Weeknight Cobb Salad

Overall Score: 10 (on a scale of 1-10)

Husband Score: 10 (on a scale of 1-10)

Difficulty Level: Easy

Price: $$ (on a scale of $-$$$)

If you are anything like me, you are constantly trying to figure out how to make a delicious, filling meal that also satisfies your waistline. With a picky eater for a husband, I have wasted too much money and time making meals that were “healthified” versions of something normally delicious-but-too-fattening-to-make-the-actual-version, only to end up watching it sit untouched for the rest of the week in the fridge. Sometimes, even worse, it goes straight to the trash. Lets get real- there’s no fooling yourself or your family. You cannot substitute fat free Greek yogurt for cream cheese and expect nobody to notice (unless you prefer it). That does not fly around here. Therefore I was left with a challenge, how do I make healthy meals while still making them appealing enough for a meat and potatoes guy to eat? Then it hit me- salad! I know what you’re thinking- let me explain. There are so many delicious salads that you can make and just adjust the toppings and dressing for each person, which is great because everyone can personalize it to their liking. One of my favorites is a basic cobb salad. It has tons of fresh veggies and of course some delicious fattening toppings too. You can go all the way with blue cheese dressing or lighten it up with balsamic vinaigrette- they both taste great. I must say, we don’t do shortcuts around here- no canned or frozen veggies,etc. I do almost everything from scratch, which is especially important in dishes like salads, where you want the freshness of the veggies to be at their max, plus, you get more nutrients that way. This dish can be easily adapted for vegetarians or vegans too. Just don’t use what you can’t eat (i.e. cheese, bacon, etc.) and throw in some more veggies (shredded carrots, cucumbers, etc.) or vegan substitutes (Smart Bacon, etc.) to give it the added touch.

Enjoy!

Weeknight Cobb Salad

Serves 2- Adjusts easily for more or less

Ingredients:

• 1.5 hearts of romaine lettuce, washed and chopped
• 1 tomato on the vine, washed and diced
• 1 avocado, peeled & de-pitted, diced
• 4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup of blue cheese crumbles
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 6 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
• salt and pepper to taste

 I usually try to make my toppings line up in neat rows over the lettuce, for visual appeal. But, really, it all tastes the same no matter how you swing it!