Chopped Salad

Some of you may have enjoyed our new chopped salad in the restaurant recently. In thinking about the approaching holidays, I decided to encourage you to add this light and very nutritious salad to your holiday feasting. Eating wisely in between the partying will give your immune system a boost. If you keep the ingredients handy, it can be prepared muy pronto!

I developed this recipe after being encouraged by my nutritionist to eat more vegetables, "cut back" (my words) on sugar, be sure to get plenty of protein, and eat 1-2 tablespoons of good olive oil or flax oil each day. Tina and I ate it almost daily for lunch this summer and it was easy to add just a little more if friends came by for lunch.

Let the ingredient list be your guide, please feel free to improvise and come up with your own delicious creation. My favorite basics here are romaine lettuce, green cabbage, celery, avocado, and edamame - and wonderful lemon, olive oil and garlic dressing - topped with tuna or salmon and walnuts for protein.

• 1/2 cup celery, sliced diagonally
• 1 cup green cabbage, chopped in 1 inch pieces
• 8 cups romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 medium beet, roasted, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/4 cup edamame (soy beans - available in frozen vegetable dept.)
• 6 cherry tomatoes, cut in 1/2
• 3 asparagus spears, blanched, cut into 2 inch lengths
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped 1/2 inch
• 1/2 cup garbanzos
• 2 tablespoons walnuts
• 1 cup butternut squash, cubed into 1 inch pieces and roasted
• 6 ounce can of tuna (yellowfin in olive oil, if available)
• 1/2 avocado, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

Dressing:

• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp. kosher salt

Mash with wooden spoon, or mortar and pestle then add:

• 3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 tsp. black pepper
• 4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil or flax seed oil

Combine all ingredients except tuna and butternut squash in a bowl. Pour dressing over and toss well. Divide salad onto 4 serving plates and place 1/4 of the tuna and 1/4 of the butternut squash on top. You can prepare the dressing in larger amounts and keep refrigerated - just let it come to room temperature before serving because the olive oil congeals when cold. Serve and enjoy!