Lettuce and orange salad

Sometimes after a long tiring day,all you want is a hot bath and a light quick meal with no compromise whatsoever on the taste...a soup and a salad is just such a meal ! If you always plan ahead for the week,you can stock your pantry with ingredients that make it easy for you to whip up a delicious salad in no time at all along with a yummy soup. It's always the empty larder or the foraging of ingredients that can be more trying than the actual cooking process itself ! Once you know what you have beforehand ,the putting it together is actually the fun part...so plan to stock your shelves a week in advance...and bottled ingredients like Olive oil , balsamic vinegar , mustard , honey...is best bought at the begining of the month !

While my earlier broccoli soup called for veggie stock and some other ingredients,this one was just steamed broccoli partly blended (you can see the bits of whole broccoli in the soup) with some sauteed onions,warm water and milk...quick and very yummy...some shop bought foccacia and nothing else was needed !!!The fact that my family love their greens and  that a friend shared with me her bounty of some amazing lettuce,definitely made the meal what it was...delicious and uplifting !
 The perfect meal to rejuvenate you after a long tiring day....as a parent your day is still not your own until the kids are tucked into bed...at least for me ;))...so this meal was just what I needed to have the energy to keep me going long after the little heads hit the pillow and nodded off to la la land !!!

Recipe for Lettuce and Orange Salad

Ingredients

Lettuce- 2 big heads-torn and washed thoroughly and drained-refrigerate if not using immediately

Orange segments-3 oranges

Pecan nuts- 2 Tbsp

Extra virgin olive oil-4 Tbsp

Balsamic vinegar-1 Tbsp

Juice-half an orange

Salt ,pepper

Demerrera sugar-2 tsp

Water-1 tsp

Method

In a big bowl,add the torn lettuce leaves

Add the orange segments

In a pan,add the sugar and water,swirl,set the pan on low heat

After the sugar dissolves and bubbles up to a sticky caramel,add the pecan nuts and swirl gently until well coated...take off the fire and let cool

In a smaller bowl ,whisk together with a small fork,the EVOO,balsamic vinegar,juice,salt and pepper...check for taste .Alternatively,you could also pour it all into a small glass jar and shake well.

Pour over the lettuce and orange and toss through gently

Top with the caramelised pecans and serve immediately

After the first serving,you may need to toss well for subsequent servings,as the dressing may settle to the bottom ! Enjoy !

Presenting Lettuce and orange salad featured in 'dinner by candlelight'