Hi, foodies in the hive!
Hope you had a great weekend. My Sunday was for studying, so I opted for easy but nutritious and flavorful solutions whenever I started to feel hungry. It was one of those days when I don't light the stove once. I had yogurt with a cookie for breakfast, a cold sandwich for lunch, and for dinner I wanted to re-invindicate myself...
...So made a salad of romaine lettuce, rugula, watercress, mozzarella di bufala, toasted walnuts, and a homemade honey mustard dressing. Mwah! This is one of those salads that satisfies for many hours due to its high content of healthy fats and protein 😋 The best part? It's super easy to make.
Salads can be fun and really tasty.
There are so many vegetable and fruit options and so many recipes for dressings that are healthier than commercial mayonnaise. I prepare salads daily at home and when I'm short on time, they are the main dish; I make sure to have most of the vegetables well washed in the fridge, ready to use. So I don't think twice and in a snap, I have my food ready to eat or take to work.
If you get the inspiration you need to make your own salads and get to discover the mixes you like best, then they might just make it onto your list of favorite dishes. This is one of my all-time favorites.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups romaine lettuce
- 1/2 cups rugula
- 1/2 cups watercress
- 100 gr mozzarella di bufala
- 25 gr walnuts
- 25 gr almonds
- 50 ml homemade honey mustard dressing. This what I used this time: equal parts of honey, mustard, and olive oil, plus a dash of white vinegar and a pinch of salt
I wouldn't use regular mozzarella here. It's never the same. Mozzarella di bufala or brie work deliciously in this salad. But in the end, it's a matter of taste. I prefer to use some of these two cheeses not only for their milky flavor but for their creaminess, because you can cut them with a fork--or a spoon, why not--easily as you eat and as you chew the bite of the salad the ingredients blend together in such a way in your mouth that they produce a super nice texture and so flavorful.
THE PROCESS
First of all, I washed the rugula and watercress. I had washed and dried the lettuce a couple of days ago.
I toasted a handful of your favorite nuts for some extra crunchiness. Always welcome if you ask me 😋 I used my little electric oven. They were toasting for a couple of minutes at 200°F.
While the rugula and watercress were drying, I prepared the dressing.
In a little bowl, I added equal parts of honey, mustard, and olive oil. I also added a dash of white vinegar--I didn't have balsamic, but it turned out delicious anyway--. I mixed it well...
It became homogeneous easily.
finally, I added the salt and mixed again.
At this point , I took one mozzarella ball out of the can and made sure it'd be enough.
I cut the mozzarella into thick slices of about 1 cm. And I had to toast a little more nuts because I ate some, hehe. I was hungry and it was taking me longer than expected because I was making photos of the process.
Time to assemble the salad!
I placed the ingredients in the bowl and added the dressing, but did not mix it. I would mix it while eating it.
First the greens...
Then the cheese and then the nuts.
And finally, the dressing.
I enjoyed this salad a lot. I have offered it before to one of my nieces who says she doesn't like salads. She loved it.
As usual, I hope you found this post useful 😁 ❤️