what we really feel like for dinner tonight is a healthy salad-the kind of mostly green salad that makes you feel good about yourself yet fills you up and satisfies at the same time. i look in the refrigerator and start pulling out ingredients that looks promising: organic baby arugula, endives, a bowl of cooked beluga lentils, a couple of hard boiled organic eggs, a big bunch of flat leaf parsley ( i've been craving parsley in the form of a good quinoa taboule all day, but decide to add lots of it to this salad instead), a rather ripe avocado that's begging to be used, mushrooms, tomatoes. my excitement grows as the pile on the countertop becomes bigger, and i begin to process my goodies: crack and peel the eggs for a quick chop, add arugula to the salad bowl, top with quartered and chopped endives and tomatoes, sliced mushrooms, a sprinkling of cooked lentils ( great idea to have cooked lentils in the house for salad craving nights), a good amount of chopped parsley ( because it not only tastes good but is so good for you), (almost forget the) avocados, a sprinkling of red pepper flakes and crushed incredibly fragrant oregano just picked and dried stove-side from a friend's herb garden....and we are almost t-h-e-r-e! my mouth begins to water as i cut the lemon in half to squeeze over the salad, catching the seeds with my other hand-then a generous drizzle of the deliciously nutty extra virgin olive oil i use for salads & dipping ( not for cooking), a sprinkling of sea salt, freshly ground pepper courtesy of the ever loyal green pepper mill. give it all a good gentle toss. pick at the ingredients and taste throughout the process ( obviously,  tasting is essential during all stages of salad building). adjust seasoning. add even more of the oregano you loved while tasting throughout. maybe another sprinkling of lentils. a touch more lemon juice. another quick toss. dig in. ahhhhhhhhhhh. such a satisfying dinner. happy happy tummies. all is good.