Summertime Sunshine Salad

I know it is winter, but as I was thumbing through my Stellar Vegan Salads cookbook by Sharon Discorfano, I came across the perfect salad. She calls it Summertime Sunshine Salad. I call it Grilled Nectarine Delight! It is so simple, yet so delicious. You just take plain butter lettuce and alfalfa sprouts and top it with grilled juicy nectarines, toasted sunflower seeds, and fresh mint. The mint and nectarines really make this salad punch. Try it for yourself.

Summertime Sunshine Salad
Serves 1

Ingredients

• Living Butter Lettuce
• Alfalfa Sprouts
• 1 Nectarine, sliced into wedges 
• Toasted Sunflower Seeds
• Fresh Mint

Ingredients for Dressing

• 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1-2 Tbsp White Balsamic Vinegar

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 200-degrees. Place the wedges in an oven-safe glass dish and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. You want the nectarine slices to be warm and slightly soft, but not mushy.

Toast sunflower seeds over medium heat in a skillet for 3 minutes. Set aside.

Arrange butter lettuce leaves in the bowl. Arrange sprouts in a circle along outer edge. Cut up fresh mint and sprinkle generously over lettuce; set aside a sprig for center as garnish. Add olive oil and white balsamic dressing. Place 6-8 nectarine wedges in bowl. Add some more sprouts. Sprinkle sunflower seeds and add center garnish. Eat while nectarines are still warm.