Serving Up a Side Dish of "Not So Leafy" Salad.

Sometimes when we are trying to come up with a dinner idea, I get all wild and crazy and decide to "throw something together." My husband is more of a "follow the recipe" kind of person, so I think this makes him a little nervous. I like to make it up as I go along, which either leads to success or a big 'ol fail. A few weeks ago, we were having steak and I felt the need to make something salad like, as I am not a big fan of the steak dinner. So, I started my dig into the depths of the fridge and found a few things and created a colorful, delicious side salad, sans lettuce. I wish I had a picture, but alas, I was not thinking ahead. I just wanted to eat it.

This is super easy, super healthy (lots of color is a good sign of beneficial nutrients), and fast (no cooking involved).

This entire recipe is "to taste" so taste it as you make it to find the balance you like.

• 1 pint of grape tomatoes - I cut them into halves, but you can leave them whole as well
• 1/2 cup (or more or less) of crumbled feta cheese
• 1 orange bell pepper (chopped)
• 1 red bell pepper (chopped) (or green...or whatever kind of bell pepper you have)
• Fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped (if you have it - I did, oddly enough. You could also use other other herbs...basil, perhaps?)
• About 1/4 cup of red onion (adds a bit of kick)
• Salt/pepper to taste
• A few grinds of Italian seasoning (or sprinkles...again to taste)
• Toss with a good balsamic vinegar and a splash of extra virgin olive oil (to taste)

Simple? Yes. Delicious? Absolutely. Who said "salad" required lettuce? This salad has lots of satisfying crunch and was the perfect side dish to a nice rib eye steak, but could go with anything (tuna? chicken? or simply on it's own). 

Enjoy!

Anna Marie