I rarely used to make salad at home because I couldn’t seem to eat all the lettuce before it went bad. Grrr. But this simple salad is perfect since one head of lettuce only makes two salads. Woo hoo! No more money down the drain. Plus, it’s delicious as is (especially on nights like tonight when I am watching The Biggest Loser during dinner), or it’s an uncomplicated canvas to add your own flavor touches.

Perfect, Simple Spring Salad
Makes 1 salad

1-2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon, juiced
Salt & fresh ground black pepper
1 small shallot, minced
½ container cherry or grape tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
½ head Butter lettuce (aka Boston Bibb lettuce), chopped, rinsed & dried

• In the bottom of a bowl, combine olive oil, lemon juice, and salt & pepper.
• Prep shallot and tomatoes, adding each to olive oil mixture as completed. (You could even let this sit for a few minutes if you need to do something else while the shallot and tomatoes break down. Plus, the juice from the tomatoes adds a ton of sweet, acidic liquid to your dressing.)
• Add lettuce, toss to coat, and enjoy!

Next time, I think I will:

• Change nothing. Duh. It’s called “Perfect” for a reason. But you might want to add green onion, grilled shrimp, avocado, cheese, or any other lovely ingredient that floats your salad boat.