Salads!

Now that it's summer, salads sound really good to me. I think this also has something to do with the heat index being at 105 for the past week. Not using the stove/oven is a plus. I am also blessed to have a husband that views a green salad with sauteed chicken strips as a complete meal. I know this is a rarity. He's one in a million.

I have decided that it is easier to buy bagged lettuce mixes than to wash and shred lettuce. It's a little more expensive, but I've decided the cost is worth it because we eat more salad.

Then I just buy a variety of toppings. Here's a list of some ideas. I usually pick 4-5 of these and mix and match to create a salad.

Meat:
Real bacon bits or bacon cut into bite sized pieces.
Chicken cut into strips, sauteed in oil, and flavored with a little black pepper and garlic salt.
Browned hamburger (For a taco type salad.)
Sliced turkey deli meat. (or ham)

Veggies:
Pea pods
Radishes
Carrots
Tomato
Onion
Black or green olives
Cucumber
Cabbage
Bell peppers

Seeds/Nuts:
Pine nuts
Sunflower seeds
Walnuts
Pecans

Crunchy toppings: (My husband's favorite part.)
Oyster crackers
Croutons
Chow mein noodles
Crunched up tortilla chips

Other:
Black beans
Cheese cubes
Shredded cheese
Cottage cheese
Sour cream
Feta or other soft cheese crumbles
Artichoke hearts

Here's a few combos to get your started:

Greek: Lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, black olives, red onion, and feta. (Good with Italian dressing) 

Tex-mex: Lettuce, hamburger, black olives, onion, tortilla chips, sour cream, guacamamole, shred cheddar.

Simple: Field greens, blue cheese, ripe pear, strawberries, red onion. (Try a sweet poppy seed or blue cheese dressing.)

Chicken veggie: Lettuce, radishes, tomato, shredded carrot, shred cheddar, black olives, onion and croutons. (Ranch dressing)

Happy salad making!

Do you have any recipes that are summer favorites?