Crisp lime avocado and chick pea salad

This time of year is full of parties, drinks, rich food and little to no exercise, so for the annual Christmas potluck at work I like to make a light crisp salad to counteract all the damage I am doing to my body.

This year I am into avacodo's in a big way and often have a salad with avacado in it for my lunch or dinner, so I decided to make an avacado salad with a south west twist.  This made a potluck salad for 12.

One large avacado chopped into large chunks
Grated zest from one lime
One can of chick peas
Small bunch of cilantro chopped.
3 Hearts of romaine lettuce

Dressing ingredients

• Juice from 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar or a good white wine vinegar with a pinch of sugar
• 1 bunch of green onions chopped
• 3 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic grated or crushed
• 1 teaspoon of salt

Put the avacado in to the bottom of a large bowl and add the zest of the lime.

Avocado salad to pack for lunch

Starting September this year I have been taking my lunch to work every day. I am not really sure why the change,  previously I never took my lunch, I guess I am a bit of an all or nothing person.  Actually there are several factors, 1. to eat lighter to lose weight, 2. eat only food using natural ingredients, 3 spend less money and perhaps the most important, I got a little bag that is perfect for taking lunch.

Remember those shaken salads at Macdonalds?  It was a good idea and made with good ingredients it is a brilliant idea this is a take on that. I saw this idea on pinterest of making layered salad with the dressing on the bottom, they were made in canning jars, as are far too many things on pinterest.  I do not have any giant spare canning jars so a Rubbermaid container had to do.  Perhaps not quite so pretty, but very practical and available.  The idea is that you put the dressing on the bottom and then layer the ingredients making sure that anything that is going to get soggy by being in contact with the dressing is far above it.

1/4 red onion chopped
1 avocado chopped
Juice of one or one and half lemons
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt/pepper
small handful of fresh basil and mint chopped
1 cup of chopped cherry tomatoes (from my garden!)
1/2 cup of sprouted beans (optional)
lettuce to fill the container

I have listed the ingredients in the order that I put them in to the container.

I tossed the avocado  in the lemon juice and oil to stop it from discolouring. Then added the ingredients in order.