Prosciutto Broccoli Salad

Salad sort of seems to be the go-to meal during the hot summer months and where I live it’s still plenty hot! You’re gonna love the crisp, sweet and salty combo of this broccoli salad along with the unique twist Italian prosciutto adds.   


Prosciutto Broccoli Salad:
1 – 12 oz. bag broccoli salad mix (shredded broccoli and carrots)
1 – 12 oz. bag broccoli florets 
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pine nuts
2 green onions, chopped
2 slices prosciutto


Dressing:
½ cup agave nectar
¼ cup grape seed oil or olive oil
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup Mayo, the kind made with olive oil.


Preheat broiler while you whisk your dressing ingredients together. When broiler is preheated lay the prosciutto out on a cookie sheet and place on the top oven rack, raised to the highest level inside your oven.  Prosciutto is thin so watch it, it only will take a minute under the broiler.  You just want it to crisp up not burn.   Remove from oven and crumble onto a paper towel. Assemble the salad ingredients into a bowl, including crumbled prosciutto.  Pour dressing over top and toss to combine.  Enjoy!


* Prosciutto is a cured ham that has been air-dried.  It come fully cooked, I just chose to crisp it up for this recipe.  Although prosciutto itself isn’t the healthiest, it is a better option than bacon and with so little prosciutto per serving the calories and sodium count go down.  Plus it just makes it taste yummy 😉 
 “…on average 1 oz. of prosciutto contains 60 to 70 calories; 3 to 6g fat; 6 to 8g protein; 1g carbohydrates; and 500 to 750 mg sodium. Prosciutto is a good source of essential amino acids, the building blocks of protein, which are important for growth, repair and maintenance of the body.”


“Prosciutto is a rich source of vitamin A. Each serving of prosciutto supplies 40.5 percent of the daily recommended intake of this vitamin. The vitamin A protects your night vision; it also may help prevent dry eyes and eye infections. A serving of prosciutto gives you a smaller amount of vitamin C and provides you with a trace amount of iron.”



“Because prosciutto is salted during the manufacturing process, it satisfies nearly two-thirds of the suggested daily limit of 1,500 mg. The 973.7 mg of sodium per serving contributes to your risk of elevated blood pressure and may cause water retention as well.”

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/374315-is-prosciutto-healthy/#ixzz1WjXvgtd8