Light Salad Meals for Summer

Light salad meals are a great idea for hot weather menu planning. With just a few fresh ingredients you can make a meal quickly and easily. I like having a few standby recipes for those warm summer-like days. Here are a few of my favorite easy salad meals.

These easy salad recipes can be served in a variety of ways so you can always have a variety of meal ideas that are simple to make.

I love the creaminess of cottage cheese and here is a really simple salad with just four ingredients. This is a great salad to serve as a wrap sandwich or even a cold pasta topper. This recipe make 3 to 4 servings.

Ingredients:

cottage cheese - 1 (16oz) container

marinated artichoke hearts - 1 cup chopped

sun-dried tomatoes in oil - 1/4 cup chopped

pitted oil-cured black olives - 1/4 cup finely diced

(you can use regular black pitted olives if you prefer)

Directions:

- Simply place all the ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine completely.

Easy Salad Meal Ideas:

• Layered Wrap Sandwich: Serve this cheese salad as a layered wrap sandwich. Take a soft tortilla shell and layer it with washed spinach or lettuce leaves. Next place the cottage cheese salad on top of the greens. Then place any of the following on top of the cheese salad; strips of thinly sliced avocado sections, deli ham, chicken or roast beef slices. Roll up the wrap and enjoy.


• Stuffed Potatoes: Make a quick salad meal by using this creamy salad as a topping for baked potatoes. Serve along with steamed and chilled asparagus drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice.


• Pasta Topper: Another idea for a light salad meal is to serve this cheese salad recipe over whole grain cooked and chilled pasta such as rotini, elbow macaroni or farfalle. I like to serve this with warm garlic bread slices on the side.

Here is another four ingredient recipe that make a delicious light salad meal. It is a refreshing crab salad that is packed with flavor. This recipe makes two servings but you can simply double the ingredients to make four servings.

Ingredients:

cooked crabmeat - 2 cups (flaked or lump - broken into pieces)

dressing of your choice - 3 to 4 tbsp (Italian, French, or Caesar are good choices)

marinated artichoke hearts - 1 jar (7.5 oz) (drained and cut into small chunks)

fresh watercress - 2 cups (washed and chopped)

Directions:

- Break the crabmeat into pieces and marinate in a bowl with the salad dressing for one hour.

- After one hour, add all the other ingredients and toss seafood salad well to coat.

Easy Salad Meal Ideas:

• Crab Salad with Roasted Veggies: Serve this quick crab salad recipe on top of romaine lettuce with a side of roasted vegetables.


• Crab Stuffed Avocados: Another easy idea is to serve this delicious salad scooped into an avocado half and serve along with rye toast with melted cheese on top for a quick meal.


• Layered Crab Salad: You can also serve this as a layered salad by layering the crab salad into parfait glasses alternating between layers of peeled orange segments and the crab salad.

Try this simple chicken salad that is filled with great depth of flavor created with chicken, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and more.

Ingredients:

chicken - 2 cups cooked, cooled and cubed

garlic - 2 cloves finely chopped

sun-dried tomatoes in oil - 1/3 cup chopped (use oil for dressing)

broccoli - 1 1/2 cups chopped (raw or steamed)

fresh squeezed lime juice - 1 tbsp

Note: If you do not like raw broccoli, you may steam it lightly before adding to salad.

Directions:

- In a mixing bowl, add the chicken, garlic, tomatoes, broccoli, lime juice and the oil from the tomatoes. Toss well to combine.

Easy Salad Meals:

• Chicken Salad with Udon Noodles: Serve this easy chicken salad over udon noodles with peach and cucumber slices on the side.


• Easy Garlic Chicken Salad: Serve chicken salad over a bed of spinach leaves and shredded cabbage with a bowl of cold tomato soup and whole grain crackers.


