Kitchen Klutz: Save some green – make your own salad at home

By Michèle De Meglio

I love salad!

But I hate spending $10 for one at Hale and Hearty or Au Bon Pain or whatever overpriced eatery is near this paper’s office.

Seriously, ten bucks for some leaves? That’s bonkers!

Tired of wasting my hard-earned cash, I’m making my own salad to take to work for lunch. Watch me go!

For my dish, I combined all the things I love about store-bought salads — but didn’t have to pay $1.20 for each add-in. That’s a first!

I started with mixed field greens, which I find more enjoyable than boring old Romaine lettuce. I like variety!

In went my favorites — cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, red onions, red peppers, carrots, mozzarella cheese, dried cranberries and sliced almonds.

Instead of the standard chicken add-in, I opted for turkey. I kept it simple by cooking the cutlet on my George Foreman Grill. (Mr. Foreman should really start paying me for promoting that thing!)

Salad dressings can be too heavy so I drizzled just a bit of a light balsamic vinaigrette.

I tried to mince everything the way Hale and Hearty does (it’s fun to eat really tiny grub) but found it difficult to do with a kitchen knife. I need that funky chopper thing they have! Hmm, this could be an excuse to go shopping. Yeah!

Verdict: I should start my own salad business!

Who needs fancy-schmancy bistros when I can whip up my very own smashing salad? Not me!

Au revoir Au Bon Pain!


Klutz’s salad
Ingredients
2 cups mixed field greens
1/2 cucumber
6 cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup red onions
1/4 cup red pepper
1/2 cup carrots
1 mozzarella cheese stick, cubed
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup sliced almonds
4 tbsp balsamic vinaigrette

Directions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and drizzle balsamic vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Kitchen Klutz follows 20-something Michèle De Meglio as she burns casseroles and her fingers, all in hope of trading frozen dinners for home cooking.