Fresh is Fabulous and Fabulous is Fresh

A good salad can be my favorite thing on the menu. Have you ever tried a salad that was so delicious that you would even eat it as dessert because it was that good? Yes. I have! A good salad has got to be fresh, crunchy, crisp and flavourful. The best things about salads are that: #1. They are a healthy choice (well, let me rephrase: some are. Usually it's the dressing you choose that can determine how healthy it really is and can dictate its fat content). A good tip to reduce fat content is to stay away from creamy type dressings such as ranch, creamy caesar, thousand island, or three cheese ranch. #2. Salads are so quick and easy to prepare. #3. A good variety of fruits and/or vegetables always keep it interesting, a good rule of thumb is that the more colors (fruits or veggies choosen) you put into your salad, the better it is for you nutritionally and finally #4. Salads are so great because it allows us at home (or wherever we may be) to be creative. For me, being creative is one of the most important things when making dishes (besides tasting good and appetizing to look at!), which can make cooking so much fun. Now here is a fabulous recipe I created:

Succulent Salmon Salad




SUCCULENT SALMON SALAD
Serves 4-6.
Prep time: 8 minutes
Cook time: 11 minutes.


Ingredients
(Stir-fry)
4 oz. Atlantic Salmon (fresh) cut into cubes
2 Tbsp. finely grated or chopped ginger
3 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 red pepper (cut into squares)
1 cup fresh green beans (cut in half)
1/3 cup of honey garlic sauce (Oriental brand)
(Salad)
1 iceberg lettuce head (chopped into bite size squares)
1 English cucumber (cut into quarter pieces)
2 large Roma tomatoes (cut into squares) or 20 cherry tomatoes (cut in half)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste


Directions
Salad: Cut all ingredients into a bowl, toss and set aside.
Stir-fry: Heat large skillet/pan over medium heat, add oil, garlic and ginger. Once ginger and garlic are brown, add cubed salmon. Cook for about 5-7 minutes. Salmon is cooked once it is firm, flaky and a light pink color. Add red pepper squares to stir-fry. Cook for 3 minutes. Add sauce, satay for 2-3 minutes. Add green beans, cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Immediately remove from heat. You want the red pepper and green beans to be somewhat crunchy when it is plated. Plating: Plate fresh salad from bowl into bowl or plate. Add salmon stir-fry onto salad, drizzle salad with sauce and serve immediately.