Category — Salads

The chopped salad phenomon has taken over the urban American lunch scene and I’m not complaining. I find myself regularly choosing these cut up meals from a menu and I’ve noted that it’s not as much the ingredients that please me as it is the fact that’s it’s chopped. Does this mean I’m lazy? Is cutting food with a fork and knife such a huge stumbling block? Maybe it’s chewing food that’s the turn off.

I’m going to convince myself that these mixed salads just taste better. I feel like they do, don’t you? All the flavors come together in this perfect, evenly proportioned way. And the fact that you can spoon-feed yourself raw veggies is somehow comforting, I’ll admit it.

So, here’s my advice for your home: Buy a food chopper and get creative. Summer has so many fresh veggies to offer and almost all of them taste better in managable, bite-sized pieces. Picture these ingredients: lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, onion, egg, cheese bacon. Now picture them chopped. You feelin’ me now?

Rotisserie chicken and salad is one of the easiest and most satisfying meals you can make, or not make, since you can buy the chickens at almost any grocery store these days.  This meal will still satisfy and take advantage of all the fresh bounty summer has to offer.

Consider the recipe from Real Simple for chicken with grape and blue cheese salad.  Just looking at the picture is all the inspiration you’ll need to jump off you tail and whip that one up.  Or try roast chicken with The Rosenthal salad.  This gets the “tried and true” stamp from our household.  You could serve the chicken with fresh corn on the cob and sliced heirloom tomatoes.  It dosn’t get easier than that nor is there a better time of year to get the delicious produce!

If you have this extra feature on your gas grill, use it! It’s so easy to make a delicious dinner for a family. Serve it with a salad, baguette and wine or cole slaw and French fries. Either way, it’s gourmet and good times!

The simple way to make a perfect rotisserie chicken. You will need:

• a 3 pound bird
• 1/4 cup butter
• paprika
• salt
• pepper

Put the chicken on the rotisserie, turn the grill to high and cook for ten minutes. Mix the other igredients. Turn the heat to medium and baste with the butter mixture. Close the lid and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, basting between sips of wine and good times. When the leg jiggles and could easily be pulled off, you’re ready to roll!

I made this the other night for the first time and we loved it. Perfect for summer. It’s fresh, tangy and sweet enough to make those who avoid eating vegetables get down on them. Use a food processor and make a huge amount in a snap to bring along to picnics and potlucks. To get in your greens, try it on a bed of watercress - a sophisticated delight. You will need:

• 2 medium celery roots
• 2 apples, I used golden delicious
• 5 green onions
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp red wine or balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 lemon for juice
• salt
• 1/4 walnuts, roasted

Wash the vegetables and apples. Cut the skin off of the celery root and apples then cut into one inch slices. Feed through the food processor using the grate blade. Cut the green onions about half way down then feed the bottom portion through the food processor. Empty it all into a salad bowl. In a smaller bowl mix the ingredients for the dressing. Taste and adjust until it pleases your palette. Mix the dressing thoroughly into the salad. Top with walnuts and crunch away!

My husband came up with this recipe when we were experimenting with completely alkaline meals. This also just happens to be totally satisfying and delicious! You will need:

• 1 jicama
• 1 cucumber
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1-2 ripe avocados , mashed
• 1-2 tbsp olive or flaxseed oil
• 1 tbsp veganaise or mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 lemons for juice
• sea salt

Peel and chop jicama and cucumber into bite size cubes. Wash and chop parsley by hand or using an herb chopper. Mix all ingredients in a salad bowl along with the mashed avocado, oils, tahini, lemon juice and salt to taste. ATTN: This salad is not an exact science. Use your good sense when mixing. It should be creamy and delicious! You can also add any other vegetables or beans you think might taste good: chick peas, tomato, or even seeds like sesame or pumpkin. Enjoy! And if you don’t eat it all, this salad will save in the refrigerator for a day or two, just give it a stir and you’re good to go.