Amy Rosen, National Post

Blueberry smoothie, fresh crab chowder, salad, grilled beef with Parmesan asparagus, and for dessert, pumpkin gingerbread cake. That was a good day. So was the next one, fuelled by a West Coast breakfast parfait with thick, creamy yogourt, a grilled turkey burger with corn and tomato salsa, pecan-crusted halibut and wild rice--plus my midday snack of devilled eggs.

I had never eaten more, or eaten healthier, nor had it ever been easier. That's because I was spending the week test-driving Licious Living, a healthy gourmet meal-delivery service, available in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.

Ordering was a snap. You sign up online ( liciousliving.com),and then a Licious rep calls to sort out all the nitty details: You choose from a selection of healthy gourmet meals, or one of several diet plans. A delivery arrives at your door in a cooler bag between 9 p. m. and 6 a. m., and then all you do is eat as is, or heat it up in the microwavable recyclable containers. You put the cooler bag outside again at the end of the day, and then it all begins again. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much from this low-cal, low-fat food (I was on the Zone's 1,200-calorie regimen). But just a couple of days in, I realized I was totally into the whole not-cooking-or-shopping-or-washing-dishes thing. What's more, food-wise, there were many more hits than misses --my favourite dish being a smart salad that was so full of flavour and sustenance that they should re-name it The Einstein. Here's the healthy recipe.

LICIOUS LIVING'S MEDITERRANEAN SHRIMP SALAD

Makes one serving: 450 calories

-4 oz (114 mL) shrimp (peeled, medium to large)

-3 cups (750 mL) Italian or spring salad mix

-6 oz (170 mL) chicken broth (sodium-free)

-½cup (125 mL) chickpeas (canned, drained, unsalted)

-¾ cup (175 mL) artichoke hearts (drained)

-3 black olives

For dressing:

-2 sundried tomato halves, sliced

-1¼ tsp (6 mL) lemon juice

-1 tsp (5 mL) virgin olive oil

-1 tbsp (15 mL) fresh parsley, minced

-½ tsp (2 mL) fresh garlic, finely minced

-¼ tsp (1 mL) dried Italian herb blend, crumbled

-sea salt and black pepper to taste

1. Marinate sundried tomatoes in olive oil to soften (or use sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil). Combine the lemon juice, olive oil (from the sundried tomatoes), parsley, garlic, Italian herbs and salt and pepper in a blender and pulse. Set aside.

2. Bring stock to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high, add shrimp, cover and simmer for two minutes. Turn off heat, remove lid and cool for 10 minutes. Shrimp should be cooked through. Drain and set aside.

3. Toss artichoke hearts, chickpeas and shrimp with the dressing. Serve mixed greens on a plate or in a salad bowl, layer artichoke hearts, chickpeas, sundried tomatoes and shrimp on top. Garnish with black olives and drizzle remaining salad dressing over top. Serve immediately. Tip: You can substitute cooked, lean chicken breast for shrimp. - Visit Amy Rosen's blog, thenationalnosh.com.

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