Beauty Salad

Beauty Salad

1 package Raspberry Jell-O
Pint of boiling water
3 bananas
Lemon Juice (approximately 3 tablespoons)
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans (to taste)
Lettuce, banana slices, and walnuts (optional)

1. Dissolve a package of Raspberry Jell-O in a pint of boiling water and fill mold(s) one-fourth full. Let gel until almost solid.
2. Coarsely chop three bananas, sprinkle with lemon juice.
3. Add nuts and mix.
4. Put the mixture in the molds and cover it with the rest of the now thickened, cooled Jell-O. Shake the mold to ensure that all the cracks and crevices of the banana-nut layer are filled, then chill until completely gelled.
5. Before serving, arrange on lettuce with slices of banana sprinkled with nutmeats placed around the turned out Jell-O.

Original Recipe
JELL-O: America’s Most Famous Dessert, c. 1920

Dissolve a package of Raspberry Jell-O in a pint of boiling water and fill individual molds or cups one-fourth full. Let harden. Coarsely chop three bananas, sprinkle with lemon juice, add half a cup of English walnut meats coarsely chopped. Put the mixture in the molds and pour the rest of the Jell-O when it is cold and has begun to thicken. At serving time arrange on lettuce with slices of banana sprinkled with nutmeats placed around the turned out Jell-O. Serve with cream salad dressing.

Comments: Taster-approved, this salad is fruity and sweet. Use pecans if your guests do not like the chalky texture of walnuts, and omit the mayonnaise unless you’re craving the addition of vinegar. This gelatin does not need a dressing to enhance it.

Beauty Salad is aptly named. Widely considered a superfood, bananas are wonderful for your skin because they contain an abundance of potassium, manganese, and Vitamin C. This trifecta brightens your skin, increases collagen levels, and helps skin heal quickly. Walnuts too, aid digestion and skin health, as they are good source of antioxidants and Omega-3 oils. The collagen in gelatin also contributes to skin health, but the sugars in the flavored gelatin may counteract any of the gelatin’s benefits. This salad may not be the best choice for skin health, but it is better than some other options. It could be easily classified as a healthier dessert.

As for presentation, I had some trouble unmolding this salad, and the weather made it difficult to find an area for proper photography. The result? A less than spectacular photo of shifted salad sitting on the bench in the entranceway. Voila and onward.