A Week of Summer Salads

Erin McKool from Start shows you how to prep on Sunday and make a full week of summer salads.

A Week of Summer Salads

Wash, dice, grill and refrigerate on Sunday, and you are ready to go with workplace lunches or family-friendly dinner salads all week. Follow these recipes or mix and match and create your own salad masterpieces!

In addition to preparing the veggies and meat, cook the quinoa and cool it ahead of time before using in your salads.

Tip: use leftover quinoa as a base for "oatmeal" and add dried cherries, raisins, maple syrup and pecans.

Shopping & Prep List for the Week:
Romaine Lettuce
Spinach Leaves
Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in halves
Avocadoes (After slicing for the first salad, store leftover with pit intact in ziplock bag in the fridge.)
Red Onion, diced
Red Bell Pepper, sliced
Canned Black Beans
Cooked, cooled corn kernels (canned or frozen will work)
1 Bunch Green Onion
Fresh Strawberries, quartered (don't slice until ready to use)
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Fresh parsley, chopped
Chopped broccoli crowns
Carrots, shredded
Red Cabbage, shredded
Hard Boiled Eggs (don't slice until ready to use)
Crumbled Blue Cheese
Crumbled Goat Cheese
Crumbled Feta Cheese
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Slivered Almonds (toasted at 350 for 10 minutes, then cooled)
Grilled Chicken Breasts, sliced or chopped
Crispy Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, chopped
Corn Tortillas
White Quinoa (use pre-rinsed). Cook according to directions, cool and store in the fridge.
Mediterranean Vinaigrette (store-bought, or use Start's recipe to make your own)
Caesar Dressing (store-bought, or use Start's recipe to make your own)
Honey-Lime Vinaigrette (store-bought, or use Start's recipe to make your own)
Raspberry Chipotle Sauce, store-bought

Monday: Kitchen Cobb Salad

½ cup Romaine and ½ cup Spinach leaves, mixed together
¼ cup Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in halves
¼ Avocado
¼ cup diced Red Onion
¼ Red Bell Pepper, diced or sliced
¼ cup shredded carrots
¼ cup shredded red cabbage
¼ cup Blue Cheese
1 Hard Boiled Egg, quartered
1 Grilled Chicken Breast
1 ½ slices Apple Wood Smoked Bacon, diced

Place romaine and spinach mix into a salad bowl. Slice 1/4 avocado into 4 thin slices, and place on top of salad on left side of bowl. Slice onion into quarters and place on the right. Slice bell pepper into quarters and place on the top. Spread Blue Cheese across bottom of salad. Cut egg into quarters and place in bowl at 12, 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions. Top with chopped grilled chicken and diced bacon.

Tuesday: Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

3 cups washed and cooled white quinoa
1/3 cup kalamata olives (cut in halves)
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup chopped broccoli crowns
1/3 red onion, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in halves
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Mediterranean Vinaigrette:
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
juice from one lemon
1 tsp lemon zest
pinch of dry mustard
3 TBL olive oil
pinch salt and pepper

Cook quinoa according to package (just like rice). Fluff and allow to cool completely. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients.  Set aside. Gently toss the cooled quinoa together with the salad ingredients, except feta. Pour the dressing over the quinoa. Add more salt and pepper to taste and gently fold in the feta cheese last. Top with grilled chicken and/or sliced avocado.

Wednesday: Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

1 cup Romaine Lettuce
¼ cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
½ cup Homemade Croutons
1 Hard Boiled Egg, quartered
¼ cup Caesar Dressing

Toss lettuce, dressing, croutons and cheese together. Top with hard boiled egg and grilled chicken breasts.

Caesar Dressing:
Lemon Juice: 1/8 cup
Garlic Clove, minced: 1 TBL
Dijon Mustard: 1 tsp
Anchovy Paste: 1 tsp
Worcestershire Sauce: 1.5 tsp
Mayonnaise: ¾ cup
Powdered Parmesan Cheese: ¼ cup, heaping
Olive Oil: ½ cup
Coarse Black Pepper: to taste

Set the olive oil aside in a measuring cup with a spout. Using a blender, gently combine all ingredients, except oil, together. VERY slowly, stream in the olive oil with the blender running on slow. The dressing will thicken as  it blends. At the end, stir in the course ground black pepper.

Croutons:
4 leftover hamburger bun bottoms or leftover bread slices
¼ cup unsalted butter
¼ tsp garlic salt
¼ tsp garlic powder

Cut buns into 1 inch cubes. Soften butter and mix in the garlic salt and garlic powder. In a mixing bowl, combine the bread cubes and the butter mixture. Carefully combine until bread cubes are thoroughly coated. Spread the bread cubes onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes, until brown and crunchy.

Thursday: Spinach Salad with Strawberries & Goat Cheese

1 cup Spinach Leaves
¼ cup Goat Cheese, crumbled
½ cup Strawberries, quartered
1/8 cup toasted, slivered almonds
¼ cup Raspberry Vinaigrette

Sprinkle goat cheese, strawberries and almonds over the spinach. Pour dressing over the top. For the dressing, combine equal parts Mediterranean Vinaigrette and Raspberry Chipotle Sauce.

Friday: Southwest Quinoa Salad

3 cups cooked quinoa (cooled)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, loosely packed
1/3 cup black beans
1/3 cup cooked, cooled corn kernels
1/3 cup chopped green onion
1/3 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in halves
1/3 cup Honey Lime Dressing
½ cup diced avocado
2 corn tortillas

Brush tortilla with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Slice into strips and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes until crispy. Set aside to cool. Toss salad ingredients together. Top with oven-baked tortilla strips and diced avocado.

LINK: www.startrestaurant.net