by Kate O'Leary

Created on: September 29, 2009

At the end of the day it can feel so much easier to just pick up dinner at the drive thru rather then go home and prepare a meal for yourself or your family. However the reality is that it really is just as easy to prepare an easy meal as it is to go through the drive-thru and the benefits are tremendous. Not only will you save money but it will be easier to maintain a healthy weight, get your daily recomendation of five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables a day not to mention it is better for the planet. No disposable cutlery, no take-out bags and no horrible never ever will it decompose take out containers.

Here is the recipe for a very easy salad. It is delicious. It is good for you and it is fancy enough to serve at a dinner party. Additionally you can purchase all of the ingredients over the weekend and they will all still be good at the end of the week - so no special shopping trips needed.

Fig and Balsamic Salad

Four Servings

Container of Organic Mixed Baby Greens with Herbs
4 ounces of blue cheese ( get the good stuff)
1/4 cup of candied Pecans
8 fresh figs
1 Organic Pear
1/4 of a cup of dried cherries
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper

Wash, Rinse and Dry your greens.
Place them in a large salad bowl or on a large platter
Chop up the blue cheese and sprinkle it over the greens
Chop up the Candied Pecans and sprinkle over the greens
Cut the figs in half and sprinkle over the greens
(When "sprinkling" pay attention to where things fall - you want an even sprinkle and you also want it to look nice - half of the joy that comes from food comes from enjoying the preparation and the presentation)
Slice the pear and sprinkle that over the greens
Sprinkle the cherries over the greens
(How delicious is this salad going to be ? VERY DELICIOUS!)
Drizzle the Balsamic Vinegar and the Olive Oil over the Salad - the better the balsamic the better the salad. If you do not have a good quality balsamic you can always make a reduction by putting a half of cup of the vinegar in a small pan and reducing it by half - do this over a low, slow, even heat and let it cool before you drizzle it over the salad.
Season to taste with the Salt and Pepper

Raise the bowl or platter and say a prayer of thanksgiving. Acknowledge the bounty of the earth. Enjoy

Namaste

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