Eating Light
May 23, 2011 08:43PM ● By Erin FrischSummer Salads
Enjoy healthy, farm-fresh ingredients this seasonGreen Salad with Grilled Salmon
Makes 4 servings
Get your heart-healthy omega 3s with this delicious meal.
- 1-1/2 pounds boned, skinned salmon fillet, cut into 4 equal pieces
- 3 Tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- About 1 tsp salt
- About 1 tsp black pepper
- 8 ounces salad mix, rinsed and crisped
- Tomato vinaigrette (recipe follows)
- 4 oz fresh chèvre (goat) cheese, crumbled
- 1/4 cup minced green onions (white and pale green parts only)
- Rinse salmon and pat dry. In a bowl, mix brown sugar, cumin, chili powder, and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Place salmon in bowl and rub pieces all over with spice mixture. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
- Lay salmon on a barbecue grill over a solid bed of hot coals or high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 2 to 3 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook, turning once, until a thermometer inserted in center of thickest part reads 140°, 6 to 8 minutes total.
- Meanwhile, divide salad mix equally among four plates. Place a piece of salmon on each mound of greens. Drizzle salads equally with tomato vinaigrette and sprinkle evenly with goat cheese and green onions. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- 1 cup diced firm-ripe tomatoes (about 8 oz)
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 Tbsp minced shallot
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
In a bowl, combine tomatoes, vinegar, oil, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
Grilled Chicken and Nectarine Salad
Makes 4 servings
For a taste treat, combine barbecued chicken, nectarines, goat cheese, and toasted pecans for a salad that makes a meal.
- 2/3 cup pecan halves
- 2 quarts salad greens (8 oz), rinsed
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup walnut oil
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 4 boned chicken breast halves with skin, rinsed, patted dry, and fat trimmed
- Salt and pepper
- 2 firm, ripe nectarines, rinsed, pitted, and thinly sliced
- 5 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spread pecans in a baking pan and bake until golden under skins, about 10 minutes. Let cool, then coarsely chop.
- Mound salad greens on four dinner plates. In a small bowl, stir vegetable oil, walnut oil, and vinegar to blend. Set aside.
- Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Lay on a lightly oiled barbecue grill over a solid bed of medium-hot coals or medium-high heat on a gas grill (you can hold your hand at grill level only 3 to 4 seconds); close lid on gas grill. Cook chicken, turning occasionally, until meat is no longer pink in center of thickest part (cut to test), about 15 minutes total. Transfer chicken to a cutting board. Remove skin if desired.
- Slice chicken across the grain 1/2 inch thick; arrange over greens. Tuck nectarine around chicken. Sprinkle goat cheese and pecans over the top. Stir dressing; pour over salads. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Makes 5 servings
Enjoy seafood with fresh veggies in this delectable pasta dish for under 300 calories.
- 2-1/2 cups cooked angel hair (about 5 ounces uncooked pasta)
- 3/4 cup chopped plum tomato
- 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
- 1/3 cup chopped green onions
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp chopped pitted kalamata olives
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1-1/2 tsp chopped fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 lb cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
Combine the first 13 ingredients in a large bowl. Sprinkle with cheese and parsley.