Salads

I will be interested to see the responses.

It really depends what mood I am in... if I am feeling salty I will through in a few banana pepper rings and green peppers and maybe a few peanuts... If I feel like a sweet salad I will use strawberries and pecans and mandarin oranges... or maybe even a combination of everything if that is what I am feeling. Plus switching dressings helps. I am currently into Kraft Three Cheese Reduced Fat ranch... 70 calories per serving but DEFINITELY worth every one of them.

Most of my recipes are spur of the moment, but I’ll give some suggestions for building quick, tasty salads. Keep a handful of ready-to-go ingredients around the kitchen. Most of the time I try to make “mock-ups” of my favorite restaurant salads. Nicoise, chef, sesame/Asian chicken inspired, Cobb, Greek, Southwest, taco…all good choices. If I have more time I’ll post some recipes.

Meat suggestions:
Canned white albacore tuna
Grilled or sautéed ahi tuna (sauté it lightly, so the center is still pink), slice thin – best eaten right after cooking
Flank steak, grilled or broiled and sliced thin – best eaten right after cooking
Grilled chicken (cook in advance, slice and keep in fridge)
Shrimp – I like the cooked, frozen variety. Just thaw them as you need them.
Salmon – smoked, canned, freshly cooked and sliced.
Taco-style ground beef or turkey
Pepperoni, salami, cured meats etc.
Deli meats (good for chef salad)
Crab, other seafoods

Cheese suggestions:
Feta crumbles
Bleu crumbles
Shredded mozzarella / cheddar / pepper jack / etc.
Parmesan / romano

Garnishes:
Bacon (cook in advance, crumble, and keep in the fridge)
Hardboiled eggs
Pine nuts (lightly brown in saucepan, cool, and store)
Nuts - Sliced almonds, pecans, walnuts
Seeds – sesame, sunflower, pepitas
Capers
Olives
Sundried tomatoes
Shredded carrots
Radishes
Cukes
Tomatoes
Sprouts / mung beans
Red peppers – fresh or roasted
Salsas, relishes
Pepperoncini peppers
Nappa cabbage
Fruit – apples, strawberries, mandarin oranges

Dressing suggestions:
EVOO
Dijon (or other) mustards
Salt / fresh pepper
Vinegars
Spices – blends are good, garlic is a must
Salsas, hot sauces
Cream-based dressings – you can make these at home, typically with mayo, sour cream, buttermilk, spices, etc.

For a “thick” tasting Italian vinaigrette, use EVOO, balsamic vinegar, a hint of sugar or sweetener, 1 clove of garlic, 2 tsp Italian spices – toss it in a bullet blender and emulsify it – makes it thick-like. It’s really good.