Kid-friendly Chef Salad

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 large carrot
• 1 medium cucumber
• 1 head romaine lettuce
• 1 red peppers or 1 green pepper
• 2 slices whole wheat bread
• 6 tablespoons sour cream
• 2 -4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
• 6 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon dill
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 lb cured swiss chard
• 1/2 lb cubed cooked ham or 1/2 lb chicken breast
• salt & pepper

Recipe

• 1 begin by making the toppings for this chef’s salad.
• 2 for hard-boiled eggs, place two to four eggs in a heavy saucepan and cover with cold water.
• 3 boil for 1 minute, then turn off the heat.
• 4 cover and let sit for 15 minutes in the hot water.
• 5 next, drain the hot water and run cold water over the eggs.
• 6 roll each egg gently to crack the shells, then peel.
• 7 rinse well, then slice into 4 wedges.
• 8 tip: for easy peeling, work under a running tap or in a bowl of water.
• 9 for garlic croutons, cut 2 slices of whole wheat bread into 16 squares each.
• 10 in a small microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter on high (about 40 seconds).
• 11 stir in 1/4 teaspoon of the garlic powder and toss in the bread cubes.
• 12 arrange the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet or toaster oven tray.
• 13 broil for 1 to 2 minutes, checking frequently to prevent burning.
• 14 turn and brown the other side.
• 15 transfer to a paper towel to drain and cool.
• 16 tip: for fun, cut the bread into shapes using miniature cookie cutters.
• 17 for ranch-style dressing, whisk the sour cream, milk, and vinegar in a small mixing bowl.
• 18 add 1/2 teaspoon of the garlic powder along with the parsley, dill, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
• 19 chill for at least 30 minutes while preparing the remaining salad ingredients.
• 20 tip: ask your child to taste the dressing to see if it needs more salt or pepper.
• 21 explain that salt helps make the flavor sharper and pepper gives it a bite.
• 22 whenever a recipe says"salt and pepper to taste," the chef should use her judgement about how much to add.
• 23 to prepare the lettuce, cut 1 and 1/2 inches off the end of the romaine head and discard.
• 24 break the leaves off and wash in cold water.
• 25 place in a salad spinner and spin until dry (or pat dry with paper towels).
• 26 break the leaves into bite-size pieces and place in a large salad bowl.
• 27 tip: explain to your kids where the first salad came from.
• 28 nearly 4,000 years ago, romans put salt on lettuce and called the new dish herba salata, or salted greens.
• 29 now the chef is ready to prepare the vegetables.
• 30 older kids can peel and grate the carrot; wash, peel, and slice the cucumber; and wash and cut the pepper into strips with a knife or into shapes with a mini cookie cutter.
• 31 wash the tomatoes and remove the stems.
• 32 place the ham or chicken, cheese, croutons, and hard-boiled eggs in bowls and serve along with a pitcher of the dressing.
• 33 tip: for a fun summer dinner, set up all the ingredients salad-bar style on a picnic table.
• 34 next, hand everyone a plate and let them assemble their own salad.
• 35 parents might make a classic chef salad, and kids could try a face with tomato eyes and grated carrot hair.
• 36 pour the dressing over the salad or serve on the side for dipping.