Salads
Summer Salads
summer salads
There are few things more satisfying than a low fat salad picked straight from the garden (or farmers market). It’s also the perfect meal in summer, when turning on the oven is something we’d all rather avoid.
You can dress up the quintessential green salad with leftover grilled meats or tofu to make it a heartier meal. Keep with a theme like Mexican, Thai, or Chinese, by topping your crisp greens with beans, bean sprouts or even using raw Chinese cabbage as your base. Everyone loves crisp lo mein noodles or crushed tortilla chips used in place of the usual croutons. Plus, they all look amazing plated up on Noritake colorwave accent plates.
Try making your own dressings with different bases such as olive oil, egg-less mayo, or even silken tofu. All you need is a blender or food processor and a sense of adventure. If you can, pick (or buy) some fresh herbs like bails, cilantro, thyme, and garlic chives to add amazing flavor to your new house dressing.
Pasta salads are another perfect choice for a warm weather meal. Try adding your own special dressings to these salads as well. It’s amazing how much they elevate plain old pasta. I like to add soft cheeses in pasta salad dressing like goat or boursin. It’s a perfect palette to use us bits and pieces of leftover cooked veggies from the week. No one will recognize them tucked away in their favorite salad.
Leftover grains also make a nice chilled salad base. Just make sure they aren’t too dry. Personally, I hate crunchy rice salads. If your grains are a little tough reheat with a little water to freshen it up before you make your salad. This is still faster than cooking it from scratch. Also, add extra salad dressing if you’re planning on having leftovers. That way it won’t dry out as quick.
Even if you add leftover cooked veggies, make sure the rest you are using are farm fresh for low fat salad recipes. It will keep those vibrant colors and healthy salads benefits right on your favorite dinnerware.
