F is for Fresh and Delicious

So when summer time heat hits, I get motivated to make big delicious fresh salads. We are not talking side salads, but huge full dinner salads. Most people I know don't eat this way, but it is THM-friendly, and we eat this meal all summer long and well into the fall. All my kids like it and it is very good for you to boot! This is what I am talking about:

Does that look good to you? It was certainly good tonight! 

This feeds seven people with leftovers for a few lunches tomorrow. 

First I start with three heads of Romaine lettuce and cut it into edible pieces. Romaine is the best lettuce out there and this is why I use it. Look at all that beautiful deep green goodness!

Then comes the good stuff! This salad is flexible, of course, and you can add whatever you like. I was missing avocado and blue cheese crumbles, but that was about the only thing. I always add as many veggies as I can because it gives each bite a different flavor. What are your favorites?

I often add beans and one of our family favorites are garbanzo beans. Do you like beans in your salads? After eating a wickedly good salad at Buca di Beppo with salami pieces in it, I decided to try it in my own salad at home. It is so good! So I added these two tonight too:

When I cut up a salad, I love the color changes that happen as I add one veggie after another. If I had little ones, I'd probably call them up and go through the colors with them. I think the colors God gives us in our food bless us visually and physically. That might sound a little silly, but I love color and love to eat it too! :)

In order for a big salad to be a solid meal that will fill all my peeps, it has to have some real protein. I know I added salami and garbanzo beans, but they don't have the power punch that meat does. Sometimes I add hard boiled eggs too, but not today. Today I added chicken breasts and bacon!

Once I cut these up and add them, I move on to the dressing. I make it from scratch and it is really good! I use these four things:

This is the recipe:

Kate's Homemade Dressing

1/2 C Apple Cider Vinegar

3 T Bragg Liquid Aminos

3/4 C olive oil

2 T Gulden's Mustard (or any brown mustard)

Pour it in the jar, shake, and enjoy. If I am not in a hurry to eat it right away, I add two crushed garlic cloves to the dressing and let it mix together. It adds a whole different punch to it that is really good. This recipe is also good over steamed veggies or on baked potatoes or as a pasta salad dressing. 

So that's a summer dinner for you! What do you like to eat when it is HOT in your home?

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