Walnut Apple Salad

With the warmer weather, we naturally turn to lightening up our diets. Raw vegetables become more appealing when our bodies are not subjected to the harsh cold of Winter. Here is one of Go Figure owner Cheryl’s favorite salads that is easy to throw together, and tastes like Summer!

1 lb. cooked protein of your choice (salmon, white fish, poultry: great for leftovers)

1 lb. mixed greens (for fast prep, buy pre-washed and cut greens; get the furthest expiration date available to last longest)

*1 cup roasted walnuts, chopped small

1 cup thinly sliced Granny Smith apples, or apple type of your preference

½ cup thinly sliced red or sweet onion

4 Tbsp. olive oil

6 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

**A light sprinkling of Gorgonzola or parmesan

Combine all ingredients but oil and vinegar in a large bowl. (Small pieces of protein can be mixed in, or you can have individual servings if you want to get exact weight/calorie count.)

Mix oil and vinegar vigorously in a cup or blender to emulsify. Serve dressing on the side; leftover salad will hold up better without the dressing mixed in.

*Walnuts can be purchased pre-chopped, but usually they are raw. Roast on low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on stovetop or oven to preserve nutrients. Turn occasionally so they don’t burn. Roasting walnuts gets rid of the bitter taste of raw ones. A large batch of these can be made and stored in freezer for quick access for salads or snacks.

**Wait until after 6 weeks on the program to add Gorgonzola, as it is 50 calories per 1 Tbsp.

Copyright David and Cheryl MacDonald, 2014

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