Thursday, April 7, 2011

Italian Flag Salad



Chances are if you come over to my house to eat; I will make one of my favorite salads for you. I like to call it an Italian Flag Salad, not the most creative name for a salad I know. I made this salad to bring to my cousin Robbyn's house for the cooking show we were working on and it needed a name. I just looked at all the colors in it and there you go!  Speaking of Robbyn, I just wanted to congratulate her on reaching one of her goals; she has lost over 100 pounds.  I'm so proud of her, she has been working her little but off literally at two jobs and she decided she wanted to play around with writing some more recipes. 

Italian Flag Salad
3 romaine lettuce hearts, washed and chopped
1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed (use the fresh kind in water)
3 Roma tomatoes, seeded and thinly sliced
1 recipe Balsamic Vinaigrette

Combine lettuce, tomatoes and croutons in a bowl and toss. Toss with vinaigrette prior to serving. I like to make everything the night before when I'm having company and just toss with the dressing on the spot.

Balsamic Vinaigrette
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, salt and pepper in a cruet. Shake well to combine. I love using the leftover dressing on steamed veggies.  Usually I look at a vinaigrette recipe as proportions, I usually go about 1/3 vinegar to 2/3's oil, but I went with a little more oil in this one so it's a little less pungent, if you want more of a vinegary flavor just use a little less oil.  Nothing super secret here, just fresh ingredients making for a better end result.

Enjoy,

Gina

17 comments:

  1. Well...now I HAVE TO make a batch of your croutons just so I can make this lovely salad!! It looks so light and refreshing...perfect for the warm weather that's on its way to Texas to stay for a few months.

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  2. I just love salads like this - fresh and colorful with a light vinaigrette. I actually like the name. It's unique. :)

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  3. Mmmmm a caprese salad. I'm ready for the tomatoes! Bring them on! Probably my favorite salad ever. If I played favorites.

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  4. My kind of dish! Easy, tasty and colorful! The croutons are a great touch!

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  5. Well done, Robbyn! What an achievement :) And a wonderful way to celebrate that milestone with that super tasty salad

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  6. What a fabulous looking salad! It looks wonderful!

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  7. Great Looking Salad, and I love the name:) We aren't quite to salad weather yet, but we're getting close. I'll be making this soon, I'm sure.

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  8. This looks great! ANd I love to make homemade croutons - yours sound so so good! ♥- Katrina

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  9. I love you Gina. Thank you so much! I can't believe I'm related to someone so talented. xo

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  10. That's just how I like it, easy and tasty! Great pic.

    Christine

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  11. What an absolute perfect salad and the viniagrette is so simply divine. Going to use your crouton recipe! Have a great weekend ahead.

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  12. Love homemade croutons and your Italian flag salad looks terrific!

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  13. Congratulations Robbyn, wow! I will definitely stop over :)
    Gina this salad looks so fresh and wonderful, I just may have to have this for lunch now :)

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  14. Congratulations Robbyn, that is so wonderful!! Gina I like the name, it's nice and simple to go with a deliciously simple salad. My favorite salads are simple not with a bunch of extra stuff. Great photo too:)

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  15. @Magic, Spicie and Parsley. Thank you so much for your supportive comments. It's a journey that started in 2007, and there are years I lost 50 lbs and years I gained 20. I'm 24 lbs from a healthy weight as of today!

    Ciao!
    Robbyn

    P.S. Gina's croutons are better than potato chips. lol...but it's true.

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  16. This looks fabulous, Gina! And congrats to Robbyn!!! Well done!

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  17. I think the name is perfect for that salad. It's gorgeous.

    Way to go Robbyn!

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