Home / Food & Drink / Quick Meal Idea: Salads
Quick Meal Idea: Salads

Quick Meal Idea: Salads

By Chef Selwyn Richards
Culinary Columnist

Selwyn Richards headshot Sep 2014 ChefI love salads for lunch or dinner almost any day of the week, but especially in the summer when it’s just too hot to cook. Salads are very versatile and healthy. You can easily customize them to adjust to your family’s taste and of course they are quick and easy to throw together.  Here’s how you turn this side dish into a filling meal…

Caesar Salad – Chop romaine lettuce; top it with croutons, parmesan cheese, Caesar dressing and any of the following: grilled chicken, steak, shrimp, smoked or cooked salmon or any other cooked fish you have handy.

Pasta Salad – Make your favorite pasta salad and add cooked chicken or diced ham to it.  Simply combine noodles and fresh chopped veggies with Italian dressing and let it sit for an hour. That’s how easy pasta salad is to make.

Chef Salad – Start with lettuce, then add carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, sliced hard boiled eggs, ham and turkey and grated cheese. Top with your favorite salad dressing.

Mediterranean Salad – combine dark leafy lettuce with baby spinach. Top with diced tomatoes, olives, drained chickpeas, and crumbled feta cheese. Serve with a vinaigrette or Italian dressing and some toasted pita bread on the side.

Potato Salad – make your favorite potato salad and add some chopped ham, cooked kielbasa type sausage or sliced hot dogs.

Shrimp Salad:

Ingredients
1 (15 ounce) can black beans
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2/3 cup salsa
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey
1 pound peeled cooked shrimp
Lettuce

Shrimp SaladMethod
1. Combine the black beans, green pepper, celery, onion, and cilantro in a large bowl and mix well.
2. Add the salsa, lime juice, oil, and honey.
3. Toss to coat well.
4. Chill covered for 8 hours.
5. Stir in shrimp.
6. Serve on a bed of lettuce.

Selwyn Richards is an award-winning master chef. He is also the President and Executive Chef at The Art of Catering Inc. and is the author of “The Art of Cooking: Soul of The Caribbean”. Chef Selwyn can be reached at: selwyn@theartofcatering.com or by phone — (905) 619-1059.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Scroll To Top