It’s Monday!

And I’ve got something very exciting for you this evening.

Salad!

Now before you groan Oh April at me in pure uninterested anguish, let me put forth an argument for the salad.

It is highly underrated. Now I’m not talking about some sad little garden salad with slimy cucumbers and withered lettuce all topped with some commercial dressing. I’m talking bright, vibrate colours, and dressings made from real fats. I’m talking crispy romaine, pure olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, crunchy cucumber, and the pop of a fresh cherry tomato in your mouth. I’m talking about real food.

And to give salad a comeback, I’m committing to a week of salads. Real salads. Now who’s with me?

First up: Leafy Greens and Goat Brie Salad. This puppy is one of those big salads that you don’t really need much else of. It would make a wonderful lunch, but in this case I paired it with a barbecued steak for the Hubster, and served it for dinner. Be sure to serve it with a nice baguette. You’re going to want something to soak up all that extra goat cheese, and tomato goodness.

The recipe also calls for sliced almonds, but just use what you have on hand. Unless you have none on hand…..then buy the sliced. I had whole raw almonds, that I sent for a spin in my mini food chopper.  Voila! Perfect topping for the salad.

Now less talk, more recipe!

Leafy Greens and Goat Brie Salad

You Will Need:

2 teaspoons of butter

1 smallish onion – diced

1 clove of garlic

1 cup of diced tomato

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 tsp brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or more if you want it spicy)

2 tsp chopped fresh basil

4 oz (or 113 g)  Goat brie

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

sprinkle of sea salt

4 cups mixed baby greens

Sliced almonds for topping

Directions

Heat first amount of olive oil in a medium sized fry pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes, or until onions are beginning to soften and garlic is fragrant. Stir often.

Add tomato, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper to fry pan and heat and stir for another 3 minutes, or until tomatoes just start to give off their juice.

Remove from heat, and set aside to cool. Once cool stir in basil.

While tomato mixture is cooling, place brie on a sided cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 12 – 15 minutes, or until soft.

Once baked, allow brie to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together second amount of olive oil, lemon juice, and sprinkle of salt. Add leafy greens and toss to coat. Transfer to serving plates, and spoon tomato mixture over leafy greens.

Slice brie into 4 equal portions and place cheese on top of tomatoes.

Sprinkle with almonds.

Serve with toasted baguette on the side.

This recipe technically serves 4, but I have no shame in saying Hubby and I devoured it all. It is light and springy – exactly what we’ve been craving.

Enjoy.

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