Here we are in June, and nothing screams, "Hello Summer!" like flipping past that May calendar page, being able to count the number of remaining school days on two hands, and feeling that temperature rising outside. I don't know about you, but when summer rolls around, between the heat, the fun outdoor activities calling to me, and generally more relaxed frame of mind, I want lighter, faster dinners.
Enter the blessed salad.
Recently, I shared a smoothie primer. Now it's time for a salad primer series. I'll get you going with tips on how to set yourself up to be able to throw together a beautiful, fresh, delicious, satisfying meal in minutes. Even if you're not the biggest fan of salads, keep reading. Let's see if we can't make your mouth water while contemplating the endless possibilities in combining some fantastic ingredients.
Stocking our kitchens is a lot like assembling a wardrobe. With a wardrobe, we want fewer pieces with greater versatility, pieces that can be mixed and matched to provide a lot of different outfits without a lot of volume of clothing. When we own fewer clothes, we can afford to invest in better quality, too. In our kitchen, the same ideas apply. Think of blueberries. They can be frozen (or fresh) and thrown into a smoothie in the morning. They're lovely as a standalone snack in the late morning or afternoon. When lunch rolls around, they can be a nice side complement to a lovely sandwich. In the evening, they're perfect in a gorgeous salad. All this and they're cute and delectable, too! Now that's versatility!
If we approach our salads with the same frame of mind, we can always be prepared to create an easy, satisfying salad at a moment's notice and not worry about spending money on a bunch of fresh foods we're going to end up throwing away because we didn't use them quickly enough. The way to do this is to think of salads in parts:
1. Greens
2. Protein
3. Fruits and Veggies
4. Nuts and Seeds
5. Dressing
If we stock a variety of these parts in our refrigerator and pantry, we can always be ready to toss any number of different salads together to make a quick, delicious lunch or dinner in a matter of minutes. Don't forget about your leftovers, either. Often the remains of the prior night's dinner can be arranged on top of a bed of greens and drizzled with a simple homemade dressing for a convenient new take on food that otherwise might be left to languish in the back of the fridge until we got around to throwing it away.
Next week will be all about greens in their myriad of delicious forms. For today, I'll leave you with this –
PRO TIP – When assembling a salad for a take away lunch or travel, think of putting it together upside down. It's easier than packing everything around separately and will keep it fresh and appealing. The "wet" ingredients (anything containing a lot of natural moisture) go on the bottom. The next layer would be the "dry" ingredients – nuts, seeds, meats that aren't juicy, veggies that won't "leak" (carrots, etc.). Last of all, top it off with your greens. It's best to store your dressing separately so your greens don't wilt. When it's time to eat take the lid off your container, place a plate upside down on top of your container, then flip it over. Voila! Your salad will be right side up and ready to dress. If you're eating it from the container you stored it in, just take off the lid, pour on the dressing, replace the lid, shake it up, and enjoy.