Apple Salad recipe

I’ve added carbs back into my diet by way of fruit and whole grains, but I still try to combine those carbs with protein and healthy fats. I realized that this is the key to maintaining a stable blood sugar level.

During one of our visits to La Tasca, a local Spanish tapas restaurant, I had an apple salad that fit these requirements perfectly. On the menu, it’s described as:

Ensalada de Manzana
Thinly sliced, crisp green apple slices tossed with slivered
almonds, soft tetilla cheese, and a lemon quince vinaigrette

This salad was heaven. It really was! Tart apples, crunchy almonds, creamy cheese, and a subtle sweetness in the dressing… if I could just figure out what all the ingredients were, and where to buy the cheese, I knew that I could recreate this at home.

The next day, I bought the following at the grocery store:

• Green apples
• Slivered almonds
• Soft cheese (I couldn’t find tetilla, so I settled on Mexican manchego)
• One lemon
• Quince paste (in the Latin American food section)

I already had extra virgin olive oil and vinegar in my pantry. Champagne vinegar would probably work better, but I used white balsamic because that’s what I had on hand.

To make the lemon quince vinaigrette, combine:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin oil
• 2 tablespoons vinegar (or to taste)
• 2 ounces quince paste
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

The first time I made this, I coarsely chopped the quince paste, which is a little denser than a jam, but still soft. The second time, I pulsed it in the blender along with the other ingredients. I kind of prefer the big chunks, though, so I’ll just chop it by hand from now on!

This is quince paste, or ‘ate de membrillo’ –

• Preparing the salad is easy. Just thinly slice a couple of apples – green are generally a little more crisp so they hold up to the dressing better – and throw in a handful of cheese that’s been cut into small cubes. Toss it all with the lemon quince vinaigrette, sprinkle with almonds, and that’s it.

MJ couldn’t wait for me to finish!

• This would be a great appetizer, a side dish alternative, or a yummy dessert. It wasn’t quite as good as the restaurant version, but my kids and my husband all loved it!

Submitted to Grace’s Kitchen Friends.