The California Salad

California Salad
Light & Healthy

So light, so healthy & sooooooo delicious!  I concocted this simple, yet elegant side salad after messing around with a few different ideas.  It’s even VEGAN, and it goes with just about anything you can think of …

What’s In It?  All my favorite things!

Arugula and/or Baby Spinach – My go-to choice is Arugula, but if I’m feeling frisky, I’ll pick up some Baby Spinach instead.  OR, if you’re feeling totally rebellious, mix them together as you throw your head back and laugh manically!

Sunburst Tomatoes – For most of my life I turned my nose up at cherry tomatoes or anything that slightly resembled them.  WHAT WAS I THINKING?  Holy mother of Solanum Lycopersicum, these little golden treats pack a sweet & delectable punch!  They add a unique compliment to the tangy, slightly bitter flavors of this salad.

Avocado – I mean, really, how can you go wrong with avocado?  It’s the best and most, er, one of the most versatile fruits.  (I sat here for a good 6 minutes and argued with myself about whether an avocado or a lemon is the most versatile fruit – I’m torn!)  I could eat avocado on ANYTHING & it lends some creaminess to this salad.  Growing up in Northern & Southern California, we had avocado trees & come to think of it – why don’t I have one now?  Ok, I just decided I’m going to propagate the next pit of an avocado.

Lemon – I love lemons, too.  And I do squeeze them on just about everything, so one day when I was sick of making dressing & just wanted something light & simple, I squeezed lemon all over the salad.  Hello!?  Why had I never thought of this before?  Lightbulb!

Garlic – Yep, another one of my faves … pressed & as much (or as little) as you like!  Me?  Two big, fat cloves!  (p.s. the garlic press is nice because it gets a little garlic juice in there, but if you don’t have one, just mince the garlic.)

Olive Oil – Just a little so that it all melds together nicely.

So like I was saying … You can eat this alone, or with your best buddy if you are nice enough to share.  Kidding, I mean, you can eat this as a stand alone salad, or it accompanies pretty much anything from chicken, to turkey chili, to white bean vegan soup, to grilled salmon or even barbecue!

You’re welcome … 🙂

Tumbleweeds

 

 

Cue Western Gun Song from The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Cue Western Gun Song from The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

 

Hello?  Anyone here?  *Looks around, almost gets knocked down by a tumbleweed.*

Wow, hang on a sec, let me dust off the monitor and pick out the bramble from between my keys  …

Oh, my poor little blog!  You are so neglected!  I’m so sorry … but it’s not you, it’s me.  It’s my fault & my crazy working-mom-running-a-household schedule & my awful procrastination & all of my many excuses.  I think about you all the time, I even have a vault of half-cooked posts!

I just backspaced over my lengthy, in-depth excuse, because I respect you enough to not  to play you like that.  You already know how challenging it is to juggle being a fairly good mother, a fairly good wife, a fairly good daughter, a fairly good worker & a fairly good friend, so I won’t repeat myself.

You’re so sweet to forgive me for abandoning you for so long … It reminds me of the time that my bikini waxer looked at my own bushy bramble in horror after 2 months of neglect & went to work anyway.  Too much information?  Yeah, I thought so.

I’ll be back with a new post in two shakes of a lambs tail …