Keep it Light

If you're like me, Spring/Summer equals salad time! When it's hot out, I much prefer eating something light and cool, rather than hot & heavy. The beauty with salads, is that there's endless recipes or combinations to come up with, and generally they take less than 20 minutes to make!

I recently saw this genius idea of layering salads in a Mason Jar. You start with the dressing, and from there add all your ingredients, finishing with the lettuce at the top. This way nothing gets soggy and it stays fresh for 3-4 days, which makes it great for meal planning and lunches to go!

Photo Credit: livinginthenow.com

I really enjoy making my own salad dressings because I like to know exactly what's going in there, and from there I can control the fats & Sodium's. Here is one of my favorites for summer time, it's from the Chatelaine Magazine!

Lemon -Dijon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/8 tsp salt

1. Combine all ingredients in a 250-mL Mason jar. Season with fresh pepper. Shake well. Drizzle over mixed greens, potato or pasta salad, veggies, chicken, fish or meat. Refrigerate up to a week. Shake before using.

• Switch It Up!

  Great greens are just a shake away
  
  Citrus-Balsamic
  Prepare lemon-Dijon vinaigrette, but instead of lemon juice, use 1/4 cup orange juice and 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar.
  Flavour boost: Add 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds or ground cumin.
  
  Fresh Basil
  Purée 1 cup fresh basil leaves in a blender, while pouring in 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, 1/3 cup lemon juice and 1/8 tsp salt. Season with pepper.
  Flavour boost: Add 1 tsp chopped fresh garlic or onion powder.
  
  Sesame-Ginger
  Combine in a jar 1/3 cup each dark sesame oil and vegetable oil, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 4 tsp honey, 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger and 1/8 tsp salt. Shake well.
  Flavour boost: Add 1 tsp hot chili-garlic sauce or wasabi paste                                                              

• Salads are only the beginning . . .
  Easy Dinner
  Place 4 pork chops in a freezer bag and add 1/2 cup sesame-ginger vinaigrette (left). Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Pan-fry or grill chops. Serve with a green salad.
  
  Herbed Grilled Cheese
  Brush both sides of sliced bread with fresh basil vinaigrette (left). Continue making grilled cheese sandwich.
  
  Fresh Stir-Fry
  Add a few tablespoons citrus-balsamic vinaigrette (left) to a vegetable stir-fry.
  
  Finishing Sauce
  Spoon a little lemon-Dijon vinaigrette (previous page) over hot grilled fish or chicken

*From Chatelaine.com

Cheers!