Most of us go through our lives with some level of restraint. And this is especially true when it comes to foods we consume.
For a foodie like myself, that restraint is what keeps me doing what I'm doing for what I hope will be a lifetime. Because without this restraint, I would give in to gluttony. And there is no joy in that. Only remorse.
I am not saying that the next time you visit you'll find I've put up a picture of myself in a bikini. That would require an actual waistline (among other things) And since I don't, I won't.
Yet there are those things that set my taste buds free with little if any repercussions on my waistline or the weighing scale. And I wait for summer so that my lunches will be filled with such heavenly meals.
Think Peter Kaminsky and his book Culinary Intelligence: The Art of Eating Healthy (And Really Well) where he outlines how eaters can reconcile physical well-being with sensual pleasures.
Moderation is a concept has been around for generations. I can swear hearing those very words from my mother who heard it from my grandmother who heard it from hers and so and so forth. But what appeals to me is that Kaminsky suggests readers maximize their "flavor per calorie" count by eating choice foods. Think Dean & Deluca v/s Dean's hotdog stand.
That makes so much sense to me.
If I'm going to have a piece of chocolate why go for the Hershey's when I can have a Maison du chocolat truffle for the same number of calories?
And that brings me to this salad.
Fresh romaine lettuce, crisp baby spinach leaves, succulent slices of strawberry with a smattering of roasted almonds and fresh mozzarella cheese. This made all the more luscious when drizzled with balsamic vinegar and strawberries in a vinaigrette.
I take my plate to the couch, feet curled as I fork this salad till all that's left is an empty plate and full belly.
My heaven.
My moment.
Because I deserve every bite of 'flavor per calorie'.
I'm worth it.
And so are you.
There is no true recipe here, just a rough foot print to guide your taste buds!Gather: fresh romaine lettuce, baby spinach leaves, fresh ripe strawberries, fresh mozarella cheese & sliced almonds.
Leafy greens: Get rid of the bottom 2" on the romaine lettuce and tear or slice the leaves into 1" pieces. Get rid of stalks on the spinach and leave whole. Wash and spin dry.
Strawberries: Wash, cut away woody tops. Wash, pat dry with paper towels and slice into 1/4" thick slices.
Almonds: Place in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 1-1/2 minutes. Tossing once in between.
Mozzarella cheese - Cut into 1/2" thick squares.
Dressing:
Gather in a blender:
2 large strawberries - washed & tops cut away, 1/2 tbs olive oil, 1-1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp ground black pepper.
Puree to till smooth. Refrigerate till ready to use.
To serve, place the leaves on a plate. Arrange the strwberries and mozzarella cheese among the leaves. Top with roasted almon slices. Drizzle with the dressing (about 2 tbs per serving) and enjoy!
