Green Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette & Parmesan Crisps

I love croutons.  Especially homemade croutons.  My favorites are made from brown bread.  Yum.
Croutons, however, are not on my food plan.  Made from bread and usually tossed about in vats of butter, they are full of fats and carbohydrates.  This is, of course, what makes them taste good.  It's also what we carry around with us, long after the salad becomes a distant memory.
Years ago, I stumbled upon a recipe from Kraft foods, that provided a wonderful alternative to croutons in the form of parmesan crisps.  I've tweaked the salad to suit my tastes but wouldn't change a thing about those crisps...they'll almost make you forget brown bread croutons...almost.

What's In It:


1 c. grated parmesan cheese (Just this once, we'll use the cheese in a can.)
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary (Dried isn't a good substitute this time.)
8 c. greens (Use what you like.  Mixed is very good but if serving less adventurous palates, romaine works just as well.)
1/2 c. seedless red grapes (You can use green but they're not as pretty)
1/2 c. almond slivers, toasted
1/2. c. low fat Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing (recipe to follow)

How To Make It:


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Spray jelly roll pan with baking spray.
Mix cheese and rosemary in small bowl.
Place 1 tbl. cheese mixture on prepared pan, flatten.
Repeat with remaining cheese mixture, allowing 1 inch between each crisp.  (Makes 16)
Bake 5 min., turn and bake an additional minute until golden brown.
Cool on wire rack.
Place 1 c. greens on salad plate.
Top with 1 tbl. grape halves and 1 tbl. toasted almonds.
Drizzle with 1 tbl. dressing (recipe to follow).
Garnish with 2 crisps.

Low-fat Balsamic Vinaigrette


Mix in a bowl: 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar, 1/4 c. olive oil, 2 tbl. fresh-squeezed lemon juice, 2 tsp. low sodium soy sauce, 1/4 tsp. stevia, 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped, and 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper.
Whisk until blended.  Refrigerate leftovers.