Inspired by a very delicious meal I had recently at La Cucina while I was out and about shopping at Dartmouth Crossing; I decided to try and recreate the “Arrostita” salad (featured above) at home.

Here’s what I came up with…

I have no idea what goes into the Arrostita salad at La Cucina, but I tried my best to asjust it to the flavors I thought were featured in the salad. You really could use any kind of veggies to roast for this salad, so don’t feel married to these ones mentioned here. I know I’ll be trying roasted eggplant, sweet potato, and even asparagus (the possibilities really are endless).

I wanted to make this salad into a meal (I had it as a side with a panini while dining at the resto), and so I added cooked chicken to add some protein (to help fill me up). I also didn’t have any goat cheese on hand, so I improvised by adding some grated applewood smoked cheddar, and trust me it was AH-MAZING! The smokey flavour with the sweetness of the balsamic was like heaven.

*This recipe yields two very big dinner sized salads! Even Elaine from Seinfeld would be impressed.

Ingredients:

Mixed greens (about 3 cups)
1 red onion (washed and chopped)
1 green pepper (seeded and sliced)
1 zucchini (washed and sliced into coins)
1 red pepper (seeded and sliced)
1 package of mini bella mushrooms (washed and quartered)
1/4 cup of grated applewood smoked cheddar
2 TBS Balasmic Vinager (adjust to taste)
3-4 TBS olive oil (as necessary)
1 TBS garlic powder
1 TBS oinon powder
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
Fresh cracked pepper to taste
2 cooked chicken breasts

Directions

Preheat oven 450.

In a large bowl combine the peppers, onions, mushrooms, zucchini, and toss with olive oil. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil at a time, and gage how much you need to coat your veggies. I never measure olive oil, so this is just a ball park guess (sorry).

In a small bowl combine spices. Toss with vegetables until they are coated. Spread evenly on a large roasting pan and splash with balsmaic vinager.

Roast for 35 to 40 minutes in the oven, stirring every 10 minutes or so, or until vegetables are cooked through (soft) and slightly browned.

Just before you take the veggies out of the oven prepare your greens on a plate or bowl. Sprinkle the cheese over the fresh greens, top with your cooked chicken, and then finally the grilled veggies. I added extra balsamic vinager on top of the greens before adding everything else just because I LOVE balsamic vinager (I literally think I could drink it I love it so much – okay I know that’s weird, but seriously it’s good) but if BV isn’t your thing you don’t have to add more.

I’m so impressed with how this salad turned out especially because I was winging it at best! I’m quite confident that this recipe will be a go-to for weekday meals from now. I think it would be especially great for days when I can’t get to the gym and I want a low carb dinner option!

Let me know if you give it a go! Tweet me @shortpresents