Sweet baby greens salad with brown rice and apples

Sweet and healthy!

I'm still not over a holiday-induced sweet tooth. I still crave those ginger cookies and chocolate bundt cakes we baked way back in December.

So, how do I satisfy my cravings in a healthy way? What about a sweet salad with baby greens?

Of course, if we're  going to be healthy, why not add a little bit of brown rice? Did you know that brown rice has over six times the fiber that white rice has? And guess what? Brown rice has over 17 times the vitamin E. (Noah Wellness, 2003)

Wonder rice!

I must admit that it took me some time to get used to brown rice. But once I started to add it to dishes, I begin to notice how the chewy texture and nutty flavor enhance a meal. And since it takes my body longer to digest brown rice, I find I am not as hungry later in the day.

But, back to the salad...

For the sweet elements of this salad I choose a tropical trail mix - macadamia nuts, cashews, almonds, dried pineapple and cranberries. I also added balsamic cream, which is a wonderfully sweet reduction, often used in salads as well as chicken and fish dishes.

Tropical trail mix

Here's the recipe...

Ingredients for one serving:

Arugula and lamb's lettuce (or similar greens)
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
2 tbsp trail mix (dried fruit and nut mix)
1/2 apple, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp balsamic cream (reduced balsamic vinegar)

Layer ingredients in a shallow bowl in the order listed above. Drizzle on the olive oil and balsamic cream. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Ready to eat?

I hope you enjoy this and my other recipes. Stay healthy, ya'll!


Reference:

Noah wellness. (2003). Retrieved from
http://www.fcs.uga.edu/noahnet/lp/wgrains/WholeGrains_4_BrownRice_Oct04.pdf