Anyone who knows me knows that I'm constantly in search of great food, fun, and adventure!

Celebrity Chef Nikki Shaw: Samuel L. Jackson is an incredible actor with box office hits like "Star Wars," "Pulp Fiction," and "Shaft" under his belt. I ran into him recently, and of course we talked about my favorite thing in the world: food. Guess what he told me he loves to eat every single day? He stays thin and trim by eating an assorted variety of salads.

Be very careful: "salads" can be deceiving! If you're choosing to eat salads to keep the pounds off, watch out for those delicious high-calorie dressings and fattening toppings. Rich, creamy dressings like honey mustard, chunky blue cheese, or BBQ ranch can taste wonderful on a bed of fresh green lettuce. Although they're scrumptious (and a permanent fixture on my refrigerator door), they may be defeating your purpose. Lower calorie dressings like vinaigrette, Italian, or good ole olive oil and balsamic vinegar are better choices.

"NIK TIP": Have a small healthy salad before dinner each night, like my Spinach Confetti Veggie Salad. The roughage is great for your digestive system. It creates a smooth path for the remainder of your meal to follow.

In this bitter economy, I'll show you how to make life sweet right at home.

SPINACH CONFETTI & VEGGIE SALAD

1 6-ounce bag of fresh baby spinach leaves
½ cup tomatoes, diced
½ cup yellow bell pepper, diced
½ cup carrots, diced
½ cup mushrooms, diced
½ cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing

1. Place spinach, tomatoes, yellow bell pepper, carrots, and mushrooms in a large bowl.
2. Drizzle dressing on salad and lightly toss.

servings: 4 / prep time: 10 minutes / cook time: 0 minutes

Celebrity Chef Nikki Shaw is the owner of Flavor Caterer in Oakland, Ca. and was a finalist on the Food Network's "Next Food Network Star." She is the host of the radio show "Today's Flavor" broadcast on San Francisco's KBLX and webcast on WBLS in New York. She is married to LA Lakers' Assistant Coach Brian Shaw and lives in both Northern & Southern California with their three children. www.chefnikkishaw.com