Salad Creations

Like many people this time of year, I’m trying to focus more on eating healthier and getting in better shape. It seems odd to me that the most joyous time of year is also the producer of turmoil due to over indulgence that feeds those little fat cells and initiates a syndrome the entire world knows as “multiplying like rabbits”.

Well, this year I’m determined to find some delightful creations to satisfy the palate in a way that makes those sugar craving monsters continue to long for more. In other words, I’m on the hunt for tasty little morsels of goodness! And I believe I just might have found my first one…

Welcome to the goodness of beets, romaine lettuce, carrots, fingerling potatoes and freshly crumbled goats cheese. Oh my heavenly yummm!!! I could seriously eat this salad during any festive event and not blink twice at the thought of over indulging.

This salad was so good and so wholesome it didn’t need any dressing and what looked like a tiny salad filled me up for hours! I’d say that’s a win for sure. I didn’t add any meat to this salad, but I could see it pairing very well with a few slices of grilled chicken, either plain, seasoned or drizzled with a little balsamic reduction sauce.

To make a single serving size of this salad, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• 1 small head of romaine lettuce
• 1 small whole beet, cooked and peeled
• 2 small fingerling potatoes
• 5-7 snacking carrots
• Fresh goats cheese
• Olive oil
• 1 tsp brown sugar or agave syrup
• 2 tsp rosemary
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

Begin by slicing the potatoes into discs and cross cutting the carrots length way. Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil, add rosemary and some salt and pepper and mix until all the potato pieces are covered. Drizzle the carrots with olive oil and add the brown sugar or agave syrup, cayenne pepper, salt and black pepper and mix until all carrot pieces are covered. Place potatoes and carrots in an air fryer and cook for 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and carrots are slightly tender.

While the potatoes and carrots cook, wash one small head (about the length of your hand and small enough that your hand can reach around the entire head of lettuce) and cut into strips. If you’re using a large head of romaine lettuce, you can use 3-5 leaves. Then cut the beet into discs. Place the lettuce on a place and crumble a small amount of goats cheese on top.

Place the hot discs of potatoes and slices of carrot on top of the lettuce and goats cheese. The heat from the potatoes and carrots will melt the goats cheese slightly but won’t wilt the lettuce. Then place the beet slices on top and top with crumbled goats cheese.

That’s it! Simple and yet so divine and tasty!!

_{If you make this salad, let me know how it turned out. And if this recipe sparked an idea of your own, please share!}