Cranberry-Almond Salad

Another quick and healthy favorite that is very versatile and you can add anything else into it that you like. Chicken or turkey would go well in this recipe, but the cranberries and almonds can hold their own in this salad.You can add more or less of any of the ingredients if you like; that is the beauty with a recipe, it gives you an idea of how much and you can adjust it to whatever you like.

Tips:

Grab those greens - any kind of salad green works in this recipe, which is why I mentioned that below. This is a great recipe to try new kinds of greens because the dressing and other ingredients work so well together. Here are some suggestions and descriptions:

     Arugula - peppery and slightly bitter. 
     Baby Spinach -  Great flavor and packed with nutrients.
     Bibb Lettuce - a variety of butterhead lettuce which has lots of flavor. Its leaves are sold loose but are often expensive.
     Boston lettuce - a variety of butterhead lettuce with large, soft leaves. 
     Curly endive (chicory) - crisp and bitter, but holds dressing well. The inner leaves are more tender. 
     Dandelion greens - slightly bitter, but need to be young greens because older ones are tough.
     Escarole - Sturdy and bitter green that needs to be eaten young as well.
     Green or Red leaf lettuce - this is a green that is often used as a garnish or in sandwiches; not a lot of flavor, but holds dressing well.
     Iceberg - the lettuce that we all know and love. It has little flavor or nutrient content, but lasts long in the refrigerator.
     Lollo rosso - mild and tender leaves that have ruffled red edges. 
     Radicchio - slightly bitter with a beautiful red color; good combined with other greens.
     Romaine - slightly sweet flavor and good crunch
     Sorrel (sour grass) - a sour flavored herb that has a similar flavor to spinach.
     Spider mustard greens (mizuna) - small, tender leaves with a pleasant peppery flavor.
     Watercress - a peppery green that is great in salads, but also sandwiches, garnishes, and soups.

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes

Servings: 2-3 servings

6 cups salad greens

2 large (2/3 cup) carrots, peeled and julienned or shredded

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup slivered almonds

Dressing:

1/3 cup red wine vinegar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:

1) Wash and (if needed) chop salad greens into bite-sized pieces.

2) In a large bowl, toss together greens, carrots,cranberries and almonds.

3) In a medium bowl, whisk together red wine vinegar, oil, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper. Whisk until the dressing begins to emulsify or when it becomes cloudy.

4) Pour dressing over salad greens and toss to coat.