Can Salad be a Comfort Food?
Salads are a main stay in our home, but sometimes in the winter we want more comfort food. I have been mulling over an idea to add baked apples to our salad. I just love the combination of warm/cold in a salad, especially in chilly weather.
Tonight I finally decided how I wanted to make my baked apple salad and Mike and I both really enjoyed the result.
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Ingredients
- 2 baking apples I used yellow delicious
- 1 1/2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 cups Boston Bibb lettuce
- 1 tablespoon raspberry balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 stalk celery very thinly sliced
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup feta, blue, or gorgonzola cheese optional, if you prefer a milder cheese, cheddar is great with apples
- 1/2 cup walnuts preferably soaked and dried*
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 475 degrees.
- Cut the un-peeled apples in half and core them.
- Place in a baking dish and put 1/2 t of melted coconut oil into each apple. Rub the oil around the entire apple.
- Smear a small amount of pure maple syrup on the top of each apple half and sprinkle with cinnamon.
- Bake for 30 minutes until tender but still firm. Allow to cool until warm.
- Toss the lettuce with 1 T raspberry balsamic vinegar, 2 T olive oil, sea salt, and pepper to taste.
- Divide the lettuce among four plates. Place one apple half on each plate.
- Sprinkle each with 1/4 of the cheese, 1/4 of the thinly sliced celery, and 1/4 of the walnuts.
- Drizzle any drippings from the baking pan over the apples.
Notes
*For easier digestion and fantastic flavor soak and dry the walnuts ahead of time. Place 2 cups of nuts in a bowl. Add 1 t of sea salt and cover the nuts with water. Stir to dissolve the salt. Allow to sit for 6 – 8 hours. Drain and dehydrate in a dehydrator or in your oven at just under 150 degrees for 8 – 12 hours, or until completely dry and crisp.
