How does the holiday season impact you? Are you more generous? more reflective and nostalgic? Do you wear more bling?
I credit The Christmas season for influencing me in a myriad of postive ways, including getting my ‘creative juices’ flowing. Maybe I got this from my Dad. Back in the 1970’s he created a peace sign out of Christmas lights and hung it on our chimney, with the classic greeting, PEACE ON EARTH. (BTW, it was as relevant then, as it is today. )
Pardon my childhood, Christmas story; it’s burned into my memory like an etching on a heirloom ornament. Prior to this diversion, I was starting to tell you how this season gets my creative juices flowing. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a master when it comes to stringing lights, nor have I won a Nobel Peace Prize. Duh. However, my innovativeness thrives in the kitchen, and I’m happy to share it with you.
If you’re looking for a festive side dish to serve during the yuletide season, keep on reading! My winter tossed salad is made with seasonal produce including pomegranate arils and fennel. It’s fun! It’s delicious! It’s nutritious! (Nutrition info below recipe). Bursting with winter greens, this salad is tossed with oranges and a light vinaigrette. It gets a crunch with sliced fresh fennel and pomegranate arils. You can use winter greens such as frisee and green leaf lettuce, or puchase mixed greens already washed and packaged at Trader Joe’s ( the Champs Elysee’s is my go to winter green mix.) While I’ve been making this salad for my family for several years, the inspiration to serve it on individual salad plates in the shape of a wreath comes from Eating Well Magazine (December 2019, Winter Greens Salad with Kumquats and Pomegranates).
May this season fill you with peace, joy and serenity!
Tossed Salad with Pomegranates, Oranges and Fennel
Fall and winter produce are the stars in this colder weather salad that’s anything but boring.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4
Ingredients
• 1 orange
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• ground pepper to taste
• 7 ounce mix of green leaf lettuce, frisse, radiccio and carrots
• 1 fennel bulb cored and thinnly sliced
• 1 cup pomengranate arils
Instructions
Combine 1 tablespoon orange juice, salt, white balsamic vinegar, honey and olive oil in a small prep bowl. Whisk and set aside.
Place mixed greens and sliced fennel in large salad bowl. Toss gently. On each of four salad plates, arrange salad mix around each plate in the shape of a wreath, leaving the center of the plate uncovered. Top with orange segments and pomegranate arils. Whisk the vinaigrette and drizzle over each salad just before serving.
Notes
Use plates no larger than 7.5 inches to serve four.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 side salad
- Calories: 140
- Sugar: 13 grams
- Sodium: 170 mg
- Fat: 7 grams
- Saturated Fat: 1 gram
- Unsaturated Fat: 1 gram
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 18 grams
- Fiber: 4 grams
- Protein: 2 grams
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Recent Comments