Spicy Tuesday – Not Your Average Greek Salad – Oregano

This salad makes us happy because we are  serving up a familiar dish in a different and unique way. Your eaters will never suspect that you are sharing not only crisp and crunchy fresh veggies, but a secret ingredient, rich with omega-3 fatty acids, a crucial fat found in little fish like sardines. We’re presenting a class on “Eating for Energy” at the Thomas F Chapman Family Cancer Wellness Center in Atlanta tommorrow. This salad is one of our featured recipes!

NOT Your Average Greek Salad

• 1 Tin Sardines, packed in extra virgin olive oil if possible, drained
• 3 TB Olive Oil, divided
• 6 Slices Whole Wheat Bread, cubed
• 2 Cups Shredded Kale
• ¼ Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 TB Lemon Juice
• 2 TB Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 tsp Grated Garlic
• 2 tsp Dried Oregano
• ½ tsp EACH Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• ¼ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• 2 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 3 Large Tomatoes, chopped
• 1 Large English Cucumber, chopped
• ½ Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
• ¼ Cup Thinly Sliced Red Onion
• ¼ Cup Chopped Kalamata Olives
• 6 Cups Shredded Romaine Lettuce
• 4 Cups Shredded Kale 

Step One

Preheat oven to 400F. In a sauté pan place sardines and 2 TB oil. Crush sardines with a wooden spoon until broken up and heat with the oil until they dissolve. Add in cubed bread, stirring until well coated. Place croutons on sheet pan lined with foil. Toast until crispy about 20 minutes.

Step Two

In the same sauté pan warm 1 TB oil and quickly sauté kale it until it turns bright green.

Step Three

To make the dressing whisk together juice, vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and mustard in a small bowl . Add tomatoes, cucumber, cheese, onion, olives, lettuce and kale to a large salad bowl. Toss gently to combine and drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle with croutons.

The health benefits in this “not your average Greek salad” are amazing. It is full of color and therefore many vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Infact, the oregano is our special spice of the week because of the vitamins A, C, E, and K, as well as fiber, folate, iron, magnesium, vitamin B6, calcium, and potassium. It also has anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal effects, and may kill MRSA, listeria, and other pathogens. Oregano essential oil may be useful for respiratory ailments like colds and flu.