I can say with some confidence that I am a connoisseur of food. From sushi to fajitas to Shrimp Fra Diavlo to a huge rare steak, I can eat with the best of them. But there is one meal I have always loved even as a child that is easy to prepare, very tasty – and healthy to boot – a salad.

When I was growing up, my mother made a salad with almost every meal – and her salads were incredible. Most people consider a salad to be lettuce and tomato, so did my mom – except she added peppers, radishes, red onions, carrots and celery. She also made her own salad dressing consisting of red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano and garlic powder – and after she poured all the dressing’s ingredients on the salad she just prepared – she would mix the dressing in by hand. According to my mom, that was the secret ingredient, because something mixed by hand is mixed with more care than something mixed by a fork and spoon – and she was right.

There were many meals we ate together that saw me finish more of her salad than the meal she made. And when I was able to cook for myself, I chose my mom’s salad as the first recipe to tackle. I remember how cool it was to buy a bunch of vegetables and prepare them for a salad, and then pour the salad dressing ingredients on top of the salad – mixing it with my hands was not fun, but I instantly saw why my mother said that a “hands-on” approach was the best way to prepare her salad.

Many times during my teenage years, as now during my years as an adult, I would choose a salad as a late night snack or a meal over other tasty dishes, because a salad is light, fun to prepare, and a cool dinner during the hot summer days. Plus, eating a salad gives me a little bit of the “daily requirement” of vitamins and nutrients my body needs so badly. Take yesterday for example, I was invited to a barbecue at Lisa and Kevin’s house, and decided to bring steak, and a salad. I stopped at the vegetable stand and picked up the necessary ingredients and prepared the salad the way my mom always does – and it was a big hit. So I was able to bring something to the barbecue that everyone enjoyed, that was healthy – and that cost me about four dollars between ingredients for both and the salad and the dressing.

Salads can also make a great meal replacement, a refreshing midnight snack – or an excellent and nutritious substitute for popcorn or other “junk” food while watching a movie.

So the next time you decide to make a salad, I suggest you add a few more vegetables than you normally would, and try my mom’s salad dressing recipe, I think you will really enjoy it…

…just don’t try mixing it with your hands.