Cool Salads for July Fourth

Well, like the rest of the country right now, it's hot here in Northern Colorado. Had a few 100-degree days, with more scorchers yet to come. If you're like me, it's not a lot of fun to cook in the heat. We've been grilling outdoors and supplementing meals with nice, cool salads. I thought I'd share some of my favorite combinations/concoctions with you, and would love to hear about any others. I don't use recipes for salads, but if you're a halfway decent food-alchemist, just knowing the ingredients and your own personal preferences for salty/sweet/sour, you can create variations on my themes.

Spinach salad with grapefruit is the kind of salad you want to make fresh--maybe 15 minutes before you eat it. I toss spinach (baby leaves work great) in a bowl with just a dab of olive oil, then sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt. Then, I peel and rip apart a grapefruit right over the bowl, to catch the juice. Break the grapefruit into bite-sized segments. Throw in a handful of golden raisins and nut halves (walnuts, pecans) and toss. Then, drizzle on just enough honey for a nice balance of sour/bitter and sweet.

Quinoa salad in my house varies with the stuff I have on hand. We prefer this grain because, unlike rice or pasta, it packs a ton of protein. Boil 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups water for 12 minutes. Let it sit in the pot with the lid on for another 5 minutes. While still warm, transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and either lemon juice or rice vinegar and stir. Then I add fresh mint (cilantro is good too), a can of chickpeas, and diced red and green bell peppers. (If I have cucumber around, I skip the green pepper and dice a cuke instead.) I also throw in a handful of shelled, salted sunflower kernels, and if I have it, some feta crumbles. Then I drizzle with a bit of honey--just enough to curb the tang. Stir this up and let sit at least a half hour and then place in the fridge. Best eaten the next day.

Finally, my sweet potato salad is a fine substitute for the less-nutritious white potato variety. I boil a few sweet potato chunks in a covered pot just until tender--about 12 minutes. Then I transfer the drained potatoes to a bowl and just slightly mash them. Drizzle with olive oil, honey, and the juice of one lime. Toss in a handful of dark raisins and some flaked coconut (both can be omitted). Snip fresh rosemary over it all, add a little salt, and stir. Once again, put in the fridge after about 30 minutes and eat cold at least 4 hours later, allowing the flavors to be absorbed.

By the way, one barbecue standby that is highly nutritious (high fiber and protein, low in starches) is that familiar Three-bean salad. My only suggestion is to cut down on the amount of sugar used, perhaps by substituting sugar with Stevia.

Happy Independence Day! Stay cool.

Quinoa  Salad

Sweet Potato Salad

Spinach Salad with Grapefruit