Parma ham, walnut and roquefort salad

This is a favourite salad of ours, although I do not add the optional croutons. It always looks so colourful and inviting on the plate ... and from the first mouthful to the last is delicious! 

Ingredients:

Serves Four
300g Parma ham
2 large chicory heads, trimmed, leaves separated and washed
50g walnut halves, roughly broken
150g Roquefort cheese
50g parmesan
4-5tbsp ready-made salad dressing - check the carb content
fresh bread for croutons - optional
20ml oil
4 hardboiled eggs
4 salad tomatoes, quartered

few rocket (arugula) leaves for garnish

Method:
1. Cut the larger chicory leaves in half lengthways, place all the leaves in a large bowl and sprinkle with the walnuts. Cut the Roquefort into small cubes and scatter over the salad.
2. Shave the parmesan into wafer-thin slices using a potato peeler and sprinkle on top. Drizzle over the dressing and toss the salad thoroughly. Arrange on 4 plates and add the Parma ham, egg, optional croutons and tomatoes. Finally, garnish with a few rocket (arugula) leaves.

Per Serving:
Carbohydrate 12g Protein 42.4g Fibre 2.9g Fat 53g

From Tesco Real Food Here

Did you know Chicory, also known as endive, is a forced crop, grown in complete darkness, which accounts for its blanched white, yellow-tipped leaves. It has a distinctive, cigar-like shape, about 12cm long, and the crisp leaves have a mildly bitter flavour.

Availability
All year round, but the British season is from January to mid March.
Choose the best
Look for firm, crisp leaves and avoid those with green tips, as they'll be very bitter.
Prepare it
If the end is cracked or discoloured, trim it off, then remove any limp outer leaves. Then, depending on how you want to use it, either leave whole, separate the leaves, or slice lengthways into halves or quarters. Once cut, brush with lemon juice to prevent discolouration.
Store it
It will last for around a week in a perforated bag in the fridge.
Alternatives
Try radicchio.

A variety of recipe ideas and articles are found within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter.

All the best Jan