Sweet corn: use some in this salad

Corn, tomatoes, radishes -- all are fresh and at peak season at your local farm markets.
Add some creamy avocado and for protein, shrimp.

Delicious, cool (no oven or heavy stove use) and easy.

RECIPE: Shrimp and Avocado Chopped Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the dressing:

2 T prepared Dijon mustard

3 T red wine vinegar

2 T chopped herbs (cilantro, thyme, or dill)

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (cooked and cut into bite-size pieces)

1 bag pre-washed mixed salad greens, chopped

2-3 large radishes, chopped or thinly sliced

I cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

1 cup corn kernels

1 cup edamame, cooked

½ red bell pepper, diced

1 ripe avocado, diced

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.      Make the dressing (or use another vinaigrette of your own): in a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and herbs. Add the vinegar while continuing to whisk, stir in the salt and pepper, and set aside.

2.      In a large bowl, mix together all the salad ingredients except salt and pepper (shrimp through cilantro). Add dressing and gently toss to coat. Adjust seasoning by adding more salt and/or pepper, if desired.

3.      Serve with tortilla chips (optional)

Perfect hot-weather supper (Recipe)

Very little cooking involved -- but this tasty dish will please the whole family.

Shrimp and Avocado Chopped Salad

RECIPE: Shrimp and Avocado Chopped Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the dressing:

2 T prepared Dijon mustard

3 T red wine vinegar

2 T chopped herbs (cilantro, thyme, or dill)

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (cooked and cut into bite-size pieces)

1 bag pre-washed mixed salad greens, chopped

2-3 large radishes, chopped or thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise

1 cup corn kernels

1 cup edamame, cooked

½ red bell pepper, diced

1 ripe avocado, diced

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1.      Make the dressing (or use another vinaigrette of your own): in a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar and herbs. Add the vinegar while continuing to whisk, stir in the salt and pepper, and set aside.

2.      In a large bowl, mix together all the salad ingredients except salt and pepper (shrimp through cilantro). Add dressing and gently toss to coat. Adjust seasoning by adding more salt and/or pepper, if desired.

3.      Serve with tortilla chips (optional)

             NOTE: Feel free to play with ingredients -- you can omit the edamame, substitute another kind of cooked bean; use a different herb if you don't like cilantro; make a different dressing, or use one from a bottle. Whatever works!!

"A+ Salad"

Here's a really yummy summer salad that takes advantage of summer's bounty, using ripe peaches, peak-season blueberries, as well as a few radishes -- which I love but hardly know what to do with. My husband, who disses salads much of the time, had three helpings and graded it A+. Those sweet peaches and berries ought to make anyone swoon.

Summer salad

RECIPE: Peach, Radish and Blueberry Salad
Makes 5-6 servings

Ingredients
1/2 small red onion
4-5 ripe peaches, peeled (cover with boiling water for 30 seconds; peels will slide off)
4 radishes, very thinly sliced
1 cup blueberries
Vinaigrette made with olive oil and white wine vinegar (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup torn or chopped fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (or more to taste)
1/4 cup toasted nuts (I used a combo of pine nuts and pistachio, but almonds work too)

Instructions
Slice the onion as thinly as possible. Place sliced onions in a bowl of ice water for 5-10 minutes to remove any sharp flavor. Drain and pat dry.
Cut peaches in half and then slice thinly.
Place onions, peaches, radishes, blueberries and basil in a large bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Add salt and pepper, if desired, to taste.
When serving, top each portion with some of the cheese and nuts.

Note: If you want, toss the finished product (before adding cheese and nuts) with some lettuce or baby spinach.

The World's Healthiest Diet

The Mediterranean Diet is the healthiest (and yummiest) in the world. It's not a "diet diet," meaning something you do for a short period to drop pounds. It's an eating plan for life. And if you can follow this plan, over time you WILL become slimmer and in better health. You'll feel fewer hunger pangs -- because you are eating nutrient-rich foods -- and have more energy.

But you probably won't be able to succeed with this plan unless you cook some of your own meals. Fast food and the Mediterranean diet don't go together very well, nor does restaurant dining (alas -- I love to eat at nice restaurants!).

