Julienne Salad

With the summer heat here I am craving salads...salads for lunch...salads for dinner...SALADS SALADS SALADS!!!
In order to keep things interesting I like to play around with different ingredients and toppings. There is this one bar/pub close to our office that the girls always order salads from. There is one salad in particular that we all love! It's the most filling salad filled with veggies, deli meats and cheeses, all tossed in a creamy buttermilk ranch! I must admit this salad has turned many of my frowns upside down!!! When I make it at home, I try and use less cheese to take the fat value down.

When it comes to dressings I am quite particular. A good ranch is always hard to find and a low fat one is even harder to find! Every time I made this salad at home, it never tasted right...it had an artificial sweetness to it that I just was not a fan of. Then I realized that it was the Kraft Light Ranch Dressing. So instead of buying another mystery dressing, I decided to make my own ranch using the Hidden Valley mixes and light sour cream. I dumped the packet of seasoning into 12oz of light sour cream and had an amazing dressing that was almost guilt free!
When purchasing your deli meat at the counter for this salad, ask them to cut the meat a bit thicker so the strips of meat are substantial.


Julienne Salad

1.5 Hearts of Romaine Lettuce
2 Tomatoes, Sliced
1/2 a Large English Cucumber, Sliced
1/2 a Green Pepper, Sliced
4 Thick Slices of Your Favorite Ham, cut into strips
4 Thick Slices of Your Favorite Turkey, cut into strips
2 Slices Swiss or Havarti
2 Hard Boiled Eggs Cut into Quarters

*I tend to cook about a dozen eggs in the beginning of the week so that I have them for salads. There is one fool proof way to do it: Place eggs in a pot and completely cover with water. Once the eggs come to a boil, turn off the heat and cover with the lid; let stand for 12 minutes EXACTLY. After that, peel and you will have perfectly cooked eggs each time!*

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss together with your dressing of choice. Garnish with the quartered eggs.

Serves 4 as a side salad and 2 as main dish