Greens are so healthy, we should be eating them at every meal. Well, no. But if you’re like me and eat a lot of salad, you don’t want to ruin a perfectly good greens habit with boredom. Just like an ice cream sundae, it’s all about the toppings, all the crunchy, tasty bits that bring the salad into a new realm of goodness.
I don’t like all the weird chemical ingredients in packaged salad toppings, so I make my own. But I only thought to do it when I tried my sister-in-law’s nappa cabbage salad with this topping. It’s good on everything. It’s good spooned right from the pan. I’ve got the burns to prove it!
I love butter, and it seems to get along with me just fine. I love carbs, but carbs are apparently mad at me. I don’t know what I said, carbs, to make you punch me in the stomach every time. You’re like some playground bully who acts like my friend and then … but anyway.
So this salad topping the way I make it doesn’t have many carbs. The recipe calls for packaged ramen noodles, which are quite delicious, but a no-no for me (but maybe not for you, so I included them anyway). Otherwise, just simple, low-carb crunchy things that butter makes even better. Just about any nut or seed will work. You could do a sweet version, too, though I haven’t tried that yet. Maybe with shredded coconut and dark chocolate chunks.
Crunchy Salad (or whatever) Topping
Ingredients
2 TBS butter
½ cup sliced almonds
2 TBS sesame seeds
½ package of ramen noodles broken into small pieces
Spicy seasoning (optional)
Dash of salt
Put everything in a frying pan and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, until the nuts, seeds and noodles are lightly browned, about 7 to 10 minutes. Things can go from crispy to burnt pretty quickly, so keep an eye on it. Let it cool slightly and sprinkle away. Or cool all the way and use it as a base for trail mix. Or stand at the kitchen sink and eat it for dinner (done that!).
Loraine Fick is a writer and low-carb food experimenter with a love for animals and cake. Her greatest challenge is a short attention span, and her greatest strength, at least foodwise, is a desire to share recipes that are good and good for you. Follow Loraine’s blog at Spoonfully – Adventures in Low-Carb Cooking & Baking.
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