Romaine Avocado Salad – A salad with few ingredients that pack a major punch. This simple ensemble of ingredients is bright and refreshing. The romaine is crisp and sweet and a secret to one ingredient can make all the difference to this delicious green salad. Forget about buying a bottle of salad dressing. This salad needs only the listed ingredients. This is an ideal salad for your lacto-vegetarians. Suggested proteins to add are flaked tuna, firm whitefish or white meat proteins, such as chicken or pork. (See also Summertime Fishin’). My personal recommendation is to add a soft light Shiraz with this salad as the recipe stands. However, choosing to add a protein inspires me to choose a white wine such as a Riesling.
Ingredients:
| 1 | lg | ( | large | ) | section of romaine lettuce | |
| 1 | ( | medium | ) | avocado | ||
| 1/3 | c. | ( | cup | ) | cilantro, chopped | |
| 1 | c. | ( | cup | ) | cherry tomatoes; halved | |
| 1/2 | c. | ( | cup | ) | minced red onion (approx. 1/2 onion) | |
| 1/2 | c. | ( | cup | ) | english cucumber | |
| 4 | tbs. | ( | tablespoon | ) | olive oil | |
| 2 | tbsp. | ( | tablespoon | ) | fresh squeezed lemon juice | |
| 1/2 | tsp. | ( | teaspoon | ) | salt; add to desired taste | |
| 1/8 | tsp. | ( | teaspoon | ) | black pepper to taste |
What You Will Need:
| 1 | large serving bowl | |||||
| 1 | small mixing bowl | |||||
| 1 | wooden spoon | |||||
| 1 | knife | |||||
| 1 | cutting board | |||||
| 1 | measuring cup | |||||
| 1 | measuring spoon | |||||
| 1 | small rubber spatula | |||||
| 1 | can opener |
Steps to Make Salad:
- Rinse and tear romaine lettuce into bite size leaf pieces.
- Use knife and cutting board to chop cucumber into bite size pieces.
- Next, use knife and cutting board to chop cilantro.
- Then, use knife and cutting board to halve cherry tomatoes
- Finally, use knife and cutting board to mince onion; mince well.
- Roll or massage lemon gently on counter or between hands to help release juice in lemon.
- Use rasp to zest lemon peel into mixture.
- Cut lemon in half and squeeze juice into mixture.
- Stir ingredients in mixing bowl.
- Stir thoroughly; chill for a few hours before serving.
To Serve:
This salad is easily served family style in your favorite salad bowl. Garnish with a lemon slice or two gives a nice color pop to the presentation. Serve individually and garnish with a lemon wedge. DON’T FORGET THE WINE!
Special Tips:
- Use a strainer when squeezing the lemon halves to capture any seeds that may fall into the salad.
- Use food processor to mince onion; quick and easy
- To halve the tomatoes, use the top side of a plastic container lid, set tomatoes on lid.
- Gently press down on the top lid.
- Carefully, slice tomatoes between two lids to halve tomatoes.
- Use an English cucumber rather than any other cucumber. The English cucumber is practically seedless and less bitter to taste. Surprisingly, it makes a significant difference the flavor of this salad.
- While this is a stand-alone salad, it is ideal for adding flake tuna, firm whitefish or white meat, such as chicken or pork. Whitefish types include cod, halibut, snapper, tilapia, bass, and perch. Whitefish is a more firm meat and also withstands deep frying better than other fish. It tends to be bland compared to other fish. Seasoning is crucial for this fish with any preparation (grill, barbecue, bake, poach, deep-fry, etc.).
Special Thanks to Christine Gallary for these following tips from her article, “When a Recipe Calls for White Fish, What Does It Mean?”.
Buying the right kind of fish can be a bit challenging.
Your recipe might call for a specific type of fish or it may just have the very generic term: “white fish.” Fish can be very regional and sometimes the seafood counter has only a few options to choose from, so how do you shop for the correct type of fish?
What does white fish mean?
White fish is not a type of fish — it generally means mildly flavored, quick-cooking fish that usually isn’t very expensive. Popular kinds of white fish are tilapia, cod, bass, grouper, haddock, catfish, and snapper, and these are great for frying, searing, using in soups and chowders, and baking.
6 Tips for Buying White Fish
Feeling unsure about fish shopping? Here are a few tips that can help:
1. Ask the fishmonger.
You know those folks tossing fish back and forth at the market? Fascinating and impressive they catch the fish and don’t slip on the ground. Anyway, they are an incredible resource for selecting the perfect fish for your dinner. Go ahead and tell them how you envision your dinner. Share the combination of flavors you want to use. They will be able to guide you to the perfect fish selection.
2. Think about thickness.
Depending on the thickness of your fish, the cooking time will vary. When using a recipe, refer to the cooking time based on the thickness of the fish. You may have to adjust accordingly depending on the available thickness of your fish selection.
3. Check the recipe for clues.
To feature the fish as your main course, plan to spend more money for a better quality fish. Better quality referring to the taste, type, firmness, etc. For example, a halibut is higher quality than tilapia. Although both are delicious fish.
4. Go for freshness.
Typically, a fresh fish does not smell super fishy. Smell the fish when you can. You can also inquire for the most recent daily catch.
5. Be flexible.
Try something new. Explore lesser cost options. Trust a fish monger’s suggestion — even when the fish looks scary!
6. Don’t forget sustainability.
While this is not mandatory, it is being accountable for your own footprint in our environment and world.
