Feeling blue......

The market behind my house is a godsend. It allows me to decide what I'm going to make for dinner completely at the last minute.....which is what I do.....almost every day. When I don't have a market in my backyard, I screw-ed.

So, I head through the yard with my 3 year old and 1 year old in tow and have to make the first of many important decisions: which shopping cart? You see, our market has MANY different choices and they all elicit different responses.

The "wagon" is a favorite, but doesn't hold much food and the two kids end up bashing poor old women in the legs with it. The "regular" cart, well, it's just not fun at all. The last cart is the mini kid sized cart. Let's just say we imposed a McBee family ban on these types of carts.......before the market banned my children altogether. Apparently, sharing is not an option.

BUT! What's this? Someone has left two oversized car carts outside of the market. You know, the ones where the car (or fire truck, or police car) is attached to the front, they seat two kids, have steering wheels, seat two kids, have seat belts, and did I mention, it seats two kids. Who cares that the market has REALLY small aisles and that this monstrosity is impossible to turn with both kids in it.....it seats two kids!!

This shopping trip was glorious. I almost forgot that I had brought the kids. I quickly maneuvered my way through the store picking up ingredients for Cobb Salad with Green Goddess dressing. Parsley, tarragon, green onion and garlic from produce, chicken cutlets from the butcher and lastly, the biggest piece of blue cheese you have ever seen. Seriously. I love my market, but it is small and while they do have most things I need, they don't always have a lot of choices. So, need 1 oz of blue cheese equals buy 12 ozs. Let me know, I'll mail you some.

So, Salad Week Day 1 is ready to go. And what better salad to kick off Salad Week than our favorite? This Cobb Salad is low cal (approximately 453 calories for a pretty darn big salad, including dressing) and fantastic. It has flavor, texture, and lots of food which makes it very satisfying as a first salad for the week. You don't leave wanting more.

Without further ado, Cobb Salad with Green Goddess Dressing!

(modified from Cooking Light 20 salads in 20 minutes)

• DRESSING:
• 1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt
• 1/8 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3 tablespoons chopped green onions
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 
  SALAD:
• 8 cups torn romaine lettuce
• 1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
• 2 tomatoes, each cut into 8 wedges (about 1 pound)
• 2 hard-cooked large eggs, each cut into 4 wedges
• 1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
• 1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) crumbled blue cheese

Preparation

To prepare dressing, place first 10 ingredients in a blender or food processor; process until smooth. Chill.

To prepare salad, place 4 cups lettuce mixture on each plate. Arrange 6 tablespoons chicken, 4 tomato wedges, 2 egg wedges, 2 tablespoons avocado, and 1 tablespoon cheese over each serving. Serve each salad with 1/4 cup dressing.

Serving size: 2 (453 calories per)