CHOPPED SALAD

WITH

GORGONZOLA

After a 3 week jaunt in the States my husband and I swore black & blue that we would be as healthy as possible on our return home. Purely  to give our bodies (specifically our livers) a break from all the highly processed and deep fried foods we consumed. If the saying:  "you are what you eat"  is true- I'm basically a caramel donut with legs at the moment. And not sleek little pins, tree trunk legs with cankles. What an attractive picture I am painting of my post-holiday self.

While we certainly enjoyed our carefree diet in America (actually-- I can't even use the word diet and America in the same sentence can I? All credibility will be lost)- it's time for the clean eating to begin. I mean business.  Well- at least for a good few weeks- I'm sure I will need some sort of baked good by the end of the month. Who am I kidding-- probably by the end of this week. But the point is I'm trying.

This salad recipe is a real winner though. It actually doesn't even feel like you are being healthy eating it- it almost feels like a treat. Sharp creamy gorgonzola with sweet fruit is such a delicious combo and the dressing is to die for. Forget having a glass of cold wine with this salad- I'm just going to have a glass of cold dressing with mine. Ok kidding- but only kind of.  It's seriously that good!

Lastly-- I am so hoping this stunning Sydney weather will stick around for a bit longer. Apparently we missed 2 straight weeks of solid rain. Well played on our behalf! Blooming jasmine and clear blue skies are making our return back home a whole lot easier, that's for sure.

You'll need:
1 large head of crunchy romaine or iceberg lettuce, rinsed and chopped
1 cup strawberries, chopped
2 avocados, chopped
6-8 oz. Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 cup walnuts
1 cup cooked chicken, chopped- optional- we left out
1 cup cooked bacon, chopped- optional- we left out
1 cup apples, chopped
1 cup red onion, chopped
1 cup grapes, halved
1 cup oranges, chopped

For the dressing:
2 ripe lemons
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/8 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Fine sea salt, to taste

What to do:
Arrange each of the chopped salad ingredients in separate bowls. For the dressing, squeeze the lemons directly into a mixing bowl to allow any pulp to come out. Whisk with the garlic, olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, mustard and a pinch of salt. Taste, and add more salt as needed. If the dressing is too tangy for your taste, add more honey. Toss the salads when ready to eat.

ENJOY! x