Toss It: The 5-Ingredient Salad

"Can you bring a salad?"

I was a bit shocked by the request from my mother-in-law for Memorial Day. Usually I am tasked with bringing dessert for gatherings, and I was prepared with sliced peaches, pound cake and whipped cream.

But salad? That's not me – even if I'm the "healthy" one. Why? I tend to bring those "healthy" things that are a bit outside everyone's comfort zone ... aka, the kale and Brussels sprout chopped salad kit from Kroger. It's easy, delicious and not something I'd make on my own. Too much prep.

Prep. It's what I hate about salads. All of the washing and chopping and mixing and fancy dressings – it's too much work. I'd rather pay $7 a pound at my favorite downtown lunch spot than $7 on ingredients for a week of salads.

Alas, I digress. I needed a salad for our Memorial Day cook out and I needed it quick. The request came at noon and we were due at the in-laws at 5:30. Factor in a newborn that had fought naps all morning, I knew a fancy Pinterest salad was out of my league.

But still I searched. And what I found was awesome.

A spinach salad with blueberries, gorgonzola and walnuts, served with a store-bought dressing. Yes, the recipe suggested a bottled raspberry vinaigrette.

Score.

I threw in some red onions because, well, red onions make everything taste better.

As I ate the salad, and then went back for seconds, I realized that the taste of a salad is not relative to the number of ingredients. You don't need a monstrosity with 20 toppings.

Nope. I've decided that only five things are needed to create the perfect salad: greens, cheese, something crunchy, something sweet and something tart. The crunchy could be nuts or seeds; the sweet would be a fruit or even carrots or peas; and the tart, I guess, is onions or something to contrast the sweet.

A few ideas:

• Spinach, bacon, cheddar, peas and sliced red onion
• Spring mix, pecans, feta, strawberries and drizzle of balsamic vinegar
• Mixed greens, snap peas (sweet and crunchy!), ricotta salada and radishes

I'll admit this recipe doesn't work all of the time – not every great topping fits nicely into the category and sometimes more is actually more. But, there is something to be said for simplicity and taking out the stress of healthy eating, meal planning and entertaining.

Do you have a favorite salad to share? I'd love to see it!

French connection: A Laughing Cow challenge

I've had a can of white beans in my pantry for about 126 days.

Or something like that.

I'm not sure what I had intended to do with them but rest assured the dish never got made. And neither did the subsequent ideas that floated through my brain (bean dip, white chicken chili).

This poor can might have been destined for the next food drive at Mark's school had a mystery box not arrived at my door.

The folks at Laughing Cow had reached out to me a couple weeks ago with a challenge. They would send me a box with an unknown Laughing Cow item, and it would be up to me to come up with a creative way to use it.

Surprise me they did because inside the mystery box I found Laughing Cow French Onion wedges -- one of the few, if only, flavors I have not had the pleasure of trying. Ideas were slow at first. Sure, it tastes great on a wheat cracker and, oh, how I love French onion dip but nothing seemed worthy of the challenge.

Until I saw the beans.

What transpired can only be called a product of my "fat" brain (a term coined by my beloved grandma) - just without the fat. Or most of it.

A twist on the traditional seven-layer salad, this dish combines European flavors and my love of Ball jars. It's a delightful take-to-work lunch or an inspired idea for a holiday brunch. The flavors of the artichokes, olives and French Onion dressing are complemented by the red pepper, creamy white beans and spring mix.

Oui, Oui Laughing Cow Layer Salad

Spring mix
Canned white beans, rinsed and drained
Chopped tomatoes
Marinated artichokes
Red onion, sliced
Red bell pepper, sliced or chopped
Laughing Cow French Onion dressing (below)
Chopped olives (I used garlic-stuffed Spanish olives that I picked up at a nearby international market)

In a Ball jar, add about a cup of spring mix. On top, layer white beans (I used about a quarter-cup), chopped tomatoes, artichokes, red onion and bell pepper. Drizzle dressing on top. Garnish with olives.

Laughing Cow French Onion dressing (for one):
1 Laughing Cow French Onion Wedge
1 tablespoon plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1-2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
Pinch dry mustard
Pinch salt
Pinch ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl, adding more almond milk to reach preferred consistency.

End of summer salad

Hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, baked beans, mac and cheese ... ahh, the joys of a barbecue to celebrate a 3-day weekend the fruits of our labor.

If you're like me, though, there's always a bit of anxiety when it comes to going to those celebrations. A lot of people don't eat healthy on a daily basis much less eat healthy on a holiday. It's usually an excuse to eat bigger portions of foods with bigger calorie and fat contents.

And, in the past, I was no different. I'd make two or three desserts with ridiculous amounts of white sugar and white flour. This year? Not so much. In fact, my mother-in-law asked me to bring the SALAD to last night's get together.


I was incredibly tempted to buy lettuce in a bag but, alas, I was inspired by a recipe for Summer Barley Salad over at The Kitchn. Before you wrinkle your nose, let me tell you one thing: This salad was fan-friggin-tastic. Even the people who don't care about eating healthy loved it. And the cherry on this Sunday was that it was really easy to make.

Summer Barley Salad
Adapted from The Kitchn

1 cup uncooked barley
1 medium zucchini, diced
1 medium red bell pepper, diced
1 medium red onion, diced
1.5 cups corn (I used frozen)
Handful basil leaves, chopped
Handful parsley leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Boil 3 cups water. Add barley; cover and reduce heat to low. I let it cook for about 35 minutes when I turned off the heat and let it do the last of the cooking. Let the barley cool and add it to a big bowl. Add the chopped vegetables and herbs. Whisk together vinegar, oil and salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and toss together. Cover and refrigerate.

I made this using half the dressing that the original recipe called for, and I am glad I did. The salad was "wet" but not drenched, and the flavor wasn't overpowering. In the future (or for leftovers), I might add extra veggies and maybe even some feta cheese. I am sure you can use whatever veggies you could pick up at a farmers market or if you have a CSA share.

And, in case you were wondering, I did make dessert. A delicious and decadent coconut cream pie ... that just happened to have less than 150 calories a slice. Add that one to your recipe box, too. You'll thank me ... or Hungry Girl.