The Perfect Salad

I have had a salad for lunch almost every day for the last many months.  I've been taking better care of my body by eating more veggies and working out.  The results are that I feel great and look like a whole new person (skin is clear, clothing sizes have more than cut in half).

Not all salads are created equal.  There is certainly nothing wrong with a green salad with lettuce and cucumber, peppers and carrots... but that would not satisfy me for an every day lunch.

This salad: Juicy cantaloupe, roasted beets, pistachios, herbed goat cheese, homemade vinaigrette over spring mix

Salad secrets:
1.  Add sweet fresh fruit.  Use whatever is in season.  Right now, in Virginia, I can get fresh local blueberries and blackberries.  Cantaloupes, peaches and cherries, too!
2.  Add something crunchy.  I add a different nut to my salad each day.  I choose from pecans, almonds, pistachios, cashews and sunflower seeds.
3.  Add something creamy.  My go-to recently has been an herbed goat cheese because it goes with so many fruits and nuts so nicely.
4.  A big bed of mixed greens goes with almost anything, but choose something that you enjoy.
5.  A home-made batch of vinaigrette will keep in a squeeze bottle in the fridge for weeks.  If you pull it out when you start prepping the fruits and veggies it will be warm enough to drizzle over the salad.

This salad: Apple, blueberries, pecans, white cheddar, homemade vinaigrette over spring mix

The same principles apply easily to many salads.  

Think: Garden fresh tomato, toasted pine nuts, fresh mozzarella, and a few basil leaves, and the same vinaigrette.  Yum!

Basic Vinaigrette

The dressing will stay together better with a tiny bit of mustard (dijon), and a tiny bit of mayonnaise.  I use maybe a teaspoon of each, a clove of very finely minced garlic, and vinegar of my choice (maybe 2 tablespoons).  I mix these together with a small pinch of salt and a crack or 2 of pepper, then shake (or whisk) in about 1/4 cup olive oil.  If it's too garlicky for your tastes simply add another bit of the mustard, mayo, vinegar and oil in the same ratios.  I often quadruple this recipe to take to a potluck or even just to keep on hand in the fridge for my daily salads.

Balsamic vinegar is a bolder flavor and not as universal, so I usually opt for red or white wine vinegar.  I've tried sherry vinegar and have found it's not much different.  I wouldn't use distilled white vinegar.  That's for cleaning windows!