• Chicken Salad with Rolls: Another quick light summer meal recipe is to serve this garlic lime chicken salad with whole grain rolls or corn muffins.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Cockerell

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Cold Rice Salads - Quick and Easy Summer Meals

Here are some quick and easy cold rice salads. These are great recipes to use with any leftover rice you may have on hand and make perfect summer salads and meals and because of their easy preparation you will be in and out of the kitchen in no time.

Enjoy these simple cold rice salad recipes anytime. They are a great addition to a healthy diet and create quick and flavorful rice dishes in minutes.

Avocado Tomato Rice Salad

Makes 2 to 3 servings

Combine in a bowl and mix well:

• 2 cups cooked and cooled wild rice

• 1/2 cup sliced water chestnuts

• 1/2 cup avocado (cubed)

• 1 scallion (thinly sliced)

• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (in oil, drained and chopped)

• A drizzle of red wine vinegar (to taste)

To serve: Serve salad on a bed of romaine lettuce leaves.

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Artichoke Wild Rice Salad

Makes 2 to 3 servings

Combine in a bowl and mix well:

• 2 cups cooked and cooled wild rice

• 1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts (drained and chopped)

• 3/4 cup sweet red peppers (diced)

• 1/4 cup jarred, pickled peperoncini peppers (drained and chopped)

• 2 tablespoon pine nuts

• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive tapenade

• 2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon of liquid from the artichoke hearts (or as desired)

To serve: Serve this cold rice salad on a bed of fresh spinach leaves.

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Egg and Rice Salad

Makes 2 to 3 servings

Here's a different take on egg salad but it is really delicious and filling.

Combine in a bowl and mix well:

• 2 cups cooked and cooled brown rice

• 1 hard-boiled egg (chopped)

• 1/2 cup celery (diced)

• a few dill pickle slices (chopped)

• 1/4 cup plain yogurt

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise

• 1 tablespoon fresh dill (chopped)

To serve: Try serving this cold rice salad over some steamed and chilled asparagus spears dressed with some fresh squeezed lemon juice.

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Mexican Brown Rice Salad

Makes 2 to 3 servings

Combine in a bowl and mix well:

• 2 cups cooked and cooled brown rice

• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers (roughly chopped)

• 1/4 cup pitted black olives (chopped)

• bottled jalapeno slices (to taste) (chopped )

• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro (roughly chopped)

• 1/2 cup salsa

• 1/4 cup sour cream

To serve: For each serving, place salad greens on a plate, then place the salad on the greens and finally take some baked tortilla chips and tuck them under the salad greens all around the edge of the plate. Finally, crumble a couple more chips and sprinkle over the top of each salad serving.

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Summer Basmati Rice Salad

Makes 2 to 3 servings

Combine in a bowl and mix well:

• 2 cups cooked and cooled brown basmati rice

• 1/2 cup canned cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)

• 1/2 cup snow peas (raw or lightly steamed)

• 1/2 cup sweet red pepper (medium dice)

• 1/4 cup black pitted olives (sliced)

• 4 cups baby spinach leaves

• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or to taste)

• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (or to taste)

To serve: Serve this cold salad in bowls or on plates.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Laura_Cockerell

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How Thai Food Can Help You Lose Weight

Thai food is rich in salad and raw vegetables. A salad is the ideal foodstuff in a diet. Even so, dieters sometimes make the blunder of smothering it in salad dressing. The practical course of action could be to always have the salad dressing on the side. You can easily dip the tip of your fork inside prior to taking a bite of salad. Thus giving you sufficient flavor from the dressing without worrying about the further calories from fat. Or, you can just choose to forget about the dressing for the most part.

Your meal doesn't need to fill the entire plate. The truth is, it is advisable to give yourself smaller portions. It often can assist on an emotional level if you choose a smaller plate to start with. Then, once you fill your plate, the portions sizes already are more compact.

