Green Salads and Dressings

Fresh greens and veggies can be combined in an infinite number of ways to make tasteful side dishes and main courses. I usually pick whichever veggies look fresh and are bright in colours that not only taste great but look nice on your plate. I often include nuts and fruit in the salads to make them more appealing to the children and for some contrasting flavors. Here are a few combinations I have tried that seem to work well.

- rucola, white mushroom, radish and green apple w/ lemon and pepper dressing

- mixed greens, cucumber, tomato and pistachio w/ basic balsamic vinaigrette

- mixed greens, cucumber, tomato, white mushroom and toasted pine nut w/ coriander and thyme dressing

- baby spinach, thin sliced cabbage, carrot shavings, cherry tomatoes and pear w/ lemon pepper dressing

- mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, yellow sweet bell pepper, green onions w/ basic balsamic vinaigrette

- baby spinach, ruccola, cucumber, sliced strawberries, toasted mixed nuts w/ lemon and pepper dressing

Dressings

I usually make my dressings in jars, doubling or tripling the mix to keep in the fridge for use other days. There are so many different dressing recipes and premade dressings out there but I find the best are always basic mixes that are flavorful but not overpowering.

Lemon Pepper Dressing

- mix equal parts lemon juice and olive oil with fresh ground black pepper and a dash of salt, shake and serve

Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette

- mix 1 part balsamic vinegar to 3 parts olive oil with fresh ground black pepper and a dash of salt, shake and serve

Coriander and Thyme Dressing

- mix 1 part lemon juice to 3 parts olive oil with fresh, finely chopped coriander and thyme and a dash of salt and pepper. For a creamier dressing, add one table spoon of creme fraiche for every 2 tablespoons of olive oil.