Anti-Swine Flu Hot Salad 'N' Hot Chocolate

By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

“To make a good salad is to be a brillant diplomatist--the problem is entirely the same in both cases. To know exactly how much oil one must put with one's vinegar." -- Oscar Wilde

Today I have a mega case of hypochondriacitis. So much talk about swine flu and finishing my second article on the flu of 2009 (page 32)--wondering if I, like so many people, do have it. I took an online test and one said head for the doctor asap; the other said stay home and weather your flu/cold. Go figure. My brother is walking my Brittanys and now he says he is sick. Funny, yesterday we both swam for more than 30 minutes and took the pooches for a long romp. Oops, Seth wants water... He's fine. Being a health author is probably like a medical student. When they study diseases they believe they have 'em. Oh, I feel feverish. Chills. Queasy. Is it all in my head? Am I one of the thousands of the "worried well"?...

Well, we know swine flu is at Lake Tahoe. My hair stylist's daughter had it. My vet had it. The sign on the women's doc's office (the annual check-up called my name) warned to put on a mask if you have it. A young woman wore a mask while another woman three feet from me (both at the grocery store) held a box of Tylenol (yep, she told me her son had "the" flu and because of her super mommy powers she won't get it). Oh, and the mother-son team at the pool? They were from Sweden and assured me in between her boy's cough that they got their shot before arriving on the Tahoe shore.

So no wonder I sit here wondering "Do I or don't I?" I think I have a grueling headache. My cat Kerouac is meowing. Maybe he has the flu, too. Nah, he's doing fine. If you're ever sick, cats are the perfect companion. Small demands, big affection. Dogs? Sporting canines can be demanding and go-oriented which is why I love them (except if dealing with a flu bug).

Anti-Swine Hot Salad

1 1/2 cups romaine greens

3 ounces low-fat Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1 tablespoon onion, chopped

1 boiled egg, sliced

2 tablespoons black olives

a few slices of avocado bed of whole grain tortilla chips or corn tortilla shell
1/4 cup all natural fresh salsa, hot
peppers and sour cream (optional)

Combine together in bowl. Arrange chips around salad to make a well for the veggies. Top with olive oil and vinegar dressing. If you're hungry (I'm not) have a warm piece of fresh whole grain French bread. The healthful salad serves one. Double for two and double again for four. Be careful (I flunked math).

Vinaigrette

Mix 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 3-4 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 1/2 taspoon Dijon mustard (optional), and a dash of freshly ground pepper. Stir before putting on salad greens.

* (Tried and true from my book The Healing Powers of Vinegar.)

Okay. Dark leafy greens, eggs, whole grains, tomatoes, onions, vinegar, olive oil, chocolate, organic low-fat milk, dark chocolate--all superfoods to help fight or keep away the seasonal flu/swine flu or make hypochondriacs feel better. The hot chocolate? I'll have it later tonight (with a handful of dark sea salt cashews) as I nurse my ailments, whether they're real or not. (Yes, quality dark chocolate--70% cacao--can make any pain seem less than more). Take care. (Ignore me. I'll probably be fine tomorrow.) Oh dear, I just sneezed. It's psychosomatic, right?