When salad is bland, it can feel like a chore to eat but when it’s got all the elements that comprise a great salad it makes all the difference. Grab…
- Greens
- Make it sweet with some natural sweetener or fruit
- Add nuts or seeds for crunch
- Dress for success with oil and acidity
Today I am thankful that I can escape into the land of food, photography and words. Our basement flooded recently so my house feels upside down. Anything that was on the floor during the flood that is not damaged is now huddled in the center, a scrum of possessions.
It’s not an overnight fix so working on something I CAN control to some extent and working on this blog is bringing me joy amidst the chaos. When my world feels not in order some good nutrition and a few squares of chocolate always help. Let’s not forget a cup of hot tea by my side, see the day just got better. I digress, back to greens.
I can eat piles of the crunchy salad with the right texture and the perfect dressing. Salad for daaayyyssss. I do need some protein to keep me full. I paired this with some grilled chicken and it was delightful.
Somehow I feel like these recipes will take me back into seasons of life like old songs take you back to a time and place in your life. So apple, celery and fennel crunchy salad will be the reminder that basements do get repaired and little people do grow up. I will probably cry over this salad when I have an empty nest. Life is sweet and a little crunchy!
- ¼ cup pecan nuts
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 head of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
- 6 celery ribs sliced diagonally - ¼ inch slices
- 1 fennel bulb halved, cored and thinly sliced on a mandolin
- 1 gala apple cored and thinly sliced
- Finely grated parmesan cheese for garnish
- Roast the pecans in a skillet for 2-3 minutes. Preheat on medium for a minute or so.
- Remove from heat and then coarsely chop the nuts
- In a small bowl mix the olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper
- In a medium sized salad bowl, add the romain lettuce, celery, fennel and apple.
- Once the romaine is in add the celery, fennel and apple in layers.
- Top with pecan nuts and grated parmesan cheese
- Drizzle with salad dressing before serving.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/celery-fennel-and-apple-salad-pecorino-and-walnuts

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