SIMPLE ITALIAN GREEN SALAD WITH LEMON AND PARMIGIANO REGGIANO DRESSING   

OK, now for something healthy and mind boggling delicious.

As some of you know, salad is usually my least favorite dish to prepare. Why that is, I still have no idea even after all these decades of putting food on a table. Perhaps it’s the repetitious chore of washing the veggies, chopping the veggies, and drying the veggies that holds no challenge for me. After all, it’s not like preparing a perfect Beurre Blanc Sauce (recipe on this site BTW) for heaven’s sake. Chopping veggies for a salad is simply a cut-and-dried task! Where’s the adventure?

So, for me, the only redeeming feature, apart from my love of a good salad, is in making the dressing. And if possible, like in this salad, keeping the veggie prep to a minimum.

So, below you will find a recipe for a salad that is easy to prepare and scrumptious. And reasonably healthy as well! And isn’t that a perfect combination.  

Well, that’s it for today. We have a busy week ahead of us, so I plan to take it kind of easy today. Read my book this afternoon until I fall asleep in my chair. Then try a couple new recipes this evening for Egg Foo Young and broccoli in an Asian inspired sauce. If the recipes work, I will share them with you. If not, I will chock the whole thing up to trial and error. (The error being me trying the recipes in the first place! Or me putting my own spin on someone else’s perfectly good recipes and ruining them in the process. That I’m sure has happened more often than I care to admit. Even to myself!)

But as always, I keep on experimenting with food. Some people make art. (I used to do that.) Some folks make music. (I used to do that too.) Now, I just make a mess in my kitchen. And for me that’s the perfect way to spend my time.

Peace and love to all.

¼ c. extra virgin olive oil

zest of 1 lemon

juice of 1 lemon, or more to taste  

tiny pinch crushed red pepper flakes

¼ tsp. kosher salt, or more to taste

freshly ground black pepper

2 hearts of romaine lettuce, chopped into bite sized pieces

1 head red leaf lettuce, chopped into bite sized pieces

1 c. finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Whisk the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper together in the bottom of a salad bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Just before serving, toss in the lettuce.  Add the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and toss again. Serve immediately.

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