As the season Heats-Up, so does my love for Salads! There is nothing quite as refreshing as a salad for a meal in these times of BLISTERING HEAT! When I was a kid mom would make us a salad of Iceberg Lettuce with some Radish, Tomato, and perhaps some Purple Onion. The dressing choices were just as boring…LOL! I liked salads once in awhile but to be honest I never Loved them. As an adult I discovered how to make Salad interesting, and today look forward to them most any time as a healthy meal choice!
Salads today dominate almost every menu, even fast-food restaurants have come on board with some great choices, but beware some of them are not very healthy. In some cases you could have more calories and fat in a Salad than in a Cheeseburger, Large Fry, and a large Fountain Drink combo meal….now who wants that?
We sometimes at home neglect to think of a Salad as a choice because we think of all the chopping and prep work, face it we are lazy. Just prep some veggies and ingredients in advance and keep them in containers in the fridge for easy access for when you need them.Today however I will suggest we can take a few minutes and get things ready for a Salad choice at any time for any meal, without all the drama. There are a few things we can do to make this an easier task. For one we can plan ahead as to what kinds of salad we would like to enjoy this week. I always like the salad to have a bit of texture and some interesting flavor combinations to entice me to whip one up in a flash! Remember the ingredients are what make our choices differ in taste , texture, and the ability to satisfy. Here are some ideas I have to keep us on track!
- While at the market think of the base, the greens. I love Baby Field Greens, Spinach, Romaine, and yes even Iceberg! So I often grab just a bit of all of them. This gives me many choices and combinations to work with. Greens or Lettuce will keep much better if cleaned and stored …DRY…. be sure they are dry! Prewashed and bagged choices are available today and offer convinces however this comes at a price, so be prepared to pay a bit more. On the upside they offer less waste.
- Next we should give some thought to add-on ingredients that make us eager to dive in! I always grab a Red Pepper, some Green onions or a Purple Onion, Celery, Carrots, Jicama, a can of Artichoke Hearts, some Nuts, Raisins, Dried Fruits, Cucumber, Grape Tomatoes, perhaps some Turkey or other meat choices from the Deli, even some Cheese choices, or a Roasted Chicken, Smoked Salmon, Tuna, Sesame Seeds, Sunflower Seeds an Orange, an Apple, a Mango, an Avocado, a Pear, and even some Strawberries! By combining these ingredients we boost the flavor and have a multitude of combinations giving us many choices for many meals.
- Dressings are the key to making every Salad distinct and help keep us going back for more. I make my Dressings therefore I have more control over what I am putting in my body. However there are great choices in your local market. If you choose to go this route I make the suggestion of getting a few choices like a Raspberry Vinaigrette, a Balsamic Vinaigrette, perhaps some Ranch, or even some more exotic flavors. Even some flavored Vinegars, and Oils make a great choice to have around.
- Even creating some Seasoned Sprinkles with spices and seeds offer a great twist on many salads. You may also find many of these choices premade in your market. I make mine as well, and would suggest you get creative as well the choices are endless!
Below I will offer some combination suggestions for Salad choices. Also some recipes for Dressings, and even some Flavored Sprinkles that will make you a Pro at Salads! These tasty choices will enhance any dinner as a Salad course, or when adding Meats and/ or Cheeses or even Fishes can become an exciting entree! Teaching our family to eat healthy is hard, but by introducing new flavor combinations to a choice of greens will entice even the most skeptic of diners to dive right in! These are Not the Old Time Salads of yesteryear these are Gourmet Creations that make meals exciting, cost effective, and healthy for todays people on the go! By getting the family involved we create quality family time, and teach good healthy eating habits that will follow our children through life! Learned and practiced healthy choices follow us through life and can help curb Health Issues that may plague us later like obesity, high blood pressure and even diabetes.
- Southwest Chicken Salad: Any Greens Choice is a good choice for this recipe, I like to use Romaine Lettuce as my choice. You just need to place the Greens in a bowl with some chopped Bell Pepper, chopped Green Onions, some Golden Raisins, Some diced Cucumber, a few Grape Tomatoes, and some Cubed Roasted Chicken. Toss till lightly covered with some Ranch Dressing to which we add a bit of Ground Cumin, and Chile Powder to enhance the taste. I top this Salad with thinly sliced Jicama, diced Avocado, and serve over a bed of Tortilla Chips. If you like you may add a bit of your favorite Salsa to the dressing as well to add some Kick! I also like to add some thawed Frozen Corn, and a few rinsed Canned Black Beans. Top with chopped fresh Cilantro, and some shredded Cheese!
- Mixed Berry and Spinach Salad: A perfect start to any meal or even as an entree this salad is full of flavor and very healthy! All we need is some Baby Spinach leaves that we will toss in a bowl with some fresh Strawberry slices, a few fresh Raspberries, and some thinly sliced Purple Onion Rings. To this we add some Raspberry Vinaigrette. I love to top this salad with grated Swiss Cheese and Pecans, the combination of flavors is refreshing and vibrant. As an entree I sometimes add chunked Turkey or Ham, but it is great without adding a thing!
