Too hot to cook much..? Try either of these super yummy relatively healthy low cook entree’ salads!
Spinach, Turkey and Peach Salad with Apricot Balsamic Dressing
Serves 2 as main course or 4 as a side
For Salad:
1 bag fresh baby spinach
1 1/2 cup cubed roasted turkey
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans or blanched almonds
2 large peaches, diced (you can sub nectarines or fresh apricots, as well)
1/2 of a sm red onion sliced thinly
For Dressing:
1 heaping tablespoon apricot preserves (“no sugar added” if you can find it)
1/2 cup EVOO
2 1/2 T balsamic vinegar
1 sm clove garlic, minced
pinch of salt and fresh cracked pepper
dash of cinnamon or fresh nutmeg (not much, just a bit for aroma)
How To:
Place all Dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight sealing lid, give a few good shakes until well blended.
Put baby spinach in large bowl, toss with dressing…add a little at a time until you have the spinach lightly coated.
Divide the spinach between plates and top each plate with the remaining ingredients.
Serve immediately.
Pork and Napa Cabbage Salad with Mandarin Oranges
Serves 4 as main course
For Salad:
4 boneless pork chops (also great with leftover pork roast, just shred and sizzle in a tad of hot oil till lightly browned and crisp.)
1 T canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 head of Napa Cabbage, torn up, rinsed and dried
1 lg carrot, shredded
1/2 C chopped cilantro
1/2 C dry roasted, unsalted peanuts
1 can mandarin oranges, drained, liquid reserved.
For the dressing:
1/3 C Hoisin sauce
Juice and zest of one lime
1/4 C bottled Orange Sesame dressing
Reserved mandarin orange liquid
A handful of those yummy wide, crispy oriental noodles that are terrible for you but you have to eat! (Sub chow-mein noodles if you can’t find the wide ones).
How to:
Heat oil over med-high heat in saute pan until hot, sprinkle pork on both sides with salt and pepper. Sear on both sides in hot oil, reduce heat to med and cook until done. Remove from pan and set aside to rest.
While pork is resting, assemble the rest of the salad ingredients in large bowl.
In small bowl, add first three ingredients for dressing, whisk to mix. Add mandarin orange liquid a little at a time, whisking it in until the dressing is the consistency of warm syrup.
Drizzle dressing over contents of large bowl, tossing as you go, to coat the salad lightly.
Slice pork into thin strips, trimming off any visable fat as you go.
Plate the salad and top off with sliced pork. Toss some yummy crispy noodles on top and serve immediately.