Vegetables should use up at least half of your plate. The average person inside United States of America doesn't necessarily eat more than enough greens. In Thailand and south-east Asia, it's the reverse. It is possible to stock up on vegetables without the need of feeling guilty given that fruit and vegetables usually are lower in fat and calories. Begin with eating your fresh vegetables first.

The most healthy method to cook your meal is by steaming. This saves the nutrition in the food. Additional cooking strategies, like boiling and frying generally rob some the nutrients from food. Frying also gives extra fat to the food, therefore it is not an ideally suited method to cook. Flavor the food with spices and herbs and not salt.

Think about dining on vegetarian meals at very least once a week. This will likely cut down on the oily calories that you acquire from meat. Thai food is rich in vegetables and seasoning. These vegetables include bamboo shoots, cucumber, tomato and lemon grass. Mastering seasoning is vital when transitioning to healthier alternatives.

Milk can be quite wholesome, even so it can be unhealthy. Dairy has the greatest fat content, followed by 2%, then 1%. Skim milk is free of fat. If you want milk, move to skim milk. You have equivalent degrees of nutrients without the need of all the fat.

Divide your snacks into small containers beforehand. This way, when you've got a craving for a snack, you have set amount to eat. This is a good option to moderate your temptation of wanting to gorge on a snack food. When we look to the southern European diet, we see Tapas and other similar variations. This is a great alternative.

Before you eat any dinner, drink water. Water fills up your stomach for the moment, providing you a full feeling. When you eat your meal, you certainly will tend to consume less food for that sensation of fullness.

Restaurant foods consist of a large amount of salt and fat, and the servings are normally adequate for 2 people. It is advisable to keep restaurant visits to a minimum. Rather, cook more in the home... Or just dine in Thai restaurants!

So while we can't all afford Thai caterers to serve us the most healthy options. Knowing where you could skim off calories is a superb way to shed extra pounds. Incorporate these strategies in your diet, and wait for pounds to drop off.

Learn more about healthy Thai alternatives. If you're looking for local caterers contact http://thaicaterersswindon.co.uk/. More broadly however, you can find us by clicking this link http://thaicaterers.co.uk/

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Easy Healthy Salad - Strawberry Lemon Salad

Eating right leads to a healthier life. While it is so simple an idea it not as easy as it sounds. Proper nutrition choices should be the main motivation for us home cooks.

This healthy recipe is fast, flavorful and nutritious and can easily be prepared within 30 minutes or less. Perfect when you get home from a long and tiring day at work and too drained to cook that big meal. This dish can be served as an appetizer or as a dessert. Strawberry-lemon salad is thoroughly refreshing with a balance of flavors that will surprise your palate: bitter, sweet, and sour. The rind of the lemon are sliced into thin strips and heated in sweet sugar syrup, then used to garnish the slices of strawberries. Lemon sauce is poured on the dish and a sprig of mint is used to decorate and add fresh flavor. It is also served with scoops of lemon sorbet making this ultra-invigorating. Add Macaroon pieces at the end of the recipe, which has already been prepared beforehand. You can also purchase macaroons in a pastry shop, create your own, or substitute it with other similar pastries. The starch will contrast to the fruits and give it a dry dimension.

Here is how to make this awesome healthy recipe.

Cooking Recipe Preparation time

• Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking Recipe Ingredients

• 6 lemons

• 0.55 lbs. strawberries

• 3.5 oz. sugar

• 0.33 lbs. pectin

• 4 scoops of lemon sorbet

• 8 macaroon pieces

Cooking recipe preparation instructions

1. Peel the 2 lemons.

2. Mince the lemon peels. Blanch in cold water and drain.

3. Preserve the lemon peels in a mixture of half water, half sugar.

4. Recover the lemon juice.

5. Add 0.33 lbs. sugar. Bring to boil.

6. Add the pectin, boil again, and skim (remove the mousse).

7. Wash and prepare the strawberries. Cut them into quarters.

8. For the presentation, spread the lemon sauce over the serving dish. Place a scoop of lemon sorbet on top of it and lay the strawberries around it. Decorate with some fresh mint leaves and preserved lemon peels.

