Summer Surprise Salad Food

HEALTHY SUMMER PASTA SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cavatappi and cook according to the package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, soak the onion in cold water for 5 minutes and then drain.
• Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, cider vinegar, sugar, mustard, drained red onion, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper until smooth.
• Add the cooked cavatappi, tomatoes, dill, corn and zucchini to the dressing and stir to coat.

SUMMER SURPRISE SALAD

Steps:

• 1. Slice fennel bulbs, fennel stalks, pears, apples, and onion very thinly; place in medium salad bowl.
• 2. Drain olives, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drained brine for the dressing; add drained olive slices to salad bowl with other ingredients.
• 3. Slice all the pealing from the oranges; then slice the fruit into 1 inch chunks; add to salad bowl with other ingredients.
• 4. Dressing: Zest and then juice both lemons into small mixing bowl. Add reserved olive brine, honey, mustard, and cayenne pepper; whisk to combine. While briskly whisking this mixture, drizzle oil very slowly into the mixture, whisking until creamy. Taste, and then add salt and pepper as needed. Pour dressing over salad and toss lightly to coat. Can be served immediately, or chilled for about 30 minutes.
• 5. NOTES: I prefer a very light dressing on this salad, so I don't use much oil. But feel free to add a couple more tablespoons of oil to achieve a thicker consistency if you want. Be sure and taste the dressing before adding seasonings. Because of the saltiness of the olive brine, you may not need to add any more salt at all. And be very generous with the pepper to give this salad a kick. Also, any kind of olives can be used in place of the the black olives. Just don't omit them altogether. The saltiness of this tiny little ingredient is a must in this salad.

SUMMER ORZO

Steps:

• Cook orzo according to package directions for al dente. Drain orzo; rinse with cold water and drain well. Transfer to a large bowl., In a large nonstick skillet, heat water over medium heat. Add corn; cook and stir until crisp-tender, 3-4 minutes. Add to orzo; stir in tomatoes, feta cheese, cucumber, onion, mint and, if desired, capers. In a small bowl, whisk oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper until blended. Pour over orzo mixture; toss to coat. Refrigerate 30 minutes., Just before serving, stir in almonds.

SUMMER COUSCOUS SALAD

Steps:

• Cook the pearl couscous according to the package instructions and set aside.
• Preheat the oven broiler.
• Cut thin rings of the onion and cook in a skillet in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat until caramelized, about 20 minutes.
• Toss the other 2 tablespoons of olive oil and a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper with the zucchini on a baking sheet and broil for about 5 minutes until cooked through and charred slightly.
• Add the zucchini and onion to the cooked couscous. Next, add in the lemon juice, parsley, white wine vinegar, arugula, goat cheese and some salt and pepper and toss to fully combine.

SWEET CORN AND BACON SALAD

Steps:

• In a large skillet, saute bacon and onion over medium-low heat until bacon starts to get crisp (about 10 minutes). Remove bacon and onion and set aside. Discard most of the bacon drippings; leave about 1 Tablespoon (enough to coat the bottom of the pan).
• Add corn and seasonings to drippings in skillet. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until corn is heated through and any moisture is cooked out.
• Return bacon and onion to the skillet, add green onions. Mix well.
• Garnish with extra green onions.
• Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve cold.

SUMMER AVOCADO SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar, oil, water, salt, black pepper, sugar, and garlic. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, tomatoes, basil, and chives. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve (up to 3 hours). Right before serving, gently fold in the avocados, being careful not to mash them. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

SUMMER CHICKEN SALAD

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, oranges, pineapple and pecans.
• Whisk together the mayonnaise, dill weed and sugar. Add to the chicken mixture, toss well and refrigerate over night so flavors may blend.

SUMMER PEACH SPINACH SALAD WITH AVOCADO, TOASTED ALMONDS + GOAT CHEESE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinaigrette: balsamic vinegar, olive oil, minced garlic, dijon and salt and pepper. Add a sweetener here if you'd like here too. I always prefer to!
• In a large bowl, add the spinach. Drizzle with desired about of balsamic vinaigrette and toss together to combine. Top salad with peach slices, diced/sliced avocado, red onion, goat cheese crumbles and toasted almonds. Toss very gently again. Serve immediately. Salad serves 4.

30 FRESH & HEALTHY SUMMER DINNER IDEAS

Steps:

• Preheat grill to medium-high.
• Place marinade ingredients in a food processor and process into a paste. Place the chicken and marinade in a ziplock bag and massage well to mix and coat all sides well. (Or brush all sides well with marinade and place in a container.) Marinate 20 mins or up to 3 days.
• Grill each side of chicken 6-7 minutes, or until good grill marks appear. Lower heat and move chicken to cooler side of the grill and continue to grill until chicken is cooked through and internal temperature reaches 165F.
• Let it rest 5-10 mins before serving and squeeze with lime. Sprinkle with optional cilantro.