Orange and Feta Salad with Almonds and Balsamic

by Jessica on March 18, 2011

The following post is from Jessica of GoodCheapEats and LifeasMOM:

source: Jessica Fisher

 

 

I love salads. I mean, I looooove them.

They are a wonderfully delicious way to enjoy fresh produce. And there are so many combinations, how could you ever get bored?

With Spring just around the bend, everyone’s got an eye on planting. Personally, I’m giddy with anticipation for all kinds of fresh fruits and veggies to be bursting from every farm stand and corner market. In light of such, I thought I would share this recent salad creation.

This salad makes use of citrus fruits that are still in abundance domestically as well as spring greens which are easier to come by than head lettuce. Add a little feta cheese and some balsamic dressing, and you’ve got a veritable party in the mouth!

 

source: Jessica Fisher

 

 

Orange & Feta Salad with Almonds and Balsamic

This salad can be served as a refreshing starter to your meal. Or make it “more” by adding grilled chicken or shrimp and serve as a dinner salad.

Ingredients:

For each person, you will need

2 handfuls baby greens or spring mix

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt and black pepper to taste

1 orange, peel and pith cut away and sliced

1/2 slice red onion, halved and separated into rings

2 Tablespoons feta cheese crumbles

1 Tablespoon sliced almonds

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, toss the greens with the balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Arrange on serving plate. Place the orange slices, onion slices, feta cheese crumbles and sliced almonds in layers atop the greens. Serve immediately.

What’s a favorite salad combination of yours?

A foodie at heart, Jessica Fisher has learned to reconcile a tight budget with her love for great food. As a busy mom of six voracious eaters, she regularly shares healthy, delicious and budget-friendly recipes at GoodCheapEats. She also writes at her parenting blog, LifeasMOM.

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  • Anonymous

    Ooo, we have a family dinner on Sunday! I think this salad would go over well!
    Bernice
    Eating for your sanity’s sake

  • http://momgrind.com Vered

    OK, this looks really good and I do have some feta in the fridge and plenty of oranges on the tree in our back yard!

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      I’m jealous of the oranges in your backyard!

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    • http://lesswordsmorelove.blogspot.com Kassie

      I love pretty much all salads- ones with fruit, nuts, crazy cheeses, etc. We’ve been eating a lot of kale lately in place of lighter colored greens and surprisingly, it isn’t bad. But the salad I’m anticipating right now is a classic, fat laden spinach salad. When our spinach is ready, I’ll put hard boiled eggs, onion and bacon on top. Then drizzle with sweet, homemade warm bacon dressing. Mmmm.

      • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

        I love salads with fruit as well. And bacon dressing? Oh my. YUM!

      • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

        I love salads with fruit as well. And bacon dressing? Oh my. YUM!

  • http://joyceandnorm.wordpress.com Joyce and Norm

    Yummy! We love salads over here. Even my 2 little girls (4yo and almost 2yo). We like Chinese chicken salad. Or raspberry spinach salad. Or Caesar…okay, we love them all…

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      My kids are slowly starting to like salad, and it took me until I was an
      adult, so I consider that a win!

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  • http://thesimplespirit.wordpress.com Melissa @ The Simple Spirit

    This sounds delicious! Thanks for the idea – I have some oranges that I need to use up. :)

  • http://thesimplespirit.wordpress.com Melissa @ The Simple Spirit

    This sounds delicious! Thanks for the idea – I have some oranges that I need to use up. :)

  • Anonymous

    I love seeing the pictures! And so many of your things are identical to mine! I love pampered chef too, but I didn’t buy a lot of mine, my daughter used to sell it! And I love your garages too!
    Bernice
    The Ultimate Blog Party 2011

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      Hehe, I had a Pampered Chef bridal shower and I was a consultant for a year,
      so I’ve majorly decluttered to get to this point!

  • http://delightinginthedays.com Stacy

    Nice job! I love the rolling doors too.

    The rest of your kitchen looks great too. The green dishes are pretty.

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      Thanks, Stacy — I love my dishes!

  • http://www.beautifulcalling.ca Beautifulcalling

    We have the Ikea cutlery too :)
    Looks good!

  • http://mommyof3-andlovingit.blogspot.com/ Nicole

    Great ‘garages’ I love that. I go back and forth with keeping appliances out on island or in the cupbords. They are usually out but I have to room I guess so it works.

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      I do keep my mixer out on the counter, and sometimes I wish I could keep
      them all more accessible, but it’s not TOO bad!

