Completely off the rails over the holidays! I jumped blissfully into the memories, tastes, and aromas of calorie-unconscious holiday life. ~ Baked, ate and shared all the cookies, cakes, and pies I’ve always enjoyed. By February, I was finally ready to face the scale and regroup. Predictably, having kicked up that carb addiction again, it was really starting over. Oregano saved me.

My successful weight-loss plan through the warm Midwest months featured very few daily menus. A typical day included a breakfast turkey burger meal, lunch salad, and lean meat or eggs with veggies for supper all carefully tracked on MyFitnessPal. It was my intention to resume the plan, but that cold lunch salad was NOT inviting once the weather turned cold. Increasing the seasoning was all I needed to find my way back to clean eating in less than a week. Thanks to the-girl-who-ate-everything for this delicious Portillo’s Chopped Salad copykat dressing recipe.

Each morning I make a salad (usually not the Portillo’s version that includes cheese, bacon and pasta), add a tablespoon of the dressing, sprinkle a generous amount of fragrant oregano over the top, and toss. By lunchtime, it’s delicious and satisfying.

Copykat Portillo’s Chopped Salad Dressing

1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (plus more to sprinkle, and/or any other favorite aromatic herbs)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 cup olive oil

Minced garlic to taste, optional

Add ingredients to a lidded jar, shake well, store in or out of the refrigerator.

Photos courtesy Pixabay.com planet_fox; and the-girl-who-ate-everything.com.