Planning to host dinner parties in the summer inevitably poses the question of how to prepare satisfying meals without making the house unbearably hot. Grilling outside often comes as a welcome solution to the hot kitchen problem, but for many families the grilled meal presents its own danger: the one-note meal. For those looking to add color, flavor, and a nutritional lift to summertime meals, here are two anti-oxidant rich summer salad recipes to compliment virtually any main course.
Sweet Red Cabbage Salad
Ingredients
- ½ of a medium red cabbage.
- 1 apple – preferably MacIntosh or Granny Smith
- small handful of organic raisins
- sunflower or sesame seeds if available
- 2 tablespoons oil (canola or olive)
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or cider vinegar (both oil and vinegar can be adjusted to taste and preference
- ½ teaspoon salt and a few turns of the pepper mill (any ground pepper will do)
Instructions
- Cut a whole red cabbage in half. Put away half for another meal.
- Cut remaining half in half again.
- Carefully slice as thinly as possible, one of the quarter cabbage pieces. The more delicate this process, the more enjoyable the salad!
- After slicing thinly, chop once or twice.
- Repeat on second quarter and place all in a medium bowl.
- Chop up one apple into small pieces, including skin.
- Add all remaining ingredients. Add more raisins and seeds to taste.
Serves Six.
Optional Additions
Fresh herbs such as dill or parsley make fine additions to this salad. Chopped mozzarella can be added for textural contrast. For added pizazz, place this salad on a platter with garnishes of Boston lettuce and edible flowers such as Day Lillies, Carnations, Nasturtiums, and Dandelions. Be sure to rinse flowers well before serving.
Artichoke Salad With Orzo and Feta
This recipe calls for less pasta than traditional heavy American pasta salads. This lighter salad balances the flavors of artichokes, cheese, and olives with orzo to create an ideal dish for summertime hosting. The quantities can easily be doubled or tripled for larger gatherings, and artichokes and tomatoes can be adjusted according to guest’s preference.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups orzo
- 8 oz. feta cheese
- 1 small jar of marinated artichokes, drained and chopped
- 2 green onions chopped thin
- 1/3 cup kalamata or other pitted fresh olives, sliced
- 2-3 plum tomatoes chopped
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- freshly ground pepper 3 turns of the mill
Instructions
- Boil 4 cups water.
- Prepare orzo according to instructions on box.
- When cooked after about 10 minutes, strain and rinse under cold water.
- Transfer orzo to a medium bowl to cool.
- Add all remaining ingredients and salt to taste.
Serves Four.
For more summer recipes from suite101.com, click here.
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