Dinner tonight: Italian chef salad

A staple on diner menus, chef salad consists of torn iceberg lettuce, tomato wedges, cucumbers and strips of deli sliced ham, turkey and Swiss cheese. This version is infused with pepperoni and fresh mozzarella.

Preparation time 15 minutes

Serves 4

Dressing

• 30 ml (2 tbsp) balsamic vinegar
• 5 ml (1 tsp) Dijon mustard
• 5 ml (1 tsp) salt
• 1 ml (1/4 tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• 75 ml (1/3 c) extra-virgin olive oilSalad
• 1.5 ml (6 c) mixed baby greens
• 25 g (1 oz) shaved Parmesan cheese
• 4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and cut into 4 wedges each
• 50 g (2 oz) sliced pepperoni, cut into 0.5-cm-wide (1/4-in-wide) strips
• 175 g (6 oz) cherry-size fresh mozzarella balls
• 1 bottled roasted red pepper, cut into strips
• 250 ml (1 c) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 4 pepperoncini1. For the dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, the mustard, the salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the oil until it is well incorporated.
  2. For the salad, in a large bowl, toss the greens and the Parmesan with 45 millilitres (three tablespoons) of the dressing.
  3. Arrange the hard-cooked eggs, yolk side up, around the edge of the bowl. Arrange the pepperoni, the mozzarella, the red pepper and the tomatoes in ­triangles around the bowl, leaving a five-centimetre (two-inch) diameter space in the centre. Fill the centre space with the pepperoncini and then spoon the remaining dressing over the top of the salad.

If you would like a bit of a heartier salad, you could try adding some meat or seafood, such as 125 grams (1/2 pound) of sliced grilled chicken breast, roasted pork tenderloin or grilled shrimp.

Here's how to cook hard-boiled egg:

• Put the eggs in a single layer in a pot and cover with 2.5 centimetres (one inch) of cold water.
• Bring to a full, rolling boil then turn off the heat.
• Leaving the eggs on the burner, let them sit for 10 to 12 minutes.
• You should have a perfect result every time.

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