  • http://www.girlfriendlifeline.com Tpdval

    To be honest, tackling my entire kitchen at once was a bit too big a challenge for me. So I have been focusing on one small area at a time. It’s easy to manage and motivating – I keep going!

    I started small in my kitchen by focusing on my tupperware drawer:
    http://girlfriendlifeline.blogspot.com/2011/01/organizing-10-minutes-of-worka-weekend.html
    My spice cabinet:
    http://girlfriendlifeline.blogspot.com/2011/03/organizing-spice-cabinet.html
    My kitchen command centre:
    http://girlfriendlifeline.blogspot.com/2011/02/organizing-kitchen-command-centre.html

    • http://yourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      That’s a great idea! I was just talking with some friends yesterday about
      how sometimes we avoid projects just cb we won’t be able to do them 100%
      from start to finish and that learning to do just a little at a time is an
      important skill!

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  • Tracy

    I had the same thing happen to me after the birth of our second.  The OBGYN tried to put me on an antidepressant, but I just knew that wasn’t the problem.  Finally another Dr. did blood work.  For me it was both vitamin D and vitamin B-12.  When I started taking them I felt so much better in just a couple days.  I couldn’t believe such a small and inexpensive thing could change everything.

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      Oh, wow, to the antidepressants. I’m so glad you followed your gut!

  • eekidd

    Just had my levels check this past November.  Doc has put me on 50,000 IU/week for 12 weeks to try to get them up and then we will retest and see what we can do to maintain a decent level.  I am starting to feel a little better, but not great, yet!

  • http://oldfashionedtechchallenged.com/ Monique Burkes

    I know you were going to say Vitamin D. I learned about it from my youngest daughter’s endocirnologist and we’ve been using it as a family ever since.

  • Moe Moe

    I totally agree!! I had mine checked and it was low too. I find that if I skip a does I am dragging around like crazy!!

  • Kimberly Dial

    Is it common for women of childbearing age or can it happen to a 50-year-old Nana like myself? I’m just curious.  Thanks for sharing this :)

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      Kimberly, it can affect *anyone*. It really has to do with not getting enough sunlight for your body to produce it on its own!

  • Guest

    Thanks so much for posting this!! Would you mind sharing the brand of Vitamin D you took? Does it matter?

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      I’m not sure it matters; what does matter is that it should be D3 rather than D2. I got my capsules at Walmart, but I use drops for my girls, and I actually just ordered another bottle of capsules for myself from Vitacost. So I’m definitely not brand loyal!

  • Christy G

    I can totally relate!  I started getting headaches in high school when
    it rained.  It wasn’t so bad though, but as I entered college they got
    worse and I would end up in bed with migraines sometimes.  After
    college, they progressed even more–I would have headaches 3-4 days a
    week and a migraine about twice a month.  I could wake up and instantly
    know it was raining based on how I’d feel. I was achy with the weather
    and would say I felt like an old person.  I started taking cod liver oil
    for totally unrelated reasons but within 6 weeks I noticed my headaches
    had lessened. (I also started reading a lot about nutrition.) Within a
    few months I was hardly getting headaches at all, and all that achiness
    was gone.  I totally felt like a new person!  My day to day experience of life has changed dramatically.
    And the frustrating thing for me was that during all those years of
    headaches and migraines my doctor never knew to suggest bloodwork or
    vitamin D, only migraine meds. I was deficient for years!  I actually
    have since had my D levels tested a few times–early on, despite my huge
    physical improvement my d was still on the low end, but I did get it up
    to a normal range finally.  I still keep up with the D.  If I slack
    off, the headaches will start to return, so I just keep up with it and
    try to get some sunlight in moderation. 

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      Oh my goodness! I get these sinus-y headaches when the weather changes too, and even with our crazy weather I haven’t had one in the last few weeks. I hadn’t even made the connection!

  • whimsy

    Thanks for the post Alea.  

  • amymorgan1970

    I have thyroid disfunction.  But I have also being fighting adrenal fatigue.  What is one of the suggestions?  Vit D.  I have added it to my new vitamin circle.  I feel like I did before thyroid disfunction.  You would think living in sunny Texas, I would have enough Vit D.  I don’t and most women do not.  So get it checked along with thyroid.  It makes a huge difference.

  • Angie

    I am SO excited to read this post!  I’ve been feeling lousy, constantly exhausted, for some time, but I’ve also had surgeries with complications, etc, so I blamed it all on that.  Last week my doctor drew some blood work and checked a vitamin D level, which he’d never done before.  I found out yesterday it was VERY low, so I just started taking a supplement, not even thinking it would make a difference in how I felt.  I have my fingers crossed that this may have been part of my problem for many months and that soon I’ll feel much better. THANK YOU!!

