You always need a simple, elegant green salad in your repertoire. What I love are the buttery and cheesy crostini, so you get your healthy, leafy vegetable with a little indulgence.

　　

Ingredients

4 to 6 servings

　　

Crostini

1/2 baguette loaf, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

　　1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

　　1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

　　

Salad

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)

　　3 tablespoons olive oil

　　Salt and freshly ground black pepper

　　1 head Bibb or butter lettuce, leaves torn

　　1 medium fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced

　　1/3 packed cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

　　1/3 packed cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

　　

Step 1

For the crostini: Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F.

　　

Step 2

Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden.

　　

Step 3

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, using a fork, mix the butter and cheese together until smooth.

　　

Step 4

For the salad: In a salad bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lettuce, fennel, basil, and mint and toss well.

　　

Step 5

Spread the Parmesan butter on the crostini and serve alongside the salad.

　　Giada at Home by Giada De Laurentiis. Copyright © 2010 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by the Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.