Loaded Italian Salad
This was really yummy. If you've been sitting at your computer/phone reading only the first sentence of all of my blog entries, you're probably going to begin to think of me as a broken record. But can I help it that almost everything I make is "really yummy"? Or that my baby drained multi tasking brain can only come up with combinations of synonyms for things that are both "really" and "yummy"? The answer is that I could probably be a little more creative, but I have to learn to prioritize my time and becoming a thesaurus ranks pretty low on that list. But apparently rambling for 3 minutes, ranks higher. ;)
Anyway, the totally uncharacteristic rambling (haha) aside, this salad was great. It kind of had one of those authentic Italian sub feels to it, but a salad. Green peppers, cucumbers, pepperoncinis, fresh mozzarella, roma tomatoes, salami, pepperoni and kalamata olives all topped a heaping bed of diced romaine and homemade Italian dressing. So if you're ready to chomp on down in a hearty salad, add the ingredients listed below to your grocery list. Serves 4-5
Italian Salad Dressing Ingredients/Instructions: 1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar 1 lemon, juiced 3 garlic cloves, finely minced 1 tbsp quality Italian seasoning (I used one from a specialty store C and J Farms) pinch of red pepper flakes 1. Combine all of the ingredients in a lidded container and shake vigorously before serving/pouring.
For the Salad:
3 heads romaine lettuce
1 green pepper
1 roma tomato
half a cucumber
3/4 cup fresh mozzarella balls
5-8 pieces of salami
1/2 cup mini pepperonis
3/4 cup diced kalamata olives
8-10 pepperoncinis, diced
None of this is an exact science. Im just letting you know what I did more or less. :)
1. Cut of your romaine, chopped salad style.
2. Dice your roma tomatoes, green peppers and cucumbers. Add them to the salad.
3. Cut up your kalamata olives and pepperoncinis, or leave them whole... Your call.
4. Add the meat and mozzarella balls.
5. Toss together with the Italian dressing and enjoy!
