Keep it salad simple.....

In our continuing "Keep it simple" series, salads are a great way of creating and preparing meals that are both quick and very healthy. Here, we're not talking about throwing a few lettuce leaves together and tossing them with dressing. This simple preparation marries fresh green beans, broccoli, and tomatoes in a light savory dressing that works perfect by itself or as a side dish to a sandwich. This salad is full of good vitamins and nutrients and will be particularly pleasing to vegetarians. There isn't a long list of rare or abstract ingredients or spices either, making this a most stress free and user friendly preparation. Finally, the only cooking time you'll have is about 7 minutes in the microwave! How perfect is that for all you searching for healthy fast food?!!

1 pound of fresh green beans
2 cups of broccoli , stems cut out
2 medium fresh tomatoes, seeds removed and julienned
1 clove of garlic, smashed and minced
2 tablespoons of capers

For the dressing:

1/4 cup of olive oil
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
salt and pepper

In a large microwave safe dish, add the green beans, 1/4 cup of water, and a couple pinches of salt. Cover and microwave on high for 3 1/2 minutes. Stir well and add the broccoli, microwave covered for another 3 minutes. Remove and immerse the vegetables in cold water to stop the cooking process. Vegetables will remain semi crisp and bright green.

Cut the two tomatoes in quarters and remove the seeds. Julienne them and add to a large salad bowl. Crush the clove of garlic and mince, then add to bowl. Add the olive oil, vinegar, and mustard. Stir with a spoon until all is well mixed. Finally, add the capers and stir for a second.

When beans and broccoli are cooled, drain and add them to the bowl one handful at a time, stirring in between. Put plastic wrap over the top and refrigerate for about an hour. Now how simple was that? This salad is light and refreshing without any heavy overpowering dressing. The flavors of the vegetables are allowed to be highlighted while the dressing simply enhances the flavors.