Health Benefits
Finding and incorporating healthy foods in our lives is not always easy. Temptations of fried fatty treats are at every corner. But who wants to be on a perpetual diet? My approach is to look for foods I like and learn how they are beneficial for my health. Granted, I seek information on the ones I like. I haven’t focused too much on foods I don’t like. My list is in progress and includes spices and herbs. I have data on vitamins too. Its been a work in progress for a few years and a collaboration of multiple online sources. Unfortunately, I didn’t think to document those and only extracted the essential benefits for my own purpose of reference. But I’ll bet when you look around the internet enough, you will find similar resources, possibly the same.
- This summary of collected tidbits from internet resources is not intended as a medical guide. Only available beneficial information is shown, negative side effects and other warnings have not been included. The effectiveness and accuracy of any health benefit are subject to opinion and varying outcomes from different studies and reports. Refer to your medical provider or nutritionist when considering any changes.
The Diet Plan
By educating myself on the nutrition value, I am motivated to make healthier choices. Obviously, all choices are meant to be in moderation and any diet changes should be approved by your medical provider. However, I love grilled or roasted mushrooms and glass of wine. Here is why I am including mushrooms on my menu:
Mushrooms – mood booster, balance cholesterol levels, good source of iron, helps reduce risk of breast and prostate cancers, source of calcium for bone health, increases estrogen; good for women especially after menopause, breaks down sugar and starch; good for diabetic diet, boosts immune system, prevents osteoporosis and joint pain, strengthens bones and teeth, aids in losing weight
Does this supreme vegetable not sound like a savior for an aging person? True, I didn’t eat mushrooms regularly when I was younger. Today, they are a favorite vegetable of mine. I love to sautee or roast mushrooms with a bit of wine and Pepper-jack cheese. Yum, to die for dinner! Now you know my method for creating a nutritional diet plan. Let’s discover health benefits for ingredients used to make the above salad.
Health Benefits of Romaine Avocado Salad Ingredients
Avocados
Avocado – helps reduce belly fat, reduces risk for prostate, oral and breast cancers, protects against macular degeneration and cataracts in eye health, lowers cholesterol, contains vitamin E (best fruit source for this vitamin) and folate for promoting heart health, lower risk of strokes, assists in better absorption of nutrients, reduces evidence of aging, contains vitamin B, fiber and potassium, helps prevent high blood pressure, can assist with weight loss as a substitute for butter, mayo, cheese and creams in recipes, promotes healthy skin and provides some natural sunscreen protection in the layers of the skin, can cause adverse allergic reaction for latex sensitive individuals
Cilantro
Coriander (Cilantro) – effective against swelling, fights high cholesterol, reduces diarrhea and aids in digestion (especially when consumed before a large meal), helps proper liver functioning, prevents anemia, menstrual orders, conjunctivitis, treats skin disorders, antioxidant rich, contains vitamin A and C, prevents macular degeneration in the eye, stimulates endocrine system, stimulates insulin production, aids in absorption of sugar in blood sugar, helps with oral ulcers and treats bad breath, reduces effects of allergies improves bone health, strengthens immune system, helps prevent and cure smallpox, a natural aphrodisiac, enhances libido
Cucumber
Cucumber – supports strong bones, nails and teeth, protects skin from irritation, dryness and helps prevent acne, enhances collagen production which helps as an anti-wrinkle agent, good for eye health, eliminates toxins in the blood stream, gut and liver, helps with weight loss, helps reduce risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer, treats bad breath, repairs dry and rough hair (cucumber paste)
Lemons
Lemon – good for liver, detoxifier, fights cold and flu, balance body pH, helps clean bowels and keep regular, dissolve gallstones, kidney stones and calcium deposits, helps fight against brain disorders, good for vision, destroys intestinal worms, antibacterial properties, strengthens blood vessels, helps reduce blood hemorrhaging, helps fight cancer
Olive Oil
Olive oil – prevents inflammation, aids digestion, boosts immunity, helps with weight loss, helps prevent risks of heart disease and strokes, aids in preventing cancers such as breast cancer, helps improve colon health, delays aging, prevents gallstones, antioxidant, improves focus and memory, supports sleep health, helps with depression as a mood booster, supports bone health, helps prevent Type 2 Diabetes, Alzheimer’s and helps treat rheumatoid arthritis
Onion
Onion – improve immunity, regulate blood sugar, reduce inflammation, heal infections, raw onion helps produce good cholesterol (HDL), helps prevent cancer and reduce ulcer development, helps with depression, aids in sleep health, exterior use place under a nostril to help stop a bloody nose, consumption of raw onion helps oral health (beware of bad breath), helps lower blood pressure, combined with garlic works as painkiller, anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory
Romaine
Romaine – rich source of fiber, high antioxidant vitamins A and C, fights free radicals, helps prevent inflammation, heart disease, cancers, and osteoporosis, helps prevent signs of aging such as age spots, improves vision, helps prevent acne, boosts immune system, improves skin elasticity, low calorie good for weight loss and vitamin B stimulates metabolism, folate helps with healthy fetal development, regulates blood pressure, promotes muscle growth and aids in healthy blood clotting due to vitamin K, helps with insomnia
Tomatoes
Tomato – helps prevent cancer, maintain strong bones, helps protect against carcinogens in cigarette smoke, antioxidant rich when eaten raw, reduce cholesterol, lower blood pressure, helps prevent heart attacks and strokes, helps keep hair healthy, eyes, bones, teeth and skin, improves vision and especially helps to prevent night blindness, remove seeds and eat to reduce risk of kidney stones, helps balance blood sugar levels
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