Serves 4 / Watercress is packed with antioxidants and flavor, making a healthful as well as beautiful emerald-green dressing. Combined with spinach and eggs, this is such a simple, light salad, yet it’s spectacularly delicious. Prep tips: The fragile dressing should be made just before serving. The watercress can be prepared and stored in an airtight bag in the fridge until then, but the rest should be done à la minute.

4 ounces watercress

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons flaxseed oil

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon fresh tarragon leaves

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 ounces baby spinach

1 small bunch scallions (or 4 green onions), thinly sliced on a diagonal, divided

4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and quartered lengthwise

1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

3/4 cup halved grape tomatoes

1. Select only leaves and tender upper stems of watercress; wash and dry. Measure 3/4 cup packed watercress and place in blender. Add oils, lemon juice, vinegar, tarragon, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.

2. Place spinach, remaining watercress, half the sliced scallions, and tomatoes in a large bowl. Add three-fourths of the dressing and toss thoroughly; taste and add more dressing, if desired. Mound on four plates. Season quartered eggs with salt and pepper and place on salads. Sprinkle with walnuts and garnish with remaining scallions. Serve at once.

PER SERVING: 356 cal, 84% fat cal, 34g fat, 5g sat fat, 212mg chol, 9g protein, 6g carb, 2g fiber, 202mg sodium

Chef and bon vivant Alan Roettinger is the author of Omega-3 Cuisine (Book Publishing, 2008).

Great dressings, every time

With few exceptions, every salad dressing is a judicious blend of some form of acidic juice, oil, and seasonings. Creating new and interesting combinations is quite easy. Experiment with different vinegars, such as balsamic, rice, umeboshi, and sherry. Add herbs, garlic, fresh ginger, or spices. Finally, select the oil—by far the most important ingredient. I use two almost exclusively: extra-virgin olive oil, with its unique Mediterranean flavor, and flaxseed oil, the richest source of omega-3 fats (for the freshest oil, check the bottle’s press date and use within two weeks of opening). These components optimize well-being and flavor; now simply follow your palate.