MyPlate Recipe: Rachel's Summer Salad

I made an amazing salad on Friday for lunch, and I just had to share the recipe.  It had all the MyPlate food groups in it, so I was very proud!  And it was DELICIOUS, so that's just another reason to share!

First I started with a vegetable.  I used iceberg lettuce, because it was all I had in my fridge, but you could use any kind of lettuce (or even spinach) that you want.  Just put it on your plate to see how much you need, then tear it up and put it in a (large-ish) bowl.  Do the same with some strawberries, then slice them and add them to the bowl!  (Yummy!)

In the meantime, I grilled a chicken leg on my mini generic George Foreman grill.  I added seasoned salt to give it some flavor.  Then I took off the skin and any fat and cut it up on top of the salad.  I added a serving of mozzarella cheese.

"What about the grain, Rach?"  Well, I made homemade croutons.  Look at the back of your bread package to find out how many slices is one serving.  With the bread I use, Village Hearth Light 12 Grain, it's two slices.  Cut it into small cubes using a bread knife, and set the bread aside.  In a glass casserole dish, melt just under half a tablespoon of margarine if it's 1 slice of bread, and just under 1 tablespoon of margarine if it's 2 slices of bread.  Add some Salad Supreme seasonings, garlic powder, and onion powder to the margarine to taste, and stir in the bread cubes.  Microwave for about a minute and a half, stir, then microwave for 45 seconds at a time until they reach a near-crouton-like consistency.  Don't over-do it though, they get crunchier after they cook and sit to cool!  Viola!  You now have croutons to add to the top of your salad!

So I mixed everything together in my bowl (yes, all five plate groups!) and ate it.  Don't use a dressing--you have so many wonderful summer flavors that covering it up to make it all taste the same is a shame!  Plus, you don't need oils on the MyPlate diet!  It was probably the best salad I ever had, and it was pretty and colorful too!  You'll love it, I guarantee!

Until next time,
Rachel