My two favorite summer “salad” recipes– light and delish!
It’s only the beginning of June, and I’ve already run through all my favorite summer recipes. I’ve grilled all I know how to grill. I’ve made a salad out of everything in the produce section. I’ve even exhausted the obligatory strawberry shortcake. What now? So yes, this is a call. A shout out, if you will, for your favorite summertime recipes. The ones that your “kids devour”, your spouse “constantly asks for” and your neighbors “beg to steal the recipe”. Save me from another meal of grilled chicken burgers and share your faves with the rest of us!
Of course, it wouldn’t be right unless I shared a couple of my best recipes with you. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t personally come up with these, but I’ve been making them for so long, everyone thinks they are mine at this point. The first salad, in my opinion, goes great with grilled chicken breasts—it’s sweet, yet spicy and the coolness balances out a grilled dish perfectly. The second salad is something I serve often with, well, anything really. I make a huge batch and eat the leftovers for lunch. My favorite part about these salads is that they look so pretty! I love a good looking dish. Hope you enjoy, can’t wait to try yours!
Watermelon & Citrus Salad
Dressing:
*2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
*1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
*2 teaspoons whole-grain Dijon mustard
*1 teaspoon grated orange peel
*½ teaspoon sugar
*½ cup olive oil
Salad:
*2 large bunches watercress, tough stems trimmed
*¼ seeded watermelon cut into ½ thick triangles
*4 oranges, peel and white pith removed, each cut into 6 rounds
*4 thin red onion slices, cut in half
*3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh mint
Directions:
Whisk first 5 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Gradually add oil and whisk until well blended. Season dressing with salt and pepper. (Can be made one day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature and re-whisk before using.)
Divide watercress among 6 plates. Top watercress on each plate with watermelon, orange rounds, onion slices and mint, dividing equally. Drizzle salads with dressing and serve.
Grilled Corn Salad
Ingredients:
*4 ears of corn (or two cans of corn if you’re feeling lazy)
*1 package of cherry tomatoes, halved
* ¼ cup chopped red onion
* ½ teaspoon very finely chopped garlic
* ¾ cup of diced cheddar cheese
*3 tablespoons cilantro, roughly chopped
* ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
*2 tablespoons olive oil
* ½ teaspoon coarse salt
* ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Directions:
Lightly spray the ears of corn with a non-stick cooking spray and turning occasionally until browned. Once cooled, use a sharp knife to remove the kernels and mix into a bowl with remaining ingredients and refrigerate for one hour before serving. Even better the next day! The best thing about this recipe is how versatile it is. Use basil instead of cilantro. Add jalapenos and make it spicy! Throw in some grilled chicken and it’s a meal. Yum.
Ok, your turn. Tell us about your favorites!
Oh I’ve got a good one and it’s healthy too! (And still tastes great, I swear).
Someone else was good enough to type it all out for me:
http://recipeland.com/recipe/v/Arugula–Chickpea-and-Wheat-Berry-Salad-50297