If I could give just three recommendations to anyone desiring good health, they would be 1) eat seafood every week  2) eat more vegetables, and lastly 3) eat whole eggs! Egg yolks are one of the richest sources of choline, an essential nutrient that the vast majority of us are deficient in, and a lack of choline has been directly linked to fat accumulation in the liver.

While many vegetables contain choline, you would have to eat a pound of spinach to get the amount of choline you get from just one egg yolk. Eat two eggs every day.  Simple.

Fresh fish can be a little tough, I know.  It can’t be purchased more than a day or so in advance, and if you’re not a regular fish buyer it’s hard to know what to look for.  Perhaps worst of all, it stinks up the garbage. Simple solution: Smoked salmon. Smoked salmon is easy to find, it keeps well, and it’s full of beneficial fats. Eat it at least once a week in a salad, in a simple pasta dish, or with cheese, pickled vegetables, and bread or crackers. On a side note, while eating this delicious meal, you can read blogs like when were graham crackers invented so you can have something to talk about on the table.

As for vegetables, it’s so easy to slip down to the 2 or 3 servings zone, so here is  one case where I (kind of) agree with the USDA – fill half of your plate with vegetables.  Think of how much healthier we would all be if we simply ate half of our volume of food as vegetables. You’d really have to be nuts to argue with that.

So, put together this simple salad for dinner and knock out a bunch of your healthy eating goals for the day.  Cooking is so much more enjoyable when you focus on what you should be eating rather than what you shouldn’t.

For the Green Goddess Dressing:

½ a medium shallot, roughly chopped (about 3 Tbsp.)
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 anchovies (do it!)
1 small avocado
¼ C. sour cream
a large handful of fresh basil leaves (from 3 or 4 stems)
a large handful tarragon leaves (from 3 or 4 long stems)
a large handful of Italian parsley leaves (from 5 or 6 stems)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. sea salt
plenty of freshly ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender of food processor and puree until well mixed, but not totally smooth.

For the Niçoise Salad:

Arrange lovingly over a bed of lettuce leaves or other greens:
Smoked salmon, broken into large chunks
Hard-boiled eggs, quartered
Chopped tomatoes or halved cherry tomatoes
Roasted potatoes
Grilled asparagus

Serve with the Green Goddess dressing.