hearty and healthy {a salad story}

Blah blah, recipes are boring. I know. But I promise I would never take the time to poorly photograph food and give you paltry direction unless said food was worth your time to make and eat. This salad qualified 110%, I promise. 

Did anyone else totally overdo it in the food department over Thanksgiving? Travel + the holiday excuse is lethal in Grace's book and I am feeling the effects of my gluttony this week. All I want to do is chug water and eat salad in reparation for my food sins. Okay, that's a bit much and not 100% true but I am wanting to get back on a decent track before the onslaught of Christmas party goodness proves too much for my feathery will in a few days.

Enter the Il Vicino salad.

If you live in a town where an Il Vicino resides ... I am SO jealous of you. There are a few in Albuquerque and two in Wichita and I miss the eating establishment almost daily. As fate would have it, the one St. Louis Il Vicino burned down shortly before we moved here (WHY?!) and it hasn't been rebuilt (again, WHY?!) so I had to take matters into my own hands last night and try to recreate their masterpiece.

This salad is great because it's easy to assemble and super filling and what other magical powers should a salad possess? It possesses them, I assure you. I'm normally a terrible homemade salad person but this was turned out just great and if I can manage not to screw it up ... you can TOO.

I'm always on the hunt for meals that I can throw together between the time that Simon lets me know he's off work and when he gets home because as much as I'd love to become one with the Crockpot and organized meal plans ... it just might have to be a future charism for me.

Anyway. How long can you ramble about a recipe before actually giving the recipe, Brevity Patton?

Don't test me.

But here we go.

Ingredients: 
(makes two dinner-sized salads)
~two cups of romaine lettuce (from a bag - if you're like me)
one roma tomato, chopped
four artichoke hearts, chopped (from a can or jar - none of this fresh business)
two hard boiled eggs
~1/4 cup crumbed Gorgonzola cheese (or blue or goat or feta - your choice)
~1/8 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
~3/4 cup roasted chicken, chopped (or any protein would work)
dressing of your choice (I went with balsamic but if I could ever get my hands on the chili infused oil they have ... I would be a happy lady. Jessica told me Trader Joe's used to carry something similar but - no more. Boo.)

On a bed of the romaine just line up your ingredients (that's how Il Vicino does it so ... I had to copy) and top with dressing and gobble up like a Goop.

And if you have any easy/delicious salads you want to leave the link to - I would be forever grateful.