Grilled Vegetable and Goat Cheese Salad

By barbie24

Calories: 292; Fat: 14.2g; Protein: 12.1g; Carbs: 32.5g; Fiber: 7.6g; Cholesterol: 13mg; Iron: 3.5mg; Sodium: 584mg; Calcium: 110mg

* Serving size: 2 1/2 cups salad, 1 goat cheese slice, 1 tablespoon Sweet Chipotle Snack Mix, and 1 toast slice

Ingredients

• Salad:
• 1 (1-pound) eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 6 wedges
• Cooking spray
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 4 (1-ounce) slices ciabatta bread
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups arugula
• 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 (5-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
• 4 ounces goat cheese, cut into 4 slices
• 1/4 cup Sweet Chipotle Snack Mix
• Sweet Chipotle Snack Mix:
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 large egg white
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup unsalted cashews
• 1 cup unsalted pumpkinseed kernels

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from myrecipes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Salad:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

2. Place eggplant and bell pepper on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes on each side or until tender. Place bell pepper wedges in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel bell pepper wedges. Reserve 2 bell pepper wedges and 2 eggplant slices for Sunday's brunch. Coarsely chop remaining bell pepper and remaining eggplant. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

3. Place bread slices on grill rack; grill 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

4. Place remaining 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, vinegar, oil, mustard, and salt in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add eggplant, bell pepper, arugula, tomatoes, and spinach; toss gently to combine. Arrange about 2 1/2 cups salad on each of 4 plates; top each serving with 1 goat cheese slice and 1 tablespoon Sweet Chipotle Snack Mix. Serve each salad with 1 toast slice.

Sweet Chipotle Snack Mix:

1. Preheat oven to 325°.

2. Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.

3. Place egg white in a large bowl; stir with a whisk until foamy. Add the almonds, cashews, and pumpkinseeds; toss well to coat. Sprinkle with spice mixture; toss well to coat. Spread nuts in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 325° for 15 minutes, stirring once. Turn oven off. Remove pan from oven; stir snack mix. Immediately return pan to oven for an additional 15 minutes (leave oven off). Remove pan from oven and place on a wire rack; cool completely. Store snack mix in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.