My Chopped Chef Salad

Fall has finally arrived in Los Angeles... and I sure hope it sticks around!

This month should also be officially renamed "Rocktober." It feels like every major artist and band has been playing the southland this month. In the last two weeks alone I've seen—Florence + The Machine (amazing!), David Byrne & St. Vincent (also amazing), Neil Young and Crazy Horse (words cannot describe the amazingness), a tiny private Deadmau5 show (set to air on KCRW in November), and Peaches (love her). And I only had to pay for tickets to two of them!

I love music and find it great inspiration for cooking and writing. I almost always have it on when I'm making a meal, or sitting at my computer (I'm listening to Yeasayer right now). Today's recipe is one of my favorite dishes to throw together for a healthy, protein-packed lunch.

It's my take on a Chef Salad. I like my salads chopped—more yumminess in every bite. This salad combines high protein ingredients, such as salami, turkey, feta cheese, and quinoa. And lots of great vegetables, like cherry tomatoes, red bell pepper, and arugula. The secret ingredients? Fresh chopped dill and hearts of palm (though artichoke hearts would be great, too). As a note, I love using leftover quinoa (or other grains) by throwing them into salads the next day.

As for dressing, I love Annie's Naturals Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette, but any sort of vinaigrette would taste great. You can also just whip up your own dressing (this is my fast lunch recipe, so occasionally shortcuts can really make a difference).

Chopped Chef Salad

Serves 2 people
Prep time: less than 10 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 cup sliced deli turkey, chopped
1/4 cup salami, chopped
1/2 cup quinoa, cooked
1/4 cup feta, crumbled
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup hearts of palm, chopped
vinaigrette of your choosing (such as Annie's Natural Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette)

Directions

1. Place ingredients in a salad bowl and add the vinaigrette. Toss the salad well.

2. To serve, distribute the salad evenly between two bowls. Garnish with a little fresh chopped dill and freshly ground pepper, if desired. Enjoy!