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Summer Dinner Salads
RECIPES
Very Berry Chicken Salad
Flavors of Summer Salad
Shrimp Salad with Croutons
Nicoise Salad
Grilled Steak Salad with Crispy Onion Rings
Very Berry Chicken Salad
Flavors of Summer Salad
Shrimp Salad with Croutons
Nicoise Salad
Grilled Steak Salad with Crispy Onion Rings
Summer is the perfect time for serving dinner salads. Here are 5 of our favorites. Dinner salads are a
great way to use up leftover chicken or steak. Any kind of deli meat is good, too; turkey, ham, roast
beef, salami, and prosciutto are all great on salads. Or you can add a can of beans, some smoked
fish, tofu, cooked vegetables, or eggs. Toasted nuts are tasty, too. Toss some pecans, walnuts,
almonds or pine nuts into a skillet and stir over medium heat until the nuts turn a shade darker.
great way to use up leftover chicken or steak. Any kind of deli meat is good, too; turkey, ham, roast
beef, salami, and prosciutto are all great on salads. Or you can add a can of beans, some smoked
fish, tofu, cooked vegetables, or eggs. Toasted nuts are tasty, too. Toss some pecans, walnuts,
almonds or pine nuts into a skillet and stir over medium heat until the nuts turn a shade darker.
Very Berry Chicken Salad
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 cups fresh raspberries, divided
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 (8-ounce) package mixed salad greens
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup shelled pistachios
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Directions:
Brush chicken breasts with oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill chicken on charcoal, gas or stovetop grill until done. Allow to rest for 10 minutes.
To prepare the dressing:
In a blender or food processor, combine 1 cup of raspberries, vinegar, sugar, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth. Slowly add oil until well combined. (Dressing can be made ahead and refrigerated)
Divide greens among 4 salad plates. Top with remaining raspberries, blueberries, pistachios, and feta cheese. Drizzle the salad with some of the raspberry dressing. Slice the chicken breasts and place one breast on each plate. Pass remaining dressing with salads.
Flavors of Summer Salad
(Serves 4)
This salad combines some of the flavors that we associate with summer; fresh corn, ripe tomatoes, fragrant basil, and tender crab meat. As an alternative to the crab, add some grilled shrimp or chicken strips.
Ingredients:
Dressing:
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
Salad Ingredients:
1 cup fresh corn kernels, (about 2 ears of corn)
1/4 cup julienned fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped red pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Baby greens
1 pound lump crab meat
Directions:
In a bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until well blended. Remove the corn kernels from the cob with a knife. Blanch the kernels in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Add the corn, basil, red pepper, onion, and tomatoes to the bowl with the dressing. Gently toss to coat.
Divide the baby salad greens among individual salad plates. Top the greens with a portion of the corn mixture. Add some of the crab meat on top. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time.
Shrimp Salad with Croutons
(Serves 4)
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound shelled and deveined large shrimp
1 cup coarsely chopped jarred roasted red peppers
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup minced chives or parsley
4 cups spinach leaves
Croutons (preferably homemade)
Directions:
Combine vinegar, honey, mustard, and 1/4 cup of oil. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
In a large skillet heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the garlic and shrimp and cook over medium heat until the shrimp are pink, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a bowl and cool slightly.
Add the red peppers, onions, and chives to the bowl. Pour the vinaigrette over and toss well to coat. Spread the spinach leaves on a serving platter. Mound the shrimp mixture in a middle of the spinach. Scatter the croutons around the shrimp mixture. Serve.
Nicoise Salad
(Serves 6)
Nicoise Salad is a classic French recipe but variations of it are found throughout the Mediterranean region. It is named for the tiny black olives, nicoise olives, that are one of its ingredients. This is a great recipe to plan ahead for, when you're cooking green beans and potatoes during the week, make extra for this salad and most of your work will be done. If you can't find nicoise olives substitute a good black olive.
Ingredients:
Dressing:
1 shallot, peeled and minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
3 anchovies, rinsed and chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
Salad:
8 cups chopped Romaine leaves
1-1/2 pounds small potatoes, cooked and cut into chucks
8 ounces green beans, cooked and cut into pieces
4 tomatoes, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 (6 ounces) cans tuna packed in olive oil
3 eggs, hard boiled
20 nicoise olives or black olives
Directions:
To make the dressing:
Place shallots in a small bowl with vinegar, lemon juice and salt. Let sit for 1 hour to soften the flavor of the shallots. Whisk in pepper, anchovies, and olive oil
To make the salad:
Place Romaine, potatoes, beans, and tomatoes in a bowl. Pour the dressing over and gently toss. Put the greens on a serving platter. Top with the tuna, eggs, and olives. Serve.
Grilled Steak Salad with Crispy Onion Rings
(Serves 2 -3)
This is a quick and easy meal for a summer evening. You can add anything extra that you like to the basic ingredients. When I made this salad I had one ear of cooked corn in the refrigerator, so I added it. You can make our recipe for Crispy Onion Rings or you can use canned French-fried onions; or you can leave them out and add some crispy croutons.
