What’s for Dinner Tonight?

One of my favorite things to make for dinner in the summer months is big salads. They are so quick and easy, the clean up is a cinch! I typically make them on Thursday nights since we’re at the farmer’s market in the late afternoon. Then I use any leftover ingredients to add more salads to other weeknight meals or to have a salad as a snack. My belief is that you really can’t put too much stuff in a salad…just get creative. Here are a couple of my favorite green salads:

Summer Chicken Salad

3 handfuls mixed greens
2 organic, grilled chicken breasts
1 cup garbanzo beans
1 cup kidney beans
3/4 fresh, raw grated beets
1 ripe tomato
1/2 cucumber
2 carrots, peeled, julienned
4 canned artichoke hearts
sunflower seeds
feta cheese
fresh croutons

Marinate the chicken before grilling. I used an organic sun-dried tomato vinagrette. Slice the chicken and layer all ingredients in a bowl. Serve with a red wine and olive oil vinagrette. (serves 2 people)

Salmon and Wild Rice with Mixed Greens

6 oz. grilled wild salmon
1 1/4 cup cooked wild rice mix
1 tsp. capers
1 tsp. fresh grated parmesan cheese

Rub the salmon with some seasonings before grilling. This is the perfect lunch salad after cooking salmon the night before for dinner. Serve with a balsamic vinagrette and enjoy! (Serves 2)