BIG Salad

Excuse while I roll out a repeat cuz I have a toothache to manage til my dental appointment on Tuesday. I've maxed out on my allotted Tylenol for the day and I'm about to pull out the big guns which means, goodnight Gracie pour moi...

My sister and I (and now my nieces too) pretty much have BIG salad nightly. Variations may occur, like shrimp instead of chicken in the summer, or a little cross pollination from each individual signature salad, but it pretty much has stood the test of time. I'm talking yeeeaaars...

lettuce mix (occasionally spinach)
cuc
flax seeds
sunflowers seeds (or slivered almonds)
shredded carrots
marinated artichoke hearts
crumbled goat cheese
tomato
hard boiled egg
Cardini's Romano Cheese Croutons (we're buying stock in these!)
chicken (recipe to follow) or grilled shrimp
*on occasion I cross pollinate from Julie's signature salad with some chopped red cabbage

Many years ago I lifted this chicken recipe from a live radio show out of NYC and the Hamptons (on Fridays) that I listened to religiously sitting my lifeguard stand.

skinless, boneless organic chicken breasts, rinsed and dissected to within an inch of their life

3 tablespoons melted butter (add a couple of minced garlic cloves when the mood strikes)

1/4 cupish Italian bread crumbs

1/4 cupish grated Parmesan cheese

Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in a storage or freezer baggie and shake to combine. Dredge chicken breasts on all sides in melted butter and toss (a la Shake and Bake) one at a time in the bread crumb mixture to coat. Place in an olive oil coated baking dish and bake at 350° for about 20 minutes. Cut a breast into bite sized pieces and toss on salad.

Up until a couple of years ago we all drowned our salad in Ranch Dressing til we were boo hissed out of Dietville. Now we rely on my sister's vinaigrette which, actually originated as MY recipe but, through sheer volume of use has become HERS...

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon honey Dijon mustard (I prefer Honeycup Mustard)

1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil

Mix all ingredients in an airtight container and dispense at your leeezuuure...

Now most salad connoisseurs will turn their noses up at wilted, soggy leftover salad but, not I. Quite often it will serve as a lil amuse bouche before my Kashi Go Lean Crunch in the morning...

Kindness of Meryl Streep for sharing Julia Child's secret to getting the garlic smell off your fingers after working with it. Lemon juice is the secret. But, I still manage to wrangle my way outta making the vinaigrette when my sister's around. And, when she does return from Mexico, I'll share her signature salad too..XXOO