Cashew and Avocado Salad

Since Drexel does trimesters instead of semesters, I am already deep into midterms and projects. I have been so busy with school lately that I haven't had the time to go food shopping and make delicious meals to blog about. The past week I have been living off of cereal and pasta. I wanted to blog so bad but didn't have the right ingredients to come up with a recipe and share with you guys. I decided to take a recipe that I made a couple of weeks ago and share it.

I am a big salad girl. During the warmer months, I eat salad for at least one of my meals. I like to add hearty ingredients such as feta cheese or chicken or grains to keep me full and satisfied. The lettuce that I pick all depends on what type of salad I want to make. If I am in the mood for a salad with roasted chicken, I like to use romaine because it holds up well with the weight of the chicken. If I am in the mood for a lighter salad, I like to use baby arugula and/or spring mix. I never use pre bought dressing, I find it to taste artificial and don't see the reason why I can't make my own. My typical dressing is usually balsamic vinegar and olive oil. It is so easy to make and if you want, you can always make a large batch and store it in a sealable container.

The other week, I was really in the mood for a light salad that had very rich ingredients. I decided to make a salad that had toasted cashews and avocado. Cashews probably have the most amount of fat in a nut, but a little goes a long way. The richness of the nuts pairs so well with the avocado because it adds a smooth finish after the crunch of the nut. I also used a lemon vinaigrette to add some acidity to cut out some of the richness. Finally, I used a mix a baby arugula and spring mix to tie the whole salad together.

Here is how I did it:

Cashew and Avocado Salad

Salad:
- 1/4 cup macadamia nuts
- 2 cups spring mix salad
- 2 cups baby arugula
-1/2 avocado cut into 1 inch slices
-1/4 cup sliced red onion
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds

Lemon vinaigrette: 
- 1/2 juiced lemon
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper


Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees. On a baking pan, spread out the nuts and place in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes until the nuts are lightly brown and toasted. Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, add both the spring mix and baby arugula and mix together. Add sliced avocado, red onion, pomegranate seeds and macadamia nuts.

In a small bowl, add the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and whisk until the vinaigrette has come together. Pour over the salad and toss gently.

You can serve this as a side salad along with a piece of chicken or pork or you can be like me and eat a large bowl of it. However you choose, it will sure be a hit!

Anne