Basic Theme Challenge #2 (Month Long Special!)

First Saturday of the Month and our Basic Theme Challenge is back! This month we are focusing on Salads. Now Salads come in all different shapes and sizes. So this challenge is really an all month long challenge! Salads are most commonly thought of as having lettuce and even then there are a million and one types of salad, you have Caesar Salad, a Chef's Salad, Cobb Salad, Waldorf Salad, the list goes on and on. But you also have Potato Salad, Macaroni Salad, Lentil Salad, things that don't always look like a traditional Salad but still are called that. And this month we are going to explore them all.

But today's challenge is to stick with the basics. Create a lettuce salad (any type you want - yes Kale counts as "lettuce") and make it the star of dinner tonight. Adding Chicken or Steak can really make a simple salad into a main dish, or even a few boiled eggs! Whatever you choose to do, enjoy!

Today we are going to share a Ranch Dressing Recipe. Again this is more of a guideline, you can feel free to play around with it and make it to your liking. (Also this recipe includes a Ranch Seasoning Mix that you can try on other dishes like vegetables and potatoes!)

Ranch Seasoning:

2 tsp Parsley

2 tsp Dill (or up to 1 tbsp if you really enjoy the flavour of dill)

2 tsp Chives

2 tsp Garlic Powder

2 tsp Onion Powder

(Salt and Pepper to taste - about 1 tsp each)

Now to make salad dressing, everyone is going to have a different way. Personally we enjoy adding just a tablespoon of Mayo to the seasoning and slowly adding some Extra Virgin Olive Oil to make it thinner. We do this because we don't like a "tangy" Ranch. For a more tangy taste, try adding a tablespoon of Sour Cream to your Mayo and or 1 tablespoon of Buttermilk.