bachelorette bean salad.

no, i haven't ditched aaron for a hunky pool boy. though if i were going to leave him, a hunky pool boy would surely be worth it. tonight aaron is working late and instead of making one of my favorite dishes, stir-fried bok choy with mushrooms, i decided to leave that for a night when we can both enjoy it hot out of the pan.
when i don't have someone to cook with (or for), i revert to a sad, carnal state of dietary habits. bread and butter, butter and bread, chocolate, more bread and butter...that's how i would eat if left to my own devices. there is something to be said about the power of being held accountable. and tonight, i am accountable to no one. i suppose i could have just let the bread and butter fill my belly and call it good, but i am programmed to have "dinner" and dinner must contain a vegetable or two or at least involve an egg. i have no idea where this vague definition of "dinner" came from but there you have it.
having decided against a "proper meal" and not really having much in the way of ingredients for anything else, i initially thought to scramble a couple of eggs, the old stand by. i then realized i had a large can of artichoke hearts, vegan cream cheese and vegan mayo - all things i had purchased to make a hot artichoke dip that i never got around to making. my brain raced through the rationalization: is it possible? a delicous appetizer for dinner? i think there are some stale tortilla chips in the pantry...artichokes are vegetables. and it's vegan, that's gotta stand for something. is this okay?!
and then i snapped out of it. i would surely eat the entire thing myself, dipping into it anything in sight until all that was left to dip was a spoon, or worse, my finger. no, no, appetizers are NOT a dinner.
i looked once more in our pantry. a can of white beans, the giant can of artichoke hearts, some sun-dried tomatoes...a bean salad? yes!
i made a quick dressing from one part red wine vinegar to two parts olive oil, a dash of balsamic vinegar, some dried basil, salt and pepper. and for some greenery, i picked some parsley, mint and a green onion from the garden that had all managed to make it through the winter and emerge on the other side. somehow, the addition of these ultra fresh, though few, ingredients legitimizes this as a healthy, balanced meal, and therefore, is acceptable for dinner. i mixed all the ingredients together, threw in some great applewood smoked sea salt (found in the bulk section of new seasons market!) over the whole thing and my-oh-my!

so there you have it! or there i have it. and i did, and it was great.