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      I hope you see the same differences I have, Angie!!

  • Cstaylor3

    I was also Vitamin D deficient.  So low I had to take perscription Vit D for awhile to get my levels up before I could switch to over the counter.  It made a huge difference.

  • http://embracingimperfection.typepad.com/ Kika@embracingimperfection

    Yes, we take a fair amount of vitamin D. It helped me, two-three years ago, feel better (more emotionally stable) over our long winters here, in central Alberta. I believe it has also stabilized my osteopenia… no proof, but I stopped getting worse once I started taking lots of vit d and later learned that without it we cannot properly absorb/use the calcium from our food. My husband is African so obviously our children have brown skin and I from everything I’ve read believe it is crucial for them to receive good amounts of vit d as well since it is even harder for them to absorb it (or the rays) from the sun.

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      Oh, wow, Kika — that’s really interesting about the calcium! I’m so glad you’re feeling better!

  • http://joyceandnorm.wordpress.com Joyce and Norm

    I just started taking Vitamin D and it has been helpful! I always remember to give my kids their vitamin, but I sometimes forget for myself. I need to keep it next to their, I guess. =p

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      LOL! I did so well the first two weeks, but I’m finding myself remembering midday that I haven’t taken it yet, so I definitely need a new system too!

  • Sharon Collins

    I was prescribed Vit D about four months ago. I had a blood test and had never had this show up as low. Been taking every day, but still not rid of the tired feeling.

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      I’m sorry, Sharon! I wonder if you’re taking enough Vitamin D? I’m actually taking more than my doctor recommended based on my research, and from what I’ve read, you’d have to take an insane amount (like 100,000 IU+ per day for 12 weeks) to overdose. It may be worth upping your dosage to 5000 IU/day? Just a thought!

      This is where I remind you I’m not a doctor and you should do your own research and consult your physician first. :D

  • KimH

    Im a part of the Vit D crowd too..  When I take 2,000-4,000 IU I feel so much better and quickly… like within 2 hours.  Its AWESOME..

    However, everyone who takes vitamin supplements needs to know that there is a very strong effort to get all supplements taken off the USA over the counter market.  Educate yourselves and Take your vitamins!

  • Clinton Cheatwood

    I am in the same boat! I was prescribed Vit D to get my levels up, I was so deficient. I experienced unexplained stomach problems as well as the constant fatigue. Once my D levels were normal, stomach problems all but disappeared! Per my doctor, Vit D helps all the body systems, and when you are deficient, you can have all sorts of problems!!

  • http://www.kaylacheatwood.blogspot.com/ Kayla

    I am in the same boat! I was prescribed Vit D to get my levels up, I was so deficient. I experienced unexplained stomach problems as well as the constant fatigue. Once my D levels were normal, stomach problems all but disappeared! Per my doctor, Vit D helps all the body systems, and when you are deficient, you can have all sorts of problems!!

  • Whitney

    This is interesting….I had mine tested in December and it was also very low (12) so I’m the 50,000 units once a week for 12 weeks.  My son is almost three and he had extreme colic and I was severely sleep deprived for the first year of his life.  Now he’s suddenly having problems again so I’m exhausted again and won’t be able to tell if the vitamin D is helping until he starts sleeping again!  I’m just wondering if this is a common problem for mothers of children/babies who don’t sleep well.  Is it the sleeplessness that depleted us?  I also breastfed for 26 months and I wonder if that contributed to my vitamin D depletion.  I’ve never been good at taking care of myself but I’m motivated to work on that now!

  • lynda

    My blood work came back and I was very low on Vit. D and extremely low in Iron. So two pills a day for Vit. D and 3 pills a day for iron. The cost of taking the pills is not very much and I know if I can keep taking the pills daily( I forget some time) then I will be fine. I have another blood test this month and if the results are not great then I will have to get a needle for the iron.

  • loveskilts

    dr mercola has a TON of articles on how important vit D is.  this topic is SO worth your time to research.  GREAT ARTICLE!! thank you!!

  • Dawn Marie

    Love your organizing pictures!  It was nice to see that I’m not the only Pampered Chef addict out there!!!! LOL :-)

    • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

      Hehe! Thanks, Dawn Marie!

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  • Diandra

    That soundy yummy!

    My favourite salad is mixed green salads with some sliced strawberries and mozzarella on top, and a simple dressing made from strawberry vinegar, salt, pepper and olive oil.

  • http://lifeyourway.net Mandi @ Life Your Way

    Good reminder — thanks for chiming in!

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