Salads, Part II~Toppings! OR *How I Roll At The Salad Bar* :)

OK, we have our foundation covered.  We know what bed/foundation we want to lay down and now we just have to decide what goes on top.  As I said in my "opening blog" about salads, my goal is to expand your horizons.  I want to share some tips to help you step away from a "standard" green salad.  ALSO, I want to show how easy it is to make a kick-arss salad your evening meal and save a few pennies by making the gourmet salad you enjoy when eating out, at home!

Most of us are going to choose a salad dressing for one of our "toppings", BUT what comes before that?  What morsels of goodness have YOU reaching under the sneeze guard?

• Meat?
• Legumes?
• Veggies?
• Cheese?
• Fruit?
• Nuts?
• Crunchy Toasted Bread?

While I have numerous combos that I enjoy.  This is how I generally roll at the salad bar when I am making a MEAL of it:

• Foundation: Romaine and Mixed Spring Greens
• Toppings... (Get Ready!): Cottage Cheese, Peas, Red Onion, Garbanzos, Bleu Cheese Crumble, Beets, Hard Boiled Egg, Peppercini Slices, REAL Bacon Bits and Sunflower Seeds.
• Dressing: Whatever catches my fancy that day.

This salad has rich coloured veggies, so I know I am getting vitamins.  The cottage cheese and wee bit of bacon and nuts add protein.  Using RICH flavored toppings sparingly also keeps the calories down.

Yummy Veggies!

At home, when we are having a dinner salad before our evening meal, we keep things a little more simple:

• Foundation: Romaine and Mixed Spring Greens
• Toppings: Cottage Cheese, whatever veggies we have on hand ...generally tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms, beets.  I try to have *Home-made Croutons on hand and if not, we reach for roasted peanuts or sunflower seeds to add a wee but of crunch.   Sometimes I will toss in berries,  mandarin oranges or sliced apples to add some sweetness. 
• Dressing: *Home-made vinegarette, Dorothy Lynch or Poppyseed are our favorite dressings right now.  They are all light and a small amount adds a lot of flavor without adding calories. 

Mini Salad Bar In Your Own Kitchen

Having a dinner salad before your main meal is a KILLER way to add fiber to your diet AND helps manage your appetite.
Whether you are at a salad bar or making a salad at home the two things you want to remember when building a yummy salad are *texture and taste.  Never be afraid to mix sweet with salty.  Never be afraid to TRY something NEW! 

Now, while I can't list every possible salad topping, below you will find a few ideas.  I have broken the toppings down into categories.  Pick one or two items from a category, pick at least one CRUNCH factor category and I guarantee you are going to end up with a happy mouth and tummy as you enjoy your creation.

After my next blog "Dressings", I hope you will enjoy "Seven Days, Seven Salads".  A week of fun GREEN SALADS....MMMM

Meat~If you want to transform your salad from a side to a MEAL add a punch of protein.  Roasted, poached or blackened chicken breast that has been cooled....Salmon as well.  Ever had a Steak Salad?  SO GOOOD!  Dice up a leftover petite sirloin into your salad or try a *Warm Steak Salad. Pick up a THICK cut of your favorite deli meat and dicer up: ham, chicken, turkey, who doesn't love a good Chef Salad?  I am also going to stick Hard Boiled Eggs into this category, creamy goodness and a protein punch, we really enjoy this as a topping on our salads.

Legumes~ Add protein, add vitamins, add texture, add LEGUMES!  Kidney Beans, Garbanzo Beans, Lima Beans, Edamame!  Bean Salad alone is a refreshing summer treat..have you ever tried a spoonful on your salad!?

Veggies~
Add more CRUNCH and vitamins to your salad by adding any of the following: Carrots, Cabbage, Tomatoes, Peas, Cucumbers, Beets, Corn, Peppers, Jicama, Onion, Fennel, Mushrooms, Celery...of course the list goes ON!  Pickled veggies are so great for adding a huge punch of flavor to your salad.

*Rainbow Fiesta Chicken Salad

Cheese~
Generally if people are reaching for a salad they are "counting calories".  HOWEVER, it is OK to add some cheese to your salad.  There are MANY cheeses out there..MANY! If you choose cheeses that have BOLD flavors, you can not only add flavor, but also protein to your salad without adding a lot of calories.  I reach for  Bleu Cheese and Feta Crumbles for my salads (not at the same time), sometimes a wee bit of cheddar cheese.  Feta adds tangy, salty, creamy goodness and is low in fat.  Bleu Cheese adds a earthy tangy with a hint of sweetness to any salad. 

Fruit~
Aside from actual "Fruit Salads" I had never enjoyed fruit, in a salad till I was in my twenties.  NOW I adore fruit in my salad.  Fruits, fresh or dehydrated add a surprise POP! of flavor, not to mention fun texture to any salad: Apples, Mandarin Oranges, Pears, Grapes, Craisens, Berries, Avocado.  If this is a "new" idea for you, start simple with a sliced apple.  :)

Strawberries, Blueberries, Feta and Pecans~WHOOP!

Nuts~BRING on the PROTEIN and CRUNCH!  Nuts are sooo amazing in any salad.  Pecans, Roasted Peanuts, Roasted Sunflower Seeds are my favorites.  Of course Almonds, slivered or sliced are right up there as well.  Toasting your nuts will bring out their oils and richen their flavor.  You can do this by placing a single layer of nuts in a non-stick pan on your stove top.  Keep the heat at medium and keep a close eye on them; turning every minute, it only takes 5-10 minutes, depending on the nut variety and cut.  REALLY keep an eye on them, nuts can burn quickly.  I LOVE to *candy Pecans and Walnuts before I add them to my salad. 

Croutons~Flavor and crunch factor is what is all about with croutons.  Croutons are the NUMBER #1 topping of choice by Americans on their salads.  In Italy, they actually have a salad that utilizes croutons as the "foundation", Panzanella.  I am a big fan of homemade croutons. Easy and economical, take day old bread, leftover hamburger or hot dog buns and make tastey buttery nuggets that are SOO much better then what you buy in the store.  Scroll on down a few blogs and find my recipe for homemade croutons as well as a recipe for Panzanella Salad.

Homemade Croutons~THE BEST!

Well, there you go!  My take on fun salad toppings.  I would love to hear what YOU enjoy on a salad.  My friend Nancy mentioned her favorite addition to a salad is "Cilantro".  I guess I need to go back and add "Herbs" as another GREEN to add to your salad!  :)

*'s:  Home-made Vinegarette: Recipe on next blog!  Home-made Croutons: Please scroll down to find recipe on blog. Texture and Taste: This is REALLY what will AMP up your salad.  I will talk about this during "Seven Days, Seven Salads", STAY TUNED! :) Warm Steak Salad and Rainbow Fiesta Chicken Salad: Recipes will be posted during "Seven Days, Seven Salads".