Coming off of a long Fourth of July party weekend I am feeling like I shouldn’t be eating anything BUT salads.  This past weekend I way overindulged in s’mores, wine, Twizzlers and chips, guac and blueberry buckle. It’s how we celebrate the fourth, like total gluttons, and I love every second of it.  #balance

But when you get whiplash from snapping back into reality Monday morning, I am almost ALWAYS reluctant to putting greens back into my system, especially salad. 

When I graduated from college and started working full time, I was still figuring out how to make healthy food that I actually loved eating that wasn’t totally basic and awful.  At the time I cared more about calories and less about if I would actually enjoy what I was eating. My salads consisted of romaine lettuce, cucumbers, and tomatoes with a balsamic dressing and a protein.  BORINGGG.  

It’s no wonder that after a year of eating that for lunch Every. Single. Day.  that I had sworn off salads for lunch forever. I brought myself to the point where I hated salads.   But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can load up a salad with veggies and fruit making it delicious AND healthy.  I just simply didn’t know how, but Auntie Carol did and does. 

As I mentioned in my blog, “Summer Picnic Essentials”, my Auntie Carol makes THE BEST salads of all time.  I kid you not, every time her salad comes out, people flock, everyone gets second helpings and it is one of the few dishes that is completely gone at the end.  They are just so freaking good. 

A couple of weeks ago when I was writing the other blog I emailed my Auntie Carol asking for her Secret recipe.  I told her, THE PEOPLE MUST KNOW!! And then asked her permission to share this equation with you. There is a science behind this all, a method to her madness!  She was kind enough to let me share it with you. This may very well change your world entirely, so in advance, ‘you’re welcome’, and THANK YOU to the GOAT of salad making, Auntie Carol. 

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These guidelines are a direct copy and paste from my Gmail conversation with her.. here we gooooo!!

 

Here are the main guidelines for salad dressing.

 1). Everything needs to be chopped into small cubes (even lettuce, spinach etc.).  No one should have to have to use a knife when eating it.  

 2). Salad should consist of Half lettuce & Half fruit or vegetables.  I usually use green & yellow zucchini (cut into cubes).

 3).Cut grape tomatoes evenly into ¼

 4).  Add something interesting with the vegetables. (figs, green apple, orange, blueberries, avocado, red cabbage, thawed frozen green peas)

 5).  Add something with texture (chopped nuts, bacon, etc.)

6). Mix it all together.

 

 These are my guidelines to make your own salad dressing:

 2/3 cup oil, 1/3 cup vinegar, 2 tablespoons of Dijon Muster, 1 tablespoon of Honey …. basic mix and then can change it up….

 

Ways to change it up

Add 2 tablespoons of plain yogurt, hummus, or an Avocado to make a creamy dressing

Add 2 tablespoons of citrus, ex. lemon, lime, orange”

I really think this deserves a round of applause.   Exact, simple and clear guidelines on how to make a salad that everyone will love. 

One really important part that you don’t want to forget is to make your own salad dressing.  This truly is a game changer with all salads. It tastes amazing and is WAY healthier for you than almost all store-bought salad dressings.  Bottled dressings are full of extra chemicals and sugar. Yes, they add sugar to their salad dressing. 

Auntie Carol’s salad dressing recipe can be made in a mason jar where you just shake it up on your own.  Or if you want to go next level throw the ingredients into a magic bullet and whip it up. The magic bullet turns it into this creamy goodness that makes your mouth water. It thickens as you mix.

I personally also add salt, pepper, and chopped garlic to my salad dressing because I am Italian and more garlic makes everything better. 

So there you have it!! The world’s best salad equation at your fingertips!   I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think once you try it out! 

Until next time, Bon appetite!