I Sweat Pretty

Sliced peaches ready for my salad

In my quest to try to eat healthier, I’ve been looking for new recipes to try. I recently came across a recipe in a magazine that caught my eye and I tore it out in case I got brave enough to try it. I must apologize because I don’t remember which magazine I tore this recipe out of, but I’m pretty sure it was one of the women’s healthy living magazines. (Let this be a lesson to all magazines – Listing your title or website at the top or bottom of every editorial page is important for this very reason: reckless people just like me!)

I slightly altered the recipe for simplicity. It was absolutely delicious and I already can’t wait for lunch tomorrow to have more.

Here’s what you’ll need for the salad:

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 peaches, cut into wedges

1 bag spring salad mix

1 cup sliced almonds, toasted (I bought a bag of roasted sliced almonds)

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

And here’s what you’ll need for the dressing:

1/3 cup plain nonfat yogurt (I just bought a single serving of Publix brand yogurt)

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons honey

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

salt and black pepper

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1 tablespoon each honey and vinegar with a fork; add peaches and stir to coat.

Coating peaches in honey and vinegar

2. In a large nonstick pan, sear peaches over medium heat for about 3 minutes per side or until caramelized. Remove from heat and let cool.

Seared peaches

3. While waiting for peaches to cool, whisk together yogurt, lemon juice, mustard, and remaining honey and vinegar in a medium bowl. Drizzle in oil, whisking constantly; season with salt and pepper.

The dressing

4. Divide spring salad mix among four plates. Top with goat cheese, sliced almonds, balsamic peaches and a drizzle of the dressing.

I paired my salad with some Publix rotisserie chicken (my favorite flavor: mojo). My dinner was absolutely delicious. The sweetness of the peaches combined with the balsamic and honey mixture was a pleasant surprise and the goat cheese wasn’t overpowering. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this salad dressing, but I think I’ll be making it on a regular basis!

Rotisserie chicken with yummy salad

When I texted my sister about my delicious salad, she responded with the following text: “Eww. I don’t like fruit in my salad.” I don’t blame her… I can’t stand mandarins in any salad, but this is worth trying.

Do you like any fruit in your salads? Which ones?

Tags: cooking with peaches, peaches in salad