Going green..

Sometimes a protein packed salad is enough to keep you going, but the trick is to make it stick to your ribs so that you don't follow it up with a bag of chips. Nuts and meat in a salad are no brainers- they give you the essential nutrients and fill you up, but the dressing, in my opinion is what makes or breaks the salad. Having said this, I tend to stay away from mayo or cream based dressings as much as possible with the exception of a creamy Caesar dressing ( homemade) every now and again. It goes without saying that store-bought dressings are a no-no for me. I often turn to a simple fresh vinaigrette when tossing up a salad in a hurry. A good quality olive oil is a must and I use a secret ingredient - a balsamic glaze, instead of a balsamic vinegar which can be very acidic in taste. A balsamic glaze is syrupy in texture and adds a subtle sweetness to the dressing. A splash of walnut oil is great when used along with walnuts and is particularly great with baby arugula or spinach. The way I look at it, a salad has several components: 1. greens 2. fruit and /or nuts 3. vegetables 4. protein 5. cheese ( optional) 6. dressing Just by changing up these components it is easy to create different salads at the drop of a hat. So get creative and lose a few pounds in the bargain! Recipe for a rotisserie chicken and pomegranate salad: 1 rotisserie chicken breast cut into slices a few onion rings 1 head of Romaine lettuce cut into bite-sized pieces 1/2 a pomegranate seeded 2 tbsp chopped walnuts For the dressing: 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp balsamic glaze 1 tsp walnut oil 1 clove of garlic crushed salt and pepper to taste Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a bottle and give it a good shake or whisk it together in a bowl. Arrange the filling into a salad bowl and pour the dressing over it . Toss and serve.