Thursday, March 31, 2011

"Simple" Garden Salad with Sweet and Tangy Vinaigrette

Admittedly, I often put way too much on my plate. Literally and figuratively.

Too many obligations, too many dishes, too many ingredients, too much food on my plate.

I wouldn’t have it any other way. This over active mind needs to stay busy.

After all, idle handles are the devils work.

If that’s true how come I still do naughty things?

Seriously people. Mind out of the gutter. I meant like have one too many drinks or not right thank you notes when I should. (Lish you think I would have learned from you after all these years.)

Well, even I try and keep it simple now and then. Like last Friday after a long work week when Uncle Steve was out visiting. I made this simple but crazy flavorful salad in an attempt to not spend hours in the kitchen.

Of course we still ate at 9:30pm because I felt the need to make three other dishes and was disrupted my youngest brother and a posse of ravenous twenty year old water polo players.

But this one is simple. I swear. Oh, and it’s massive. Get ready to either feed an army or half the ingredients.

You will need…

For the Salad:
2 heads romaine lettuce shredded
2 cups arugula
1/2 cup baby tomatoes
3 green onions sliced
1 avocado diced (I add this right before I serve it so it does not brown)
1/3 cup chopped dates
1/3 cup sliced almonds
3 pieces of celery chopped
¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

For the Dressing:
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 cloves chopped garlic
3 tablespoons orange juice
2/3 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Get ready for a really long list of direction.

After all the ingredients are prepped, put them in a large salad bowl. Save the avocado for last so that it doesn’t brown.





Whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.


Pour the dressing over the salad and toss.


See, I can totally do simple.

Love and Beer Floats
Angela

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