Simple Salad

I grew up eating salad every night before dinner. Now, we’re not talking fancy salads that are ever present on menus now. We had as basic as basic can be- iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, maybe carrots and bottled dressing. Those were the salads we ate right after my mom passed away (I was a youngster, 8) so this was what my dad and I threw together in her absence (prior that we had great salads-she was a faaaabulous cook). Then slowly but surely, our salads began to evolve. I realized how boring and nutritionally void iceberg lettuce was so we switched to romaine and spinach. Gold star! Then we started adding different fruits and vegetables (strawberries, grilled vegetables, jicama). A+! Then we started adding nuts and seeds. Double gold star! and so on and so forth…..
Now here I am today, cooking professionally and many of my clients love the elaborate salads my team and I prepare for their weekly meals. Salads are a way to add so many amazing things into your body! Nuts, seeds, berries, different healthy oils, cheeses, vegetables and the list continues. But going back to my roots of simplicity comes a crisp, inviting, easy salad that I just love~

• 1head butter lettuce, cleaned and torn into bite size pieces
• 2 cups mixed baby greens
• 4 Medjool dates, pitted and diced
• ½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
• handful chives, snipped into 2” lengths
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• 3 T. olive oil
• juice from 1-2 lemons
• 1 T. honey
• salt and pepper
• 1 T. dried oregano

1. Place torn butter lettuce, mixed baby greens, diced dates, toasted pumpkin seeds chives and sliced radishes in a large bowl.
2. In a smaller bowl mix together the olive oil, lemon juice (start with 1 you can always add more), honey, pinch of salt and pepper and the dried oregano. Whisk to combine and pour over the greens.
3. Toss to coat, adding more salt, pepper or lemon juice as needed.