- Wedge Salad: This is a favorite served in almost every Steak House in America! Just take a head of Iceberg Lettuce and cut into quarters remove the core and place on a plate. This salad is dressed with a creamy Bleu Cheese dressing and topped with Roasted or Candied Nuts like Walnuts or Pecans, and some diced Dates. Fantastic!
- Spinach and Mango-Orange Salad: Fresh Baby Spinach leaves, diced Mango and Orange segments, thinly sliced Purple Onion, whole Roasted Almonds, thinly sliced Jimica, shredded Carrot, sliced Red Pepper, a few halved Grape Tomatoes, and toss in a Mango Vinaigrette. This is one great salad! I have been known to top with Grilled Chicken, or even a piece of Grilled Halibut or Ginger Crusted Seared Tuna as an entree meal choice. Shredded toasted Coconut will add another dimension to this recipe and make it a family favorite.
- Wilted Summer Greens with Shrimp & Asian Veggies: You will need I head Asian Cabbage shredded, 1/2 lb Snow Peas, 1/4 cup shredded Carrot, and 1 Red Bell Pepper cut into thin strips. Take these ingredients and place in a Pyrex Dish. Microwave for 4 minutes covered with Plastic Wrap, this will steam the veggies. After cooking Drain any liquid and chill for 1 hour. Grate 1 large Cucumber, 1 White Radish, and add to chilled mixture. Dress and top with Asian Dressing [recipe to follow]. Top with either Boiled or Grilled Shrimp, Lobster, Scallops or a combination of Seafood! Sprinkle with Black Sesame Seeds, minced fresh Mint, Cilantro, Basil leaves about 2 Tbs combined, and serve. This is a favorite of my clients that I cater for, I often serve it as a Luncheon Entree with a Carrot Ginger Soup to start and some Sesame Crackers……Fantastic!
Well I hope you get the idea about how so many Salads are just a thought away. Now I hope to share a few Dressing Recipes with you I find just outstanding!
- Asian Dressing for Seafood Salad: 1 cup Rice Wine vinegar, 2 clove Garlic crushed, 4 Tbs Sugar, 1" of fresh Ginger Grated very fine. Heat the Vinegar in a glass cup in the microwave till very hot. Dissolve the sugar in the hot vinegar add Ginger, Garlic, 1 Tbs Honey, and 1/4 tsp Red Pepper flakes, and whisk with 3 tsp light Sesame Oil.
- Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette: In a blender place 2 Tbs Sugar, 6 Fresh Basil leaves, 1 clove Garlic, 2 Tbs Dijon Mustard, 1/4 Red Bell Pepper diced small, 4 Green Onions chopped, 3/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar, 4 Tbs Water, blend till smooth and while blending add 1/2 cup Olive Oil very slowly until emulsified. I love this dressing and use it as is or with a choice of cheeses adds to the salad to create distinctive flavor combinations. Try some grated Asiago, or crumbled Bleu Cheese it works great with Stilton or Roquefort. *If making a Fruit Dressing swap the Balsamic vinegar with Cider or Rice Wine or Fruit flavored Vinegar use 1 cup fresh frozen Fruit, or Berry’s, and I like to add a touch of spice like Cinnamon, Nutmeg, or Allspice. Strawberry, Blueberry, Raspberry, Peach,Mango, Pear, and Apple are among my personal favorites. I also change the oil to a Grapeseed Oil it has a milder flavor! When using Apple or Pear I sometimes add some finely minced Rosemary in place of the Basil.
- Creamy Bleu Cheese: 1 cup Sour Cream, 1/2 cup Buttermilk, 1/4 cup Mayonnaise, 1 tsp Onion Powder, 2 tsp Worcestershire, 1/2 tsp Tabasco, 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder, 6 oz Stilton Cheese crumbled, 1/4 tsp dried Dill, 1/4 tsp cracked Black Pepper, pinch of Sea Salt, whisk all ingredients together and chill over night.
For some added texture and flavor try a Sprinkle made from 4 Tbs Sesame Seeds, 1/2 tsp Celery Seeds, 1/2 tsp Cracked Black Pepper, 3 Tbs Sunflower Seeds, 1/4 tsp Garlic Powder, 1/2 tsp Coarse Sea Salt, and 3 Tbs each finely chopped toasted slivered Almonds and Cashews. You may also like to top a Salad with some "Roasted Corn Nuts", Pumpkin Seeds, Crisp Bacon, or some Seasond Crutons!
Try adding Grilled Plums, or Pineapple, Poached Pears or Spiced Apple Rings, even Purple Cabbage and Fresh Herbs add depth and flavor! Left- overs llike Fajita Meat, Fried Wontons, Cold Pasta, Rice, or Fried Chicken are great to use to make a Salad unique! I hope you will try some of these ideas and recipes for a heallthy meal choice, and "Good Eats to You & Yours!"
Please hit the Garden or the Farmers Market in your area and get to eating some of these great Fruits of the Summer to enjoy while they are at their most Fresh! Enjoy! and Good Eats to you all……
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