My Napa Valley Salad Recipe

GetToKnowMeGraphic

Image 10

Hello there my friends and a very happy Friday to you and Labor Day weekend. I wanted to share my Labor Day BBQ menu with you and I've been getting literally hundreds of emails, texts and phone calls since I put up my Napa Valley Salad recipe on social media earlier this week. 

I love to cook. It's fun. I love to cook with those whose company I really enjoy. I think that is the absolute best. I loved to cook for my family. There was a few year stretch where I didn't cook due to some health issues, but I always enjoyed cooking for them just to maybe hear that they really appreciated what I had done for them. It makes you feel loved and valued. I would definitely hear it if they didn't like something, which does not make you feel loved and valued. I firmly believe that no mother should be taken advantage of and not hear a "thank you" for anything that she does for her family. All too often, we are because it's our "duty." That is not true. 

My Napa Valley Salad is one of the best salads I've ever had in my life and the ideal dressing is a good Raspberry Vinaigrette. Adding meat to your salad is optional. I usually do not add meat because I like the taste of all of the ingredients in the salad together. If I do have meat, organic chicken on the side is very delish, but my fav is a medium-rare tri-tip off the BBQ. I make the melt in your mouth and no knife needed tri-tip that I slice paper thin. A fresh loaf of French bread with fresh butter completes your meal. Since I am gluten-free and 100% organic, I do not have the bread, but I've been known to sneak in a piece every now and then. 

As with all good recipes, there are no true measurements. You do want to take it easy on a couple of the ingredients just to add a light touch of flavor, such as red onion. I go very light on that as it packs a punch and I want to taste the other ingredients more. I will write you up what I do below and you can take it from there. The amount of ingredients you put in, of course, depend upon the size of the salad you are making. Also, keep in consideration the size of each ingredient and prepare your salad that way, i.e., the larger ingredients on the bottom and build up for a lovely presentation.

1.  I prefer a mix of romaine and fresh spring mix lettuce.

2.  Sliced strawberries.

3.  Red grapes cut in quarters.

4.  Mini Babybel cheese rounds cut in quarters. 

5.  A handful of organic raisins. 

6.  Sunflower seeds, roasted or plain, unsalted.

7.  Gorgonzola cheese sprinkled on the top. 

8.  Red onion cut into half circles, very light of about 4-5 half circles.

9.  Fresh ground pepper to taste.

10. Sea salt to taste.

I do not add any croutons since there is the bread on the side. It's that simple and the taste is phenomenal. If you decide to have a glass of wine, I would go with a high-end red wine. The flavors blend so effortlessly together and you can taste every single ingredient. Roasted sunflower seeds are generally salted so you do not need to add salt to your salad. I like the freshest ingredients that I can find. You can also add an avocado and/or tomatoes if you wish. However, tomatoes are very acidic, so I would throw in a handful of baby cherry tomatoes as they are sweeter. The list of ingredients that I posted above is what I personally make and it's definitely a hit with my family. My neighbors even show up with a large Tupperware bowl. It takes about 15 or so minutes to make. It's a very fast and on the fly family meal that is healthy and nutritious, not to mention extremely good!

I hope that you try and enjoy this receipe some time and leave me a comment! I also have a giveaway for you on this blog post ending on September 10. Even better, I have an online class coming up for you at Cindy B Designs Online Card Classes in a few weeks, so be sure to check back often for more information. You can also sign up for my past classes as access is lifetime. I hope that you will join me for this very fun special Halloween class. I have a lot of great and unique projects planned for you, from home decor to packaging treats for your little goblins.

Thank you so much for stopping by to visit me today and God bless you. Stay safe this weekend and remember who we are honoring. 

 

Shop Cindy B Designs Boutique. You will love the experience! Simply click on the shopping bag above and enter a world of beauty hand-crafted for you. 

 

Need Stampin' Up! products? Just click on the button above to shop with me 24/7 from the comfort of your own home!