This refreshing salad dessert can be combined with a sweet wine such as Maury's vins doux naturels, which is made of Grenache grape varieties. This kind of wine is extremely fruity and will complement well with the sweetness of the strawberry, the bitterness of the lemon skins, and the sweet-sourness of the lemon sauce. While it is very simple to make, this dish has complex and intricately layered flavors that can be savored unhurriedly for superior enjoyment.

Visit this salad's free recipe instructions and video for more easy healthy salad recipes and other exciting cooking recipes and videos.

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Worldwide Popular Traditional Pickles and Murabba

The tradition of preserving fruits and vegetables in the form of pickles, jams and murabbas has been popular in the South Asian countries like India and Pakistan. Not only are these products tasty, but many of them are also considered as healthy preparations. A large number of Asian spices and fine quality edible oils are used in preparing pickles that add to their taste.

Some of the most popular items in these categories include amla murabba, mango pickle, apple murabba, lemon pickle, chilly pickle and carrot pickle. Many households in the North Indian states prepare these items at homes. In addition, there are many small-scale as well as brand manufacturers engaged in preparing these traditional products. The following sections discuss various popular categories of these food items.

Amla Murabba and Pickle

People suffering from stomach and digestive system disorders are recommended to have amla murabba, which is prepared from India gooseberry along with ingredients like citric acid and sugar. The product is a rich source of vitamin C and a number of minerals like zinc and copper. Pregnant women can be given the recipe because of its high nutrient values. The popular Indian treatment approach called Ayurveda recommends regular consumption of the murabba. The students can also consume the recipe to sharpen their minds and also to increase concentration.

The gooseberry also serves as a wonderful ingredient for amla pickles. Just like amla murabba, the pickle prepared from this Indian gooseberry is tasty and offers health benefits. Acidity and gas troubles are the issues that can be easily addressed with regular consumption of the recipe.

Mango Murabba and Pickle

Raw mangoes are extremely healthy, but it is not possible to consume them in the raw form. However, the murabbas and pickles prepared using raw mangoes are quite popular. The consumption of mango murabba maintains the value of hemoglobin and takes care of the issues like weakness and fatigue. Spices like fennels, saffron and fenugreek seeds are added to these preparations to enhance their nutritional worth as well as flavor.

Apple Murabba

Apples need no introduction as healthy fruits. Murabbas recipes prepared from apples are as popular as mango and amla murabba. It is admired as a healthy recipe for heart as it controls palpitations and relives mental stress and strain. This apple recipe is also considered for keeping the skin and hair healthy and also to postpone the signs of aging like wrinkles.

Mixed Vegetable Pickles

Apart from fruits, vegetables too are popular as ingredients for making pickles and murabbas. A popular example of tradition pickle recipes is the one prepared from vegetables like cauliflower, carrot, radish and turnip and spices like ginger, garlic and peppers. Needless to say, the nutrients of each of these items can be enjoyed in the recipes.

Lemon Pickles

The digestive benefits of amla murabba and pickles can also be enjoyed with lemon pickle. One impressive aspect of this recipe is that the tradition lemon pickle recipes are not prepared in oil, which adds to its health quotient.

The modern approach of making pickles and murabbas doesn't produce as many health benefits as are available with traditional recipes. Fortunately, it is possible to obtain the traditional recipes from different parts of the world using the internet.

Author has wide knowledge of B2B Marketplace and Business industries. For latest business updates on food products and pickels like amla murabba, visit online business directory Dir.IndiaMART.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Vaiv_Jais

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Crunchy Chicken and Fresh Pear Salad With Dried Cranberries

When my grandchildren return to college, I will return to cooking for two. It isn't easy. I often mis-judge the serving size and usually have leftover food. This week it was leftover chicken. Originally, I baked the chicken in the oven with a bread crumb and Parmesan cheese topping. What could I do with the remaining two chicken breasts?

