Pizza Toppings & Heat: The Secrets to the Perfect Anti-Salad

Salad is not exactly everyone's favorite dish, especially some fussy children, so how can you spice it up? Check out "Pizza Toppings & Heat: The Secrets to the Perfect Anti-Salad" below for the answers!

Salad. Just saying that word is enough to make a child's heart sink — especially if coupled with "is for dinner." We associate the word with boring and bland. But salad, poor old salad, doesn't have to be. It can be fun, it can be good, and it can be something you enjoy for dinner. You just have to know the secrets to making the perfect anti-salad.

To make an anti-salad you need all the stuff that you normally wouldn't put on a salad, but might put on everyone's favorite food since 4th grade...pizza!

That means cured meats, cheese, and peppers. Coincidentally enough, these ingredients also typically make up an antipasto. But nobody really thinks those are fun either — apologies to Italy.

Why is that? Because there's another missing ingredient. Warmth.

There's something about heat that makes things seem more like a meal and less like...well, a salad.

Here are some ingredients you can grill, roast, and throw in your salad to make it an anti-salad everyone will enjoy. Just add greens, balsamic vinegar, and some croutons — or try some grains or garbanzo beans and ditch the greens altogether.

• Sautéed onions
• Roasted eggplant
• Roasted bell peppers
• Roasted olives
• Grilled tomatoes
• Prosciutto
• Pepperoni
• Parmigiano Romano
• Feta Cheese

Try out some of these other warm salads from our archives...

• Citrusy Millet Salad with Roasted Fennel and Kalamata Olives
• Warm Farro Salad with Roasted Vegetables and Fontina
• Warm Chickpea Salad with Cumin & Garlic
• Warm Golden Beet Salad with Greens and Almonds

(Images: 1,3. Megan Gordon 2. Chris Perez)

Original Article Here: http://bit.ly/12ThhK3