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SUMMERTIME SALADS
By: Arleen M. Kaptur
Summertime-the living is easy-or it
should be ! Meals are lighter, and usually taken outdoors. Appetites are not
receptive to hot, heavy food and cooking time should be at a minimum. So what's
the solution - when you come home after a day's work, or time out with the
family at the beach or the zoo? You want something quick, tasty, cool and
refreshing, but it should satisfy those hunger pangs. Summertime salads - fit
right into summertime activities and fun.
TASTY TURKEY DINNER
SALAD:
- 1-1/2 cups fresh strawberries,
washed, hulled, and sliced in half
- 1 10-1/2 oz. can mandarin orange
sections
- 1-1/2 cups seedless green or red
grapes, or a combination of both
- 2 heads Belgian endive, Bibb,
iceberg, or Boston lettuce, or a combination
- 16 ozs. sliced full cooked smoked
turkey breast (from the deli) or honey roasted turkey
- Creamy ranch or buttermilk
dressing
- 1/2 cup sliced almonds
Prepare strawberries and drain
mandarin oranges. Wash grapes and dry with paper toweling. In a mixing bowl,
combine the fruit. Set aside in refrigerator to chill. Wash, separate the
lettuce leaves, and pat dry. Line individual salad plates with the lettuce,
Arrange the turkey slices on top of the lettuce leaves, and spoon the fruit on
top of the turkey. You can also place the turkey on one side of the plate and
the fruit on the other, if you prefer. Spoon your choice of dressing across both
the turkey and the fruit. Sprinkle with almonds and serve.
Serve warm rolls, ice-cold lemonade,
and chocolate brownies - you have a great, quick and satisfying meal.
IN THE ISLANDS
SALAD
- 1 8-ozs. pkg. medium noodles
- 1 avocado, halved, pit removed and
peeled
- fresh lemon juice
- 1 15-1/2oz. can crab meat, drained,
flaked, and cartilage removed or salad pollock, cut into chunks
- 5 ozs salad shrimp, rinsed
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup dairy sour cream
- 3 tbs. sliced green onions
- 2 tbs. chili sauce
- 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire
sauce
- 1/4 tsp. dry mustard
- assorted lettuce leaves
- 1/2 cup chopped pistachio
nuts
Cook the noodles until tender;
drain. Rinse with cold water. Slice the avocado into lengthwise slices. Brush
with the fresh lemon juice to prevent darkening. In a bowl, combine the noodles,
avocado slices, the drained pineapple, crab meat and shrimp. For dressing -
combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, sliced green onions, chili sauce,
Worcestershire sauce, and dry mustard. Spoon the dressing over the salad
mixture. Gently combine so that the dressing coats the mixture. Cover with
plastic wrap and chill for 3-4 hours. To serve, line individual salad plates
with lettuce leaves. Spoon salad mixture onto the lettuce leaves and sprinkle
with the nuts.
Serve with sliced French bread, iced
tea or coffee, and chocolate chip cookies. Cool and smooth!
Decorate your food with these
simple garnishes:
Orange
Chrysanthemum:
Score the peel of 3 oranges into 8
sections, cutting to but not cutting through the base of the peel. Carefully
remove the peel from the fruit, keeping the shell all in one piece. Pull the
fruit sections apart and carefully remove any of the white pulp membranes. With
scissors, cut the sectioned peels into small petals by cutting to the base, but
not cutting through. Place some orange sections in one peel shell. Insert this
shell into another shell. And then the third. You have a very full and beautiful
accent on any plate.
Frosted Grapes:
FOR GARNISH ONLY
Combine slightly beaten egg white
with a little water. Brush the mixture over a cluster of red or green grapes,
using a pastry brush. Sprinkle with granulated sugar until covered. Shake off
excess. Dry on rack and you have a very beautiful color garnish.
Serving
sandwiches:
Slice pickle lengthwise almost to
the stem end, but not through. Make fairly thin slices. Spread each fan and
press the uncut end of the pickle gently so that the fan will hold its shape
when placed next to a sandwich.
COOK'S CHOICE
SALAD:
- 5 ozs. each sliced turkey, ham,
roast beef, Swiss cheese, and American cheese or Muenster cheese
- 1 cucumber, 2 tomatoes, 1 head
iceberg lettuce,
- romaine lettuce, red cabbage,
carrots and
- radishes (or buy a bag of prepared
salad mix for
- even easier meal
preparation)
Cut the meat and cheese into
lengthwise strips. Slice the cucumber and the tomato. Wash, pat dry, and chop
the lettuce. Also shred the cabbage, carrots and radishes. Combine the lettuce,
cabbage, carrots and radishes together. Place in large bowl. Top with the strips
of meat and cheese. Garnish with the cucumber and tomato slices. Serve with
Russian, Thousand Island, or Ranch dressing.
Great with rye bread slices,
raspberry juice punch, and slices of pound cake topped with freshberries and a
dollop of whipped topping. This will satisfy even the heartiest summertime
appetite!
Summertime and salads go together
like lazy afternoons and gentle evening breezes. They keep the cook out of the
kitchen and everyone satisfied.
ENJOY!
©Arleen M. Kaptur 2002
June
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