large organic garlic clove, minced
- 2 organic baby bella mushrooms, chopped
- 1 tsp. hot sauce (I used Texas Pete, still looking for a good organic brand, if you have suggestions)
- Sprinkle of seasoned salt (I used Lawry’s, still looking for a good organic brand here too)
- 4 oz. organic cream cheese (reduced fat or part skim, preferably)
- 4 all-natural/organic whole-wheat tortillas, quartered
Instructions:
- Heat skillet to medium heat. Meanwhile, chop ingredients.
- Fry 3 strips bacon to desired crispness, remove from skillet and drain on paper towel lined plate. Crumble.
- Reserve bacon drippings and add chopped greens, garlic, and mushrooms.
- Saute for 3-5 minutes, until greens are tender, garlic is carmelized, and mushrooms are reduced.
- Reduce heat to low, add hot sauce and seasoning salt to your taste.
- Add cream cheese and stir in until melted and well combined.
- Spread a tablespoon or two onto each tortilla quarter. Fold each in half and enjoy hot or chilled.
Musings:
- Quartering the wraps makes this recipe go further as an appetizer. Most people stick to two or three pieces, though I’ll warn you, these are addictive.
- If you prefer, you could add the filling to wontons and bake or fry for a delicious appetizer. This recipe would yield 20-24 wontons (1 1/2 tsp. per wonton).
- My husband and I think the wontons would be a great appetizer with grilled spare ribs.
Bon Appetit! And enjoy the journey! ~Melissa