Ingredients:
1 strip steak or small flank steak
6-8 white mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon butter
10 asparagus spears, ends removed
1 small corn on the cob, cooked (optional)
Romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Crispy onion rings (recipe below)
Dressing:
Juice of half a lemon
5-6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Grill the steak and allow to rest 10 minutes.
Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a small skillet, saute the mushrooms in the butter until golden. Place the asparagus on a plate with a little water. Cover and microwave for 1 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water. Cut the asparagus into 1-inch pieces. If you are adding the corn, remove the kernels from the cob with a knife. Put the lettuce pieces in a bowl. Add the dressing and gently toss to coat.
Spread the lettuce on a serving platter. Add the mushrooms, asparagus, and corn over the lettuce. Slice the steak and arrange it on top. Top with crumbled Gorgonzola cheese and fried onion rings.
Crispy Onion Rings:
Ingredients:
One large onion,cut into 1/4-inch slices, rings separated
1 cup milk
4-5 dashes hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
Salt and pepper
Club soda
Vegetable oil
Directions:
Combine the milk and hot sauce in a wide shallow bowl. Add the onion rings, toss to coat, and allow to sit for 30 minutes.
In a another shallow bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add enough club soda to make a thin batter (similar to pancake batter)
Add about 1/2-inch of oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dip the onion rings in the batter and carefully add them to the hot oil. Don't crowd the rings in the skillet or they will not brown properly. Saute for about 2 minutes per side or until the batter is golden brown and crispy. Transfer the cooked rings to a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Season the rings with salt and serve hot.
Very Berry Chicken Salad
RELATED ITEMS
SALAD RECIPES > SUMMER DINNER SALADS
TWO AMARETTO COCKTAILS
FOR SUMMER
FOR SUMMER
AMARETTO FREEZE
2 scoops vanilla ice cream
3/4 ounce amaretto
1 maraschino cherry
In a blender, combine the ice cream and amaretto. Blend until smooth. Serve in a cocktail glass topped with a maraschino cherry.
BOCCE BALL
1-1/2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce amaretto
Orange juice
Splash of club soda
Orange slice for garnish
Pour the vodka, amaretto, and orange juice into a tall glass filled with ice. Add a splash of club soda. Garnish with an orange slice.
2 scoops vanilla ice cream
3/4 ounce amaretto
1 maraschino cherry
In a blender, combine the ice cream and amaretto. Blend until smooth. Serve in a cocktail glass topped with a maraschino cherry.
BOCCE BALL
1-1/2 ounces vodka
1/2 ounce amaretto
Orange juice
Splash of club soda
Orange slice for garnish
Pour the vodka, amaretto, and orange juice into a tall glass filled with ice. Add a splash of club soda. Garnish with an orange slice.
INGREDIENTS
Serve Limoncello Granita in a hollowed out lemon garnished with a sprig of mint.
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water
1/2 cup Limoncello
1/4 cup lemon juice
Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cook the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat. Stir in the Limoncello and lemon juice. Cool to room temperature. Transfer to a shallow pan and place in the freezer.
See further instructions for freezing granita
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups water
1/2 cup Limoncello
1/4 cup lemon juice
Combine the sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cook the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat. Stir in the Limoncello and lemon juice. Cool to room temperature. Transfer to a shallow pan and place in the freezer.
See further instructions for freezing granita
EASY SUMMER DESSERT LIMONCELLO GRANITA
BOCCONCINI
Bocconcini, meaning little mouthfuls in Italian, are the smallest form of creamy, fresh mozzarella. The cheese is commonly packaged in water or whey but can sometimes be found marinated in olive oil and herbs. Serve bocconcini in salads, as an addition to an antipasto platter, on toothpicks with grape tomatoes and a basil leaf, wrapped with prosciutto or with cubes of salami or mortadella for an easy hors d' oeuvre.
OYSTERS ON THE GRILL
Grilled oysters are a smoky summer favorite.
Cook delicious oysters on the grill or stovetop with this cast iron oyster pan. Featuring twelve oyster-shaped depressions, it’s also perfect for holding chilled oysters on the half-shell.
Cook delicious oysters on the grill or stovetop with this cast iron oyster pan. Featuring twelve oyster-shaped depressions, it’s also perfect for holding chilled oysters on the half-shell.
Easily strips, collects and measures herbs
The perfect tool for preparing fresh purees, sauces, soups and more.
Designed to grate more cheese in less time, while being more comfortable to use.
Perfect for getting consistently thin and even slices every time
KITCHEN TOOLS
RECOMMENDED PRODUCT
I've owned several food mills over the years, and in my opinion, this one is the best. The advantage of a food mill over a food processor or blender is that it separates the skins and seeds from the fruit or vegetable pulp. It is the perfect tool for preparing fruit purees, sauces, and soups. It has a stainless steel inner bowl that is ideal for hot foods and does not stain, and includes 3 stainless steel grinding discs for fine, medium and coarse textures. This food mill has a unique release button that makes it easy to exchange discs and disassemble for storage.
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KITCHEN FAVORITE
With capacity of 8, 5, 3, 2, 1.5 QT, these stainless steel mixing bowls can satisfy your demands for dressing salads, mixing eggs, making dough, and washing vegetables, etc.