Recipe: Panzanella Salad Redux

I know I've posted this salad recipe before, but I just wasn't happy with the pix I posted last time.

While the iPhone is great for snapping covert shots of stupid shit like a woman in gold spandex pants, acrylic platforms, and wig that would make Jan Crouch jealous, it's not so great for making food look appetizing.

So, here we go. Panzanella Salad Redux.

INGREDIENTS:
- Italian Bread
- Italian seasoning
- olive oil
- 20 cherry tomatoes, halved
- red onion, sliced into thin strips (to taste)
- 8 leaves fresh basil, chiffonade'ed
- 1 avocado, sliced into wedges or cubes
- 3 white potatoes
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- romaine lettuce
-chicken (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Slice bread into cubes and douse liberally with olive oil and Italian seasoning. Bake at 400 for roughly 15 minutes, or until cooked to desired crunchiness.

Boil potatoes until they are tender enough to split with a fork, but not falling apart mushy. Cut them into halves or quarters.

Chiffonade your basil so it looks all feathery and makes you look like you know what you're doing when it comes to cutlery. (Mine turned out a little bruised. SO WHAT. THIS ISN'T A BASIL CONTEST.)

I made this super easy for people who are lazy, but like good food, but are trying to eat healthy, but really just want to eat five pretzels with cheese sauce and a large Ice Blended Vanilla from Coffee Bean, BUT-NO-I'M-TRYING-TO-EAT-AT-HOME-AND-SAVE-MONEY-AND-CALORIES, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE OKAY?!? Just buy a fully roasted chicken from the grocery store. They're always juicy and and practically begging to go home with you. And Friday nights, they're only $5.99 at Vons. Ridiculously good deal, if you ask me.

Cut chicken into cubes. Add tomatoes, onion, basil, potatoes, avocado, croutons, and lettuce into a large bowl. In a separate container, mix vinegar, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pour over salad.

Now, I'm no Jillian Michaels, but I would classify this meal as "way healthy". Which means you can eat a shit ton of it and not feel guilty. However, since it's so hearty and filling, you really won't even want to eat more than like 4 servings because you'll be full. But it's a "healthy full" which means you practically just went to the gym.

Boner'ppetite!