Salad is to Men...

what Mufasa is to Shenzi. Case in point, the video below. Not the best quality, but I'm sure it would resonate with your interpretation of how it would go, telling your man salad is for dinner.

 The nutritional value alone is a huge bonus. Getting a guy to eat it for dinner...what's the opposite of huge bonus? Huge depletion?

If I lived in an ideal world, I would eat raw fruit and veggies 95% of the time. I love salads, but do get burned out after a while a take a break. We have been on a break, so now I'm gearing up to start making them again! Jon likes salad too, so having it for dinner isn't really a no win zone.

One of his musts for having a salad, though, is it needs to have meat on it. I tried getting away with veggie only salads, but was quickly rebuffed. After a couple of years, I have quite a few salads that have been winners in our house. 

• Cobb Salad- Diced Ham, Diced Turkey (or chicken), Cheese, Tomato, Lettuce, Bacon, Croutons, Dressing & Avacado (if you want)
• BBQ Chicken Salad- Lettuce, Tomato, Cheese, Grilled Chicken Strips, Carrots, Cheese Quesadilla, BBQ Ranch Dressing (equal parts bbq sauce to ranch dressing)
• Monte Cristo Salad- Lettuce, Swiss Cheese, Diced Turkey, Diced Ham, Tomato, Raspberry Dressing
• Fajita Salad- Lettuce, Tomato, Carrot, Cheese, Fajita Meat, Cheese Quesadilla, Dressing
• Taco Salad- Lettuce, Cheese, Tomato, Carrot, Red Cabbage, Taco Meat, Crushed Tortilla Chips, Salsa & Sour Cream Dressing
• Black & Bleu Salad- Lettuce, Tomato, Red Cabbage, Steak (leftover!), Bleu Cheese, Croutons, Dressing

One thing I try to do to cut down on the cost, is buy iceberg and mix it with a leaf lettuce. Lettuce (the most I've paid) is $1.90 for a head of leaf lettuce. Use half for a salad and the other half for tacos another night.

Also, if we're doing a lot of Mexican/Southwest dishes, I might keep a black bean & corn relish in the fridge. It makes a great topper. 

A little tip for adding carrots to the salad... sometimes the flavor can be too much as a slice. After I peel it and cut off the ends, I use the peeler to make small thin peelings of carrot. Or I will grate it. Make sure you start at the fat end to use  the majority of the carrot.

These salads are a great way to use leftover meats from grilling, eating out, another meal...the possibilities are endless! And it's a one pot meal. All your vegetables, protein, dairy & fat (even carbs sometimes) in one place. Hmm, maybe salads will become the new casserole!