Salads are wonderful for lunch, brunch, dinner and stuffed in wraps and sandwiches. The ingredients you can put in a salad are endless so let’s explore the world of this quick, nutritious and healthy dish that can be light or filling. 

Salads can be small and served before a meal, as a snack, or as a complete meal with some added protein. You can eat salads throughout the entire year. I especially like watercress and arugula in my salads along with mixed greens.  A simple salad can consist of lettuce, cucumbers tomatoes and onions, often referred to as a “house salad” or they can be quite extravagant. In fact, I enjoy organic watercress alone with a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sea salt – see the photo below of that wonderful bunch of watercress. Nature’s work of art! 

Buying and Storing your Greens

Always look for fresh, crisp greens. I usually buy organic produce, but you can use regular produce; just wash everything carefully. If you don’t have a salad spinner, wash and shake as much water as you can from them, then spread them out on large baking trays lined with paper towels. Take layers of paper towels and place them on the top and press lightly to remove excess water. Turn over the leaves and make sure they are dried, fluff them with your fingers to separate them, roll them in paper towels and store in zip lock bags. The greens will keep well for about 3-4 days. If you happen to get watercress with roots, like I did, place them in a jar of water to keep them fresh.

Below are photos of salads that include tomatoes, bell (sweet) peppers in various colors, avocado, watercress, arugula, romaine lettuce, shiitake mushrooms, my own home-sprouted alfalfa, beefy tomatoes, cherry tomatoes. Some salads were served with chickpeas, baked salmon, chicken salad, tuna salad, guacamole and other yummy things. You can use anything as a base for your salads – greens, mushrooms, slices of beefy tomatoes and even slices of sweet or regular potatoes. Take a look at two of the photos below where I used potatoes as a base. Thinly slice whole potatoes in rounds, overlap to form a circle and place each one in a skillet with a bit of olive oil and brown on both sides. 

Let’s talk about the salad dressing – make it at home and make it simple. Refrain from buying store-bought dressing which is laden with salt, sugar and a number of ingredients that one simply cannot pronounce. My favorite dressing is balsamic vinegar, olive oil and sea salt,

A simple dressing requires:

Pour in a jar, shake well, refrigerate – make enough to last one week.