Apple & Pear Salad (with grilled peanut butter sandwiches)

My dad got us a subscription to Taste of Home magazine about a year ago, and this salad is adapted from a recipe in the latest issue. I was in the mood for a vegetarian meal last night, and so needed to come up with something to go with the salad.  What goes well with apples? Peanut butter, of course! So I threw together some quick grilled peanut butter sandwiches to have with it, and it was a really good pairing.

Apple & Pear Salad

Ingredients

4 organic pink lady apples, thinly sliced
2 organic pears, thinly sliced
1 organic cucumber, seeded and chopped
1 organic red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup apple juice
1 Tbsp organic dill, chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions

1. Combine apples, pears, cucumber and red onion in a large bowl

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients until evenly combined

3. Pour dressing mixture over salad and mix with a spoon until evenly coated

4. Refrigerate until ready to serve; serve cold

Makes ~8 servings

(Apple & Pear Salad recipe adapted from Sept/Oct 2013 issue of Taste of Home)

The grilled peanut butter sandwiches were pretty simple..I just made them like I would make a grilled cheese, but used peanut butter instead of cheese. If you are wondering how I made them, here is what I did:

Grilled Peanut Butter Sandwiches

Ingredients

5 slices dairy free whole wheat bread (I made a half sandwich for Charlie)
Dairy free olive oil spread
Peanut butter (amount to your liking)

Directions

1. Heat grill pan on high heat and cover both sides of bread with thin layer of dairy free spread

2. Reduce heat to medium and place all slices of bread on grill; grill one side until golden brown

3. Flip bread over and spread peanut butter on grilled side of one slice of bread per sandwich

4. Place grilled side of second slice of bread on top of bread slice spread with peanut butter

5. Grill sandwiches until golden brown on the outside, about 2 minutes per side

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Apples and pears provide vitamin C and fiber. Red onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Peanut butter is an excellent source of protein and potassium.