Caprese Salad with Apricots

My brother Rand is a pretty talented cook, even when he's not spontaneously being a guest blogger on Kalyn's Kitchen. This unique version of Caprese Salad was something that Rand came up with when I was visiting him in Venice Beach in June. It was not only delicious, but adding the apricot slices to the tomatoes makes it more nutritious than the traditional Caprese Salad.

Apricots are one of The World's Healthiest Foods, which makes this recipe perfect for ARF/5-A-Day at Sweetnicks, the food blog event where Cate encourages us to eat more vegetables, fruits, and anti-oxidant rich foods. Check later tonight at Sweetnicks to see some other healthy offerings.

Caprese Salad with Apricots
(original recipe by Rand, adjust amounts for the number of servings you need)

sliced tomatoes (smaller tomatoes will match the size of the apricots better)
apricots, pits removed and cut into slices
slices of fresh mozarella
basil leaves, washed and dried
extra virgin olive oil
best quality balsamic vinegar
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Slice tomatoes about 1/2 inch thick and arrange on serving platter. Place a slice of apricot on top of each tomato, cut side up. Put a slice of fresh mozarella on top of the apricots, with a couple of fresh basil leaves on top of the mozarella. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar over, season with salt and fresh ground black pepper, and serve.

This would be a great salad for phase two or three of the South Beach Diet, but consider the apricots when you plan your meals for the rest of that day. Three apricots have 12 carbs, of which 9 grams is sugar, and are considered a medium food on the glycemic index.

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