Health wise, this diet, loaded with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and healthy fats and proteins, not only keeps your weight down but also is great for your heart, blood pressure, and blood sugar. You'll avoid obesity, heart disease and diabetes if you follow this wonderful and delicious plan. Some research also suggests this diet can ward off dementia as we age.

Here is one of my favorite Middle Eastern style recipes to get you started -- easy as pie, and taste great.

RECIPE: Couscous Salad with Orange and Olives Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups whole-wheat couscous
• 1/4 cup orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup chopped black olives, (4 scallions)
• 1/4 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives, (12 olives)
• 1 navel orange, peeled, sectioned and diced
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Stir together couscous, orange juice concentrate, oil, mustard, thyme, orange zest and salt in a large bowl. Stir in boiling water, cover and set aside until the liquid has been absorbed, about 5 minutes.
2. Fluff the couscous with a fork. Add parsley, scallions, olives, diced orange and lemon juice; toss to blend. Season with pepper.

A Tasty Salad: Marinated Cauliflower with Tuna, Capers and Garlic

Here's another winning dish from one of my favorite healthy foodies: Rose Shulman, who writes the "Recipes for Health" column for the NY Times.

She calls this CAULIFLOWER AND TUNA SALAD

Ingredients:

1 large or 2 small or medium cauliflowers, broken into small florets

1 5-ounce can water-packed light (not albacore) tuna, drained

1 plump garlic clove, minced or pureéd

1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

3 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar or champagne vinegar

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Place the cauliflower in a steaming basket over 1 inch of boiling water, cover and steam 1 minute. Lift the lid for 15 seconds, then cover again and steam for 5 to 8 minutes, until tender. Refresh with cold water, then drain on paper towels.

2. In a large bowl, break up the tuna fish and add the cauliflower.

3. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together the garlic, parsley, capers, lemon juice, vinegar, and olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add the cauliflower and toss together. Marinate, stirring from time to time, for 30 minutes if possible before serving. Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature.

Makes 4-6 servings as a side dish, or starter

Fat belly? Eat these foods, help it melt away

Try emphasizing whole grains, vinegar and nuts -- and get rid of that spare tire.
So says Eating Well. Here are some tasty and easy recipes that include filling foods that contain these stomach-reducing ingredients....for example, this couscous salad.

Recipe: Couscous and Berry Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped shallots
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups cooked whole-wheat couscous
• 1 cup chopped nectarine
• 1 cup mixed fresh berries, such as blueberries and raspberries
• 2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds

Instructions: Whisk oil, orange juice, vinegar, shallots, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add cooked couscous, nectarines, berries and almonds; gently toss to combine.

A lovely salad

This crunchy, healthful salad was featured on Epicurious recently.

Recipe: Shaved Cauliflower and Radicchio Salad

Ingredients:

Salad:

·         1/2 head of a 1-pound cauliflower, cored, cut into florets

·         1/2 head of a 6-ounce radicchio, cored, quartered lengthwise

·         6 inner celery stalks with leaves

·         1/4 cup thinly sliced chives

·         1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

·         1 lemon

Dressing:

·         2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

·         1/4 cup walnut oil

·         Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

·         1 ripe Bosc pear

·         1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted if desired

Instructions:

For salad: 
Push cauliflower florets, then radicchio, through the feed tube of a food processor fitted with a slicing disk, or thinly slice cauliflower on a mandoline and radicchio with a knife. Mix in a large bowl.

Peel rounded side of celery with a peeler to remove strings. Remove leaves; add to bowl. Thinly slice stalks with a knife; place in bowl and add chives and parsley. Finely grate zest from whole lemon directly over the bowl to catch any citrus oil. Toss to mix well. Squeeze juice from lemon for dressing.

For dressing: 
Place 1 tablespoon juice in a small bowl. Whisk in Dijon mustard. Gradually whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Up to 1 hour before serving, add dressing to salad; toss to coat. Season salad with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.

Cut pear into matchstick-size pieces. Add pear and walnuts to salad; toss to combine.