I decided to make chicken salad. The crumb topping was easy to remove and I cut up the chicken. But white chicken needs color, so I added green celery, red onion, dried cranberries, and green, unpeeled pears. Thanks to the onion, the salad had some "zing." Thanks to the pears and dried cranberries, the salad had some sweetness.

Though I love mayonnaise, I wanted thinner dressing for the salad. When I peered into the refrigerator, I found some slaw dressing and it proved to be just right. You may make this salad with turkey instead of chicken. If you don't have any chicken on hand, cooked chicken strips are available in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

Dried apricots or peaches, cut into thin strips, may be substituted for the cranberries. Add some crackers or bread sticks and you have a satisfying lunch. With warm bread and dessert, this crunchy salad becomes dinner.

Ingredients

2 cups cooked chicken (grilled, roasted or poached), cut into half-inch cubes

1 large rib of celery, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons diced red onion

2 fresh pears, unpeeled and sliced

1/3 cup dried cranberries

Salt and pepper to taste (Omit if you're watching your salt intake.)

1 bag washed baby spinach (or torn butter lettuce)

16-ounce bottle slaw dressing, such as Marzetti

12-ounce package chow mein noodles

Combine the chicken, celery, red onion, pears, and cranberries in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pile some baby spinach on each plate. Spoon chicken salat in the middle of each plate. Drizzle with slaw dressing and garnish generously with chow mein noodles. Makes four servings.

Copyright 2012 by Harriet Hodgson

http://www.harriethodgson.com

Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 35+ years and is the author of 31 published books. Her recent work focuses on grief recovery and she is the author of six resources. Look for her latest books, "Happy Again! Your New and Meaningful Life After Loss" and "Help! I'm Raising My Grandkids." Visit her website and learn more about this busy author.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Harriet_Hodgson

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Fruit Salad - A Great Dish

Fruit salads are super healthy dishes. It can be as simple as just tossing a variety of fruit into a large bowl. You just can't get any healthier than that. I have relied on this type of salad as a quick dish to bring to a potluck or as a gift to bring along when you are a dinner guest. It's a very versatile dish that everyone can eat and it's great for vegetarians!

Fruit salads are very colourful and pleasing to the eye. Depending on the fruit you choose you can create quite a visual impact. I love to use the strawberries in all my fruit salads not only is the strawberry very tasty it also has a very vibrant colour. Other colourful fruits that look great in a fruit salad include blueberries, kiwifruit and green grapes. I love the look of a colourful salad that's almost too beautiful to eat!

You can use pretty much any fruit in your salad but be aware of fruit that browns and serve accordingly. Fruit such as bananas, pears or apples will start to brown so if you must have these make sure that the salad is served immediately. Better yet, you can make up the salad ahead of time and only add these fruits immediately before serving.

You really don't need to add anything to the salad as the fruit will release its own juices but there are many dressings that will add more flavour and/or texture. If your salad contains fruit that is already quite sweet you may want to add plain yogurt, some orange or lime zest, or a little sprinkle of powdered sugar. If you feel you need some added sweetness pour in a little citrus juice or stir in some honey. Balsamic vinegar with just a touch of sugar will give the salad a tangy sweet taste. Or just keep it simple with a squeeze of lemon or lime.

You can add a little crunch to your fruit salad by adding nuts! Great additions include pistashios, walnuts, shredded coconut and even crushed dry roasted peanuts. Be safe and ensure your guests have no allergies before you serve a salad that contains nuts.

Just use your imagination and your favourite fruits to come up with your own variations. Experiment with dressings and the addition of nuts to make a unique creation. Fruit salads are a healthy guilt free dish to enjoy!

For a simple fruit salad recipe and more fruit information visit Fast and Simple Fruit Salad.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sharon_Bellissimo

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