fancy schmancy salads

In an effort to get back into shape, Lori and I have started fancy salad nights to force ourselves to: a) eat more salads, b) expand our salad-making skills and c) rid our minds of salad's bad reputation. I think that salads often get a 'meh' rep because they almost always don't include enough treats. The lettuce or spinach or arugula is secondary for me... I'm always more interested in the veggies on top. This particular experiment came out well and was pretty easy to make. 

Ingredients

asparagus, avocado, cherry tomatoes,

onion, balsamic vinegar, goat cheese,

almonds, olive oil, garlic, butter lettuce, arugula

First, toast almonds by broiling them on high for just a few minutes. Then, in a separate pan, roast asparagus with olive oil and garlic on 400 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes or until soft. On the stove, heat balsamic vinegar, olive oil and a pinch of brown sugar with a heaping handful of diced onions and caramelize. Slice other raw veggies and throw it all in a bowl with butter lettuce and arugula and ta da! A feastly salad.