Mixed Green Salad with Salmon

Now that summer has officially begun in Texas I am craving light dinners.  I need more salad recipes!  I really only have a few go-to ones, and I am so tired of those!   These hot summers leave me craving salads, fish, fruit and white wine.

I ran up to Whole Foods hoping to find a salad inspiration.  Salmon sounded good, but I wasn't sure what to put in with it.  Definitely some avocados and cucumbers, but aside from that I had no I idea.  Here's what I came up with . . .

Mixed Green Salad with Salmon
(no measurements here, equal parts of each)

mixed greens
red onions, sliced
green beans, steamed then cooled
avocado
tomato
cucumber
dijon & maple baked salmon filet
goat cheese

I tossed all the ingredients (except the goat cheese) together with the best vinaigrette (it's just a bit sweet).  And because the goat cheese is so soft, I sprinkled it on top just before serving.

Standby Vinaigrette  
from Gwyneth Paltrow's, My Father's Daughter

2 tsp   dijon mustard
1 tsp   maple syrup
1/4 c   red wine vinegar
2 tbl   vegetable oil
1/2 c  extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt
fresh ground pepper

Pesto Pasta Salad

When we were living in Dallas 4 years ago, the hubby's favorite lunch spot was TABC in Uptown.  Once we moved up here he always asked me to make his favorite pasta salad from TABC.  Me, never having tried it or never really wanting to (it never sounded that great to me),  attempted to make it.  And according to Chase he says it's just as good -- maybe he's just being nice, but it still tastes pretty darn good whether or not it's the exact same.  Now I think I crave it more than he does!


It's such an easy weeknight dinner.  Most of it you can make ahead and pull out the night you need it.  Or if your hubbs works a ton like mine, this is the best meal for one.  I can eat off this one recipe a few times in a week.  Many times I'll make the pesto and grill the chicken breasts ahead of time then all I have to do is boil some pasta for that night.

Pesto Pasta Salad


Pesto
3 c  basil leaves, washed
3 tbl  grated parmesan cheese
1 tbl  fresh lemon juice
1 tbl  toasted pine nuts
1 tsp  kosher salt
1/2 tsp  ground black pepper
1 clove of minced garlic


Use a food processor to blend together.
I make my pesto according to taste.  Taste along the way and add more to perfect your own.


Pasta Salad
1 lb  shredded or chopped grilled chicken breast
3/4 c  pesto
spring salad mix
olive & oil dressing (Paul Newman's is my fav)
parmesan cheese
fusilli or rotini pasta


Combine pasta with pesto sauce.  Set aside.  Toss spring mix with dressing and chicken.  To prepare plates, place dressed salad and chicken on plate, then set pesto pasta a top salad.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and serve with garlic bread.