I have a whole bunch of simple salad recipes that I can whip up in about 15 minutes for the days I come home late. As an extra added bonus, they’re perfect for a summer evening’s dinner on the patio or deck, low in calories and have the extra added value of being so delicious even the under-five-year-old crowd will love them.
Add fresh fruit, a crispy loaf of French bread and nice bottle of wine (or lemonade) and you’ve got recipes that turn a good dinner into a great one.
Udon noodle salad
o 4 hard cooked eggs, coarsely chopped
o 1 lb. udon noodles, cooked, rinsed and drained (you can use rice noodles or angel hair pasta if you prefer)
o 2 cups baby spinach
o 1/4 head red cabbage, thinly sliced
o 2 carrots, julienned
o 1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
o 1/4 cup sesame oil
o 2 tbsp. soy sauce
o 1 tbsp. apple cider or rice vinegar
o 1 tbsp. honey Dijon mustard
o 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
Place the drained noodles in a serving bowl. Add the spinach, water chestnuts, cabbage, carrots and hard boiled eggs. Gently mix to combine.
In a bowl, combine the sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar and mustard. Whisk to combine. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and mix to combine. Sprinkle the chopped parsley on top and serve. Serves 4.
Optional: add 2 grilled chicken breasts, shredded
Whole wheat turkey pasta salad
o 8 oz. whole wheat rotini pasta, cooked al dente, rinsed and drained
o 8 oz. honey roasted deli turkey breast cut into bite sized pieces
o 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
o 1 red bell pepper, cut into bite sized pieces
o 1 cup fresh corn kernels
o 6 green onions, sliced thin
o 2 large tomatoes, chopped
o 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded or 3 cups baby spinach
o 2 tbsp. olive oil
o 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
o 1 tsp. sugar
o 1/2 cup chopped parsley or cilantro
o 1/3 cup salted sunflower seeds
Place the drained pasta in a large salad bowl. Add the turkey, red pepper, tomato, corn, lettuce and onions.
In another bowl combine the lime juice, cumin, sugar, olive oil and parsley. Whisk to combine, season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle 1/2 the dressing over the salad, mix to coat. Top with sunflower seeds and serve with the remaining dressing. Serves 6.
Stacked Greek salad
o 12 bamboo or wood skewers
o 24 grape or small cherry tomatoes
o 3 oz. feta cheese
o 12 pitted Kalamata or black olives
o 1 can pineapple chunks, drained
o 1/2 small red or sweet onion, cut into 12 1/2-in. pieces
o 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
o 2 tsp. rice wine vinegar
o 4 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
o 2 tbsp. olive oil
o salt and pepper to taste
Thread the skewers starting with a tomato, then a piece of feta cheese, a piece of pineapple, an olive, a piece of onion, and finish with another tomato. Repeat until 12 skewers are filled. Set the skewers aside.
In a small bowl combine the lemon juice, vinegar and 2 teaspoons of the oregano. Whisk to combine. Add the olive oil and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange skewers on a serving platter with sides. Drizzle the vinaigrette over skewers and sprinkle the remaining oregano over the top. Serves 4 to 6. Modified from a recipe by Giada De Laurentis.