I love salad. I could eat salad for lunch and dinner almost every day. I love the variety, textures, and creativity that inspire making a salad. I love vegetables and a good salad dressing. Sadly enough I dislike making salad but the reward is worth it. It is a healthy meal for the family and a great way to introduce vegetables and healthy foods to picky eaters. I have found with the right salad dressing you can get any member of your family to love a good salad. Best of all, it is filling with little sugar and carbs. The only problem I have encountered is my husband disagrees a salad is filling enough to call it a dinner. So, I had to bring on the protein. Here is a salad even filling for a man.
Salmon Salad with Breadsticks
Ingredients
1 ounce Neufchatel cheese
8 whole wheat bread sticks
2 tablespoons chopped chives
1 pound asparagus, trimmed
4 5-ounce salmon fillets
3/4 teaspoon salt
Nonstick cooking spray
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 cups mixed greens
1 cup red seedless grapes, halved
Directions
1. Microwave the Neufchatel in a bowl until just warm, about 10 seconds; stir until smooth. Roll one end of each bread stick in the cheese and sprinkle with chives. Set aside.
2. Add 1 inch water to a skillet and bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain; run under cold water. Cut into bite-size pieces.
3. Sprinkle the salmon with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt. Coat a grill pan with cooking spray. Add salmon and cook over medium-high heat 4 minutes per side.
4. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and remaining salt. Combine the greens, grapes, and asparagus; toss with 2 tablespoons of the dressing. Drizzle remaining dressing over the warm salmon.
5. Divide the salad among four plates; top each plate with a salmon fillet and two bread sticks.