Nature provides the easiest of lunches and dinners in the form of salad.  The cornucopia of vegetation and fruit the world provides, ensures a healthy meal for all that utilize Earth’s nutritious resources.  Leafy greens contain a surfeit amount of vitamins K, C, and A.  And, as for carbs, fiber, and protein, leafy greens contain some of the most per least consumption of caloric intake. The basic salad.  Some green leafy lettuce type stuff?  Some cut-up carrots, onions, tomatoes maybe?  Croutons for crunch?  Then, the dressing…?  These easy questions lead to a problematic solution regarding health.  If we are to eat healthy from off this Soil, saturated vs unsaturated fats are the knowledge needed.  Avocados, olives, walnuts, and sunflowers dominate this category.  Tossing your salad with these nutritious bits and pieces guarantees goodness to your body, brain, and soul.  Olive oil and lemon provide a quick, easy and inexpensive salad dressing that one can leave alone, or add, other healthy components. JUST A SALAD (Serves 4) 1 bunch Red Leaf Lettuce (washed and torn) 2 stalks of celery 1 yellow bell pepper (sliced thinly) 1 tablespoon sunflower seeds 1 teaspoon crushed raw walnuts 8 cherry tomatoes ½ avocado (cubed small) ½ red onion (sliced thinly) ½ cup Extra Virgin olive oil ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice 1 teaspoon grinded black pepper and sea salt Instructions are simple.  Wash everything except seeds, nuts, salt and pepper.  Once sliced, diced, and cubed with such ease handling The Global 5.5" Vegetable Knife, add all to a previously frozen glass bowl.  Then mix and serve.  Adding any vegetables or fruit that is appreciated in your group remains more than acceptable.  This is just a basic, simple, healthy salad. Healthy eating is the best solution to a healthy life.  Adding the good with the bad comes in the form of the Cobb salad.  Someone invented this glorious concoction at the Brown Derby in Hollywood back in the 30’s.  Whether it be Bob Cobb, the owner of the restaurant, or his chef, this creative creation is a standard on many restaurant’s first page today. THE COBB SALAD (Serves 4) ½ cup each:  Romaine, Iceberg, Watercress, and Endive 1 Beefsteak Tomato (Cubed and seeded) 1 chicken breast (cubed) 1 hardboiled egg (cubed) 1 avocado (cubed) 3 strips bacon (crumbled) 1 bunch chives (chiffonade) ½ cup Roquefort cheese and red wine vinegar (mixed thoroughly) S&P to taste Per plating, divide all ingredients into 4^ths.  Assemble on a Le Creuset Salad Plate with greens down first.  All individual ingredients should be placed around the plate and not incorporated.  Using a ramekin, allow each diner to add their own Roquefort/vinegar dressing as they wish.  Mix and devour! Salad can be a salad without leafy greens.  Potato, pasta, egg, and macaroni are four of the more popular, and a bit less healthy, salads known around town.  The Olivier, or Russian salad, is a unique old-world salad that is sure to intrigue all your guests. OLIVIER/ RUSSIAN SALAD (Serves 6) 1 – 1lb bag of red potatoes 4 medium carrots 5 eggs (hard-boiled) 5 dill pickle slices 1 cup frozen peas 1 medium yellow onion 2 small English cucumbers ½ lb ham 1 cup mayo ½ teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar dill sprig to taste and for topping salt and pepper to taste a dash of sugar Hard boil the eggs by way of The Chef’s Choice Gourmet Brushed Stainless Steel Egg Cooker ahead of time, and place in the refrigerator.  Boil potatoes with carrots until al-dente on the carrots, and tender on the potatoes.  Once cool to handle, dice the potatoes and carrots, as well as, all the other ingredients minus the peas into equal, small, bite size cubes. Mix with the mayonnaise and spices.  Allow to rest in the fridge overnight for the flavors to marry.  It will be ready for lunch or dinner the next day! Fruit is a friend of salad.  Fruit alone is a salad hence the “fruit salad”.  Adding cut pieces of any of your favorite fruits to a frozen glass bowl turns it into a healthy breakfast, lunch, side, or snack.  The add-ons such as a bit of sugar (or sweetener substitute), and a sprinkle of cinnamon bring the robustness out of nature’s bounty. FRUIT SALAD (Serves 2) 1 banana 2 gala apples ½ cup seedless grapes 4 strawberries ½ cup blueberries & blackberries 1 kiwi 1 tangerine 1/2 teaspoon sugar 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon Keep all the fruit chilled for an hour prior.  Freeze a Libby Margarita Glass the night before.  Simply slice and place all items in the glass and toss.  Serve immediately. Salad dressing is easy obtained.  Store-bought products range from less than a dollar up to almost $10 for the gourmet stuff.  As with the cost, health factors are ever present per brand and type. Sodium and fat reign supreme in most market acquired dressings.  Manufacturing the dressing oneself allows nutritional value to be guaranteed.  Plus, it’s easy and cheap! SALAD DRESSINGS 1). EASY HONEY MUSTARD Equal parts: Extra Virgin olive oil, superior honey, quality dijon mustard, and some farmers market style apple cider vinegar.  Complement with salt and pepper to your liking and mix together.  Boom! Done! 2). SIMPLE GREEK YOGURT 3 tablespoons each honey, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup Greek yogurt Salt and pepper to taste Again, easy peasy.  Mix, chill, and serve.  The addition of garlic powder, dill, or Spanish paprika can only aid to the flavor profile. Stay well, strong and vigorous via eating leafy greens.  Fruits such as tomatoes, avocados, and olives, along with seeds and nuts solidify the maximum nutritional value for a quick power lunch.  Fast to prepare and painless  to take on the go, salad satisfies.