Salads! A long lost friend since coronavirus began. Generally speaking, I’m not a fan of making salads at home because I feel like it doesn’t matter what I do, they do not taste restaurant-quality and the dressings in particular seem to require a ton of ingredients that I don’t keep on hand. So I end buying weird ingredients and the cost adds up, then the DIY dressings rarely taste awesome and I end up with a bunch of random stuff taking up space in my fridge door or pantry because I needed a tablespoon of it once upon a time. Anyone else feel my pain in this department?? All of that to say, I was pleasantly surprised to LOVE this salad!! So much so, I had a bowl of it again today.

Pomegranate Seeds

While perusing the produce section of Trader Joe’s recently, Darrell said “Oh, there are those pomegranate seeds I need for one of my smoothies, I had never seen them here!” I suggested he grab some since I had also saved a recipe that required pomegranate seeds and thought we had most everything else on hand and we could try them. The last time I recall eating pomegranate seeds is over a decade ago in high school. I had a friend who loved them and I remember her snacking on the seeds often. One day she convinced me to give them a try. I’m not sure why I’ve not ate them since then because they’re really quite tasty!

Veggie Goodness

Shaved Brussels Sprouts were another Trader Joe’s purchase. This is a great time saver for throwing together this simple salad. Really the only thing that required much effort in this salad was chopping the kale and mixing the dressing. Kale is one of those vegetables that I like but I don’t love, mainly due to the texture I believe. It’s just different. But the shaved brussels sprouts made that less apparent, so if you’re on the fence about kale, I wouldn’t rule out trying this salad.

My Go-To Bacon

Bacon grease is messy and it makes the entire place smell like bacon. (You might not think that’s bad but I just kinda find less than desirable I suppose.) It also takes time and dirties more dishes. Enter Oscar Mayer Fully Cooked Bacon or the Trader Joe’s knock off. My friend Lisa introduced me to this life hacking bacon years ago and while it might not be as hearty and fresh as “the real thing” it is more than enough for me, saving me time, dishes to wash and more.

Notes

• I mixed the brussels sprouts, kale and pomegranate seeds directly in a large Rubbermaid container so that we could enjoy leftovers that weren’t wilted and funky. I mixed the dressing in a separate, small Rubbermaid container for the same reason. :)

• Darrell can’t have the almonds so he left them off.

• If you’re not planning to eat all 4 servings at the same meal, I suggest heating only the bacon you need at the time so when you have it again, you can pop a bacon strip in the microwave for better flavor and freshness!

• This lemon mustard vinaigrette is seriously incredible!! (Did you read that part at the beginning about I hate making salads at home, mainly because of the lackluster dressings?? Yeah… It’s seriously that good!)

The crunch from the almonds, crisp bacon and lightly tangy flavors made this a dynamic, delectable side and for only 211 calories/serving! Check out this Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad recipe from Primavera Kitchen, one of my favorite food blogs!

Disclaimer: I am not a dietitian or medical professional and while I share what ingredients work for me or what I choose to eat (at my own risk) while dining out, I advise you do your homework when choosing ingredients and places to eat. I highly encourage everyone to do their own research when it comes to the products they cook with or restaurant’s procedures. I do not have celiac disease but rather a gluten-intolerance and I’m not an expert on gluten or other food intolerances, autoimmune diseases, or food allergies. I simply share the ingredients I have found work for me, the places where I’ve dined and my personal experiences.