Here it is July and we all mostly love the summer. Until 5 o’clock comes.
And, while it’s always 5 o’clock somewhere, it’s not always time for a lovely cool beverage. Sometimes it’s just time to think about dinner. And if you’re on dinner duty for a family, THAT five o’clock comes every day, even in the heat of summer.
Give yourself a break and go for salad suppers. With the great summer produce around us and a little imagination, we can go global with summer suppers that are tasty and satisfying without getting us bogged down in the kitchen or with minimum time at the stove or grill.
What we like most about these recipes is that they add fun to using fruits and veggies in recipes that are just a little different from the ones we serve routinely. Any or all are great for family meals and dinner with friends.
Let’s start in the Mediterranean, shall we? Say Bon Appetit to a composed Nicoise Salad where bright veggies and tangy French vinaigrette serve as a tasty bed for chunks of olive-oil packed tuna. This particular recipe varies a bit from the traditional recipe that features green beans, potatoes and eggs. Instead, we’ve gone for fennel, asparagus, radishes and carrots.
Get tangy with a good Greek Salad one night. Loaded with bright veggies sparked with feta cheese and dressing, this is a great option that requires no cooking at all. It’s a lively vegetarian dinner when paired with warm pita bread and hummus. You can up the protein and still have a no-cook meal if you use a store-bought rotisserie chicken. If you want to grill your own meat, make the dressing a little ahead of time and marinate some chicken breast tenders in a bit of that. Pop the chicken on the grill and they’ll cook quickly.
Back across the Atlantic, we would be remiss if we didn’t find a way to turn everyone’s favorite summer sandwich – the BLT – into a tasty salad. This is sure to become a favorite at your house, just like it is at friend’s home. We know we said no cooking needed, but hey! It’s bacon and croutons we’re talking about here!
South of the border, we’re going to give you a bit of a challenge with Salad Nachos, which can in no way be confused with or for Taco Salad. No melting, no cooking, no meat go into these tasty nachos and we think you’ll like them for the fun they bring to the table. It takes a bit of work so round up a child, spouse or guest who likes to have fun in the kitchen. You’ll enjoy the company and everyone will enjoy the nachos.
There’s a little Asian flavor in our last salad offering. And, for those meat-eaters among us there’s also steak. This grilled steak salad features a pineapple and ginger dressing. If you’re pressed for time, you could buy pre-peeled and cubed pineapple instead of cutting it up yourself.
