Have you ever found yourself just lying in your bed during the night, staring up at the ceiling pondering life, when suddenly some random food craving hits you?
For me, the craving that hit me the other night while I was lying there was for salad (salad, of all things)!
Salad is a meal that can either fall under the “utterly dull” category, or the “absolutely delicious” category. To satisfy me, I like my salads to be bountiful and graciously topped with scrumptious fruits, veggies, nuts and other nutritional foods that make it an overall healthy, satiating meal.
Seeing as it was the middle of the night, I didn’t get up to go throw together a salad, but I did do some searching and found 5 fantastic recipes for salads that are perfect for this Fall season that I’m dying to try! Enjoy and feel free to share any other salad recipes you think your fellow Fitlifer’s should try during this beautiful season!
1. Cinnamon, Apple, Walnut, Kale And Quinoa Salad
Cinnamon, Apple, Walnut, Kale And Quinoa Salad
Author: Sara Wylie
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup dry or 2 cups cooked quinoa
- 3 large handfuls kale, stalks removed & finely chopped
- 3 medium apples, cored and diced (use sweet variety)
- 5 celery stalks, diced
- 1 cup walnut halves or pieces
- Cinnamon Dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil, extra virgin
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- ½ lemon (the juice)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cook dry quinoa as per package instructions. If using leftover quinoa, measure 2 cups. Add to a large mixing bowl along with kale, walnuts, apples and celery.
- In a small skillet, toast walnuts on low-medium heat until lightly brown, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently and watch closely not to burn. Transfer to a bowl with other ingredients.
- In a small bowl, whisk together Cinnamon Dressing ingredients, pour over salad and stir gently. Serve cold or warm, on its own or with chicken or turkey.
Notes
Storage Instructions: Refrigerate salad without
the dressing for up to 2 days. Dressing keeps well refrigerated for a
few weeks. All dressed salad stays fresh in the fridge for up to 1 day.
2. Harvest Cobb Salad
Harvest Cobb Salad
Author: Sara Wylie
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, diced (optional)
- 2 large eggs
- 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 1 apple, diced
- 1 pear, diced
- ½ cup Fisher Nuts Pecan Halves
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ⅓ cup crumbled goat cheese
- Poppy Seed Dressing:
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise (or substitute)
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 Tbs raw honey
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp poppy seeds
Instructions
- To make the poppy seed dressing, whisk together
mayonnaise, milk, sugar, apple cider vinegar and poppy seeds in a small
bowl; set aside.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
- Place eggs in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Cover eggs with a tight-fitting lid and remove from heat; set aside for 8-10 minutes. Drain well and let cool before peeling and dicing.
- To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with arranged rows of bacon, eggs, apple, pear, pecans, cranberries and goat cheese.
- Serve immediately with poppy seed dressing.
3. Apple, Pecan And Feta Salad
Apple, Pecan And Feta Salad
Author: Sara Wylie
Serves: 1 big salad
Ingredients
- Salad:
- 3 cups kale, de-stemmed, washed and torn
- 1 apple, sliced thinly
- 2 tbsp cranberries
- 2 tbsp pecans
- 3 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled
- Honey-Apple Vinaigrette Dressing:
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl, place the kale. Add the apples, cranberries, pecans and feta cheese on top – if you’d like, toss them in a bowl first then sprinkle on top.
- Whisk the ingredients together and pour over the salad.
- Enjoy!
4. Sweet And Salty Fall Harvest Salad
Sweet And Salty Fall Harvest Salad
Author: Sara Wylie
Ingredients
- Salad:
- 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- At least 2 tbsp of chosen sweetener (or brown sugar substitute)
- 1 bunch of kale, washed, stems removed, and roughly chopped (about 8 cups)
- 6 oz brie, cubed
- 1 large apple, cored and roughly chopped
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- For the maple vinaigrette:
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- Up to ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard (or substitute)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- ¾ tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Spread the squash out on a large baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil then sprinkle with some salt and pepper. Roast for 35 minutes, toss the squash and roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, tossing periodically until the squash is browned and softened.
- While the squash roasts, make the candied pecan clusters. Ready a Silpat or line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Heat the butter and brown sugar over medium heat in a medium nonstick pan until bubbling. Toss the pecans into the butter-sugar mixture until coated. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar liquefies and turns a dark amber color. Pour the pecans out onto the Silpat or parchment paper and spread them out with a rubber spatula. Allow them to cool completely before breaking them up into clusters.
- Make the vinaigrette: Whisk the maple syrup, ¼ cup olive oil, mustard, vinegar and salt together in a medium bowl or shake it all together in a mason jar. Whisk in additional olive oil in small increments up to ⅓ cup total until you reach your desired dressing consistency.
- In a large bowl, toss the kale with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Massage the oil into the kale with your hands until the kale turns bright green and glossy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Top the kale with the squash, brie, apples, cranberries and pecan clusters. Drizzle the maple vinaigrette over the top of the salad before serving while the squash is still warm.
5. Fall Harvest Salad With Maple Vinaigrette
Fall Harvest Salad With Maple Vinaigrette
Author: Sara Wylie
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) can kidney beans, drained, rinsed
- ½ pomegranate, arils removed
- 6 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- 2 Granny Smith apples, diced
- 4 celery stalks, diced
- ½ red onion, diced
- 2 cups spinach, chopped
- ¾ cup pecans, toasted
- ¾ cup raisins
- 1 cucumber, peeled, diced
- For the maple vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss together all salad ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together vinaigrette ingredients. Taste and adjust to your liking (add more maple syrup for additional sweetness).
- Chill each separately in the fridge. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad just before serving.
Thanks for taking the time to read this article. If you found this information helpful, please share it with your friends and family. Your support in our endeavor of sharing free information would be much appreciated.
Follow us on Facebook to stay updated with what's going Viral in the Alternative News scene. https://www.facebook.com/ViralAlternativeNews
By Sara Wylie via FitLife.tv
