Today’s post is dedicated to Salads. Salads are on our dinner table almost every night mostly because they are Healthy, Quick and Easy. Basic lettuce and tomato salads are a little too plain to make it on our table. I prefer adding various ingredients that touch on the five food groups which are vegetables, dairy, grains, fruit and protein.
I have to admit in my early days of cooking I made a lot of plain salads. I thought I was spicing it up if I added avocado or seasoned croutons. I didn’t start experimenting with making more robust salads until I expanded my dining choices from food chain restaurants (no offense) to downtown restaurants with new age names (again, no offense) like “Planet One Bistro” which featured out of this world meals. Cute right? Okay, I made the name up because I didn’t want my local restaurants to be mad at me for saying their name was “new age”.
Building a salad is like creating a work of art. Various colors, textures, shapes and sizes blend together into a beautiful edible piece of art both pleasing to the eyes and mouth. One of my signature salads is one made with a 50/50 mix of greens, bright red tomatoes, English cucumbers, deep blue blueberries, shaved parmesan cheese, croutons and crumbed bacon. I top it off with my favorite dressing Gazebo Room Greek Salad Dressing and Marinade. Yummy! My Big Salad is also a family favorite. 
If you ask me, it is hard to make a bad salad. No matter what you add to a salad it is a reflection of you and your taste in food. So, go crazy and create your own master piece salad. It’s sure to get rave reviews.
Salads
Ingredients:
Fruity Salad:
1 bag 50/50 mixed greens
2 roma tomatoes cut into quarters then sliced
¼ English cucumber cut in half then sliced
¼ cup blueberries (sliced strawberries and raspberries optional)
¼ cup walnuts
¼ cup kalamata olives
¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese
parmesan flavored croutons
Gazebo Room Greek Salad Dressing and Marinade
Avocado Salad:
1 bag 50/50 mixed greens
2 roma tomatoes cut into quarters then sliced
1 ripe avocado cut half then sliced
¼ English cucumber cut in half then sliced
¼ cup walnuts
¼ cup kalamata olives
¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese
ranch flavored croutons
Gazebo Room Greek Salad Dressing and Marinade
Mushroom and Egg Salad:
1 bag 50/50 mixed greens
4 large baby bella mushrooms sliced
2 roma tomatoes cut into quarters then sliced
2 boiled eggs diced
2 slices bacon cooked and chopped
¼ English cucumber cut in half then sliced
¼ cup kalamata olives
¼ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
seasoned croutons
Gazebo Room Greek Salad Dressing and Marinade
Layer the ingredients for each salad into two bowls. Top with Gazebo Room Greek Salad Dressing and Marinade or your favorite salad dressing.
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