Snappy Salads for Summer Fare

Snappy Salads for Summer Fare

Janet Groene’s
Main Meal Salad
Master Recipe

Scrap the old macaroni salad. Healthy whole grains are all the rage these days, so make them the foundation for a main dish salad that includes a starch, fruits or vegetables, protein and a dressing to bind it all together. Serve on a bed of shredded lettuce or cabbage, in a lettuce cup, in a wrap for added carbs. Just keep proportions the same and you can have a different dish every day.

2 cups cooked grain (farro, rice, freekeh, red or gold bulgar, barley, spelt, kamut, etc.)
2 cups chopped fruits or vegetables
2 cups protein such as meat, fish, cheese, tofu, nuts or egg
Dressing to taste

Do the math. Here’s a f’rinstance:
1 cup raisins
2 cups cooked farro
1 cup chopped apple
2 cups diced, cooked chicken
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
Plump raisins by soaking in warm water or juice. Drain. Toss all ingredients lightly. Season to taste. Serve as is or wrap in lettuce leaves. Makes 4 main dish servings.

Invent a main dish salad using whole grains and share it.