On my anniversary date, John had a salad with glazed walnuts. Of course, that was a honey or sugar glaze, but it got me thinking. I am still really trying to keep calories low, so I wondered if a glaze of fat free sugar free dressing would hold the sweetener on the nut. I am so happy to say that it did. The sliced almonds in this salad are incredible. Just a touch of tart to go with the sweetness.
Then the slight bit of the red onion and the burst of flavor from the grape tomatoes. This is salad heaven. It feels substantial with the roasted broccoli, and so full of flavor. I dare say it would be fabulous for entertaining--but treat yourself!
Funny that this inspiration turned out so gorgeous and delicious. This is part of my lunchbox themed Diner News. I didn't realize how "fancy" it would feel while I was developing it. Still great for the highlight of a lunch salad bowl, but definitely nearly gourmet. Most of the other recipes in this issue are a bit more like brown bag fare.
Roasted Broccoli and Smoky Sweet Almond Salad
8 oz broccoli florets
2 tsp refined coconut oil or MCT oil
1/4 cup slivered almonds
3 tbsp Skinny Girl Poppyseed Dressing (divided use)
1 packet sweetener (I used stevia and erythritol)
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
4 cups diced lettuce (Romaine and Red Leaf)
12 grape tomatoes
1/4 cup sliced red onion
Toss broccoli with oil. Roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove and let cool. Lower oven temperature to 300 degrees. Combine almonds with 1 tbsp dressing, sweetener packet and paprika. Toast in the oven for 10 minutes. Stir and return to oven for another 5 minutes. Let cool. Divide lettuce between 2 lunch bowls. Top with cooled broccoli, tomatoes, and onion. Just before eating, toss with additional poppy seed dressing and the almonds.
Serves 2: 213 calories 9 net g carb
If you do make this ahead of time, be sure to add the nuts at the last minute so they retain their crunch. You can use any dressing you choose, but I do like Skinny Girl Poppyseed dressing. If you aren't watching calories, use your favorite sweet vinaigrette. Be sure to use the smoked paprika, as that flavor is key.
The Diner News for September will go out tomorrow. I will do another post to show you some of the goodies included to make work week and school lunches more delicious. I start back to teaching next week, so it is good timing for me. Even if you don't work outside the home, it is fun sometimes to pack food up and eat on the patio or in the park, getting some sunshine.
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3 Researches SHOW Why Coconut Oil Kills Waist Fat.
ReplyDeleteThe meaning of this is that you actually kill fat by eating coconut fats (including coconut milk, coconut cream and coconut oil).
These 3 studies from big medical journals are sure to turn the traditional nutrition world around!