Mediterranean Salad with Toasted Pita Croutons and Tangy Balsamic Dressing

A fun and healthy twist on the classic Greek salad….

Salad

Ingredients:

6 cups shredded lettuce (romaine, red leaf, butter, field greens all work)
½ cup chopped tomato
1 cup chopped cucumber
½ cup chopped roasted red peppers (I made my own by throwing one on the grill)
¼ cup sundried tomato
¼ cup sliced kalamata olives
1 ounce low fat feta or mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Rinse and prepare all the vegetables and put in a large salad bowl. Add the olives, sundried tomatoes and cheese and chill before serving.

Makes 4 servings

Serving size: 1/4th of the recipe Calories 110 Protein 3 g Carb 7 g Fiber 2 g Sugars 3 g Fat 2 g saturated fat 2 g Sodium 190 mg

Pita Croutons:

Ingredients:

1 whole wheat pita bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
½ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
ICB spray or olive oil using olive oil sprayer (if both n/a use a teaspoon of olive oil)
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a small baking sheet with tin foil (or spray it with cooking spray)
and add the pita cubes. In a small dish combine the oregano and garlic powder. Spray the pita cubes lightly with ICB or olive oil sprayer (or drizzle lightly with olive oil) and sprinkle the oregano/garlic powder to evenly coat. Bake for 7-10 minutes on one side (until lightly browned) turn over and bake for another 5 -10 minutes. Remove from oven and add salt/pepper to taste if desired. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge if they will not be used immediately.

Makes 4 servings

Serving size: ¼ of the recipe Calories 45 Protein 2 g Carb 9 g Fiber 1 g Sugars 0 g Fat 0 g saturated fat 0 g Sodium 105 mg

Dressing:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 -2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Whisk all the above ingredients into a small bowl and chill if not serving immediately.

Make 4 servings

Serving size: 1/4th of recipe Calories 70 Protein 0 g Carb 2 g Fiber 0 g Sugars 0 g Fat 7 g saturated fat 1 g Sodium 0 mg

Serving size: 1/4th of recipe altogether with salad, dressing and croutons Calories 225 Protein 5 g Carb 18 g Fiber 3 g Sugars 3 g Fat 9 g saturated fat 1 g Sodium 295 mg