mediterranian salad

Recipe by: Trudy Thelander

History: This simple salad makes a delicious side dish for any type of Mediterranean cuisine - including Greek, Italian, Spanish, Provencal, Moroccan or Turkish.

Description: A selection of Mediterranean-style vegetables tossed with a lemon and olive oil dressing.

Preparation time: about 10 minutes

Serves: 2

Amount/Measure/Ingredient: 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 clove garlic - minced (crushed) 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 handfuls roughly torn romaine (Cos) lettuce leaves 2 fresh Roma tomatoes - cut into 1/2-inch rounds (you can also use regular tomatoes and cut them into wedges) 1/2 green pepper (capsicum) - julienne 1/4 small red onion - thinly sliced (you can vary this amount depending on how much you like raw red onions)

Preparation: Mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place the salad ingredients in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine just before serving. Variations: There are lots of possible additions to this basic salad, but keep in mind that it should remain a simple and light salad to accompany a meal. Toss through some garlic-rubbed croutons or a handful of chopped toasted nuts (like walnuts, pine nuts or hazelnuts), finely chopped capers, olives, sun-dried tomatoes or chopped anchovies, or a small amount of shaved or crumbled cheese.