Liven up your salads w/ Prosciutto Pomegranate Greens

When I tell people the number of salads I eat, I think they must think I'm a bit crazy....and boring. What they don't know is that the salads I make/eat aren't just your standard romaine, red peppers and grilled chicken with lemon juice. That doesn't mean I kill the nutritional component by pouring on the cheese, dousing the heavy cream dressing, and calling a bowl of romaine that is more caesar dressing than veggie, a salad. This weekend was a perfect example. I was up at my mom's and the salad she made was delicious. I'll share the recipe and tell you what made it so fabulous so you can create your own.

In the book 'the End to Overeating' (a great read that I'm sure I'll review for you one day) the author talks about how it's the layering of the four main flavours (salt, sweet, bitter, sour) that makes food most palatable. Restaurants have caught onto this - which is one of the reasons we tend to keep going back for more when we're out - but why not create the same delicious effect at home?

When you go to make a salad think of the four flavours - include them all and your salad will be well on it's way to delicious!

Prosciutto Pomegranate Greens
(recipe provided is for a small individually plated salad - adjust amounts accordingly)

• 2 slices of lean, thinly sliced prosciutto
• 2 slices of pear
• handful mixture of arugula and spinach
• 4-5 salted cashews
• 2 tbsp pomegranate seeds
• balsamic glaze (to drizzle on top)

1) Put greens mixture on the plate first. The mild taste of the spinach will counteract the bitterness of the arugula.
2) Wrap each slice of pear w/ a slice of prosciutto. Put on top of the salad.
3) Sprinkle the cashews and pomegranate seeds on last and drizzle with balsamic glaze.

The secret to this salad is the combination of the four flavours - salty (cashews and prosciutto), sweet (pear), bitter (arugula) and sour (pomegranate and balsamic). When you have such active flavours the need for high calorie condiments disappears. Keep these flavours in mind, and you'll be raising the ante with your salads!

Nutrition wise you get healthy fats from the nuts, vitamins packed in the greens and pomegranate seeds, and it's a relatively low calorie way to impress the guests at your next dinner party - or that cubicle partner of yours at the office during lunch time.

calories - 130, carbohydrates 12g, fat 5g, protein 7g

**special thanks to my mom for making this awesome salad - have to give credit where credit is due :)