Full-meal salads: innovative, satisfying, easy on the cook!

More and more I see cooking magazines and other sources touting one-dish meals – salads generally, with a plethora of ingredients that make for complete repasts needing only crusty bread or rolls to complete them. A bonus is your choice of dressings. Too, desserts are giving way for healthful fruits as opposed to heavy pies and cakes. Today we’ll look at some possibilities for this lifestyle. Enjoy!

Our illustration offers a fabulous company salad that comes to the table in beauty ready to be gently tossed and enjoyed with bread, rolls or croissants.

Majestic Layered Salad

(Serves 8)

1 quart torn spinach

2 cups mushroom slices

2 cups thin sliced/cut up cooked chicken breast OR ham

1 1/2 cups red onion rings, separated and halved

2 10-oz. pkgs frozen sweet peas, cooked, drained, chilled

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 tsp. granulated sugar

1/2 tsp. curry powder

2 or 3 crisp-fried bacon slices, crumbled

In a large glass salad bowl, layer spinach, mushrooms, onions, peas, chicken or ham. Combine mayo, sugar and curry powder and spread carefully over top of salad to seal. Cover, refrigerate overnight. At serving time, top with crumbled bacon. After presentation (and the ooohs and ahhhs) use a large serving set to gently lift and mix the salad, making sure to incorporate all layers well. Serve or allow guests to help themselves.

Onion, White bean and Tomato Salad

2 cans white beans (small, white kidney or 1 each)

1 can garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed

4 large plum tomatoes OR 2 medium ripe red tomatoes, seeded, cubed

1 large red onion, cut into thin slices and chopped

1 large, ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, sliced and diced

1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups small broccoli florets

1 can whole kernel corn, drained, rinsed

1 4 oz. can diced green chilies

1/3 cup chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves (or parsley)

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Combine all ingredients and toss salad before serving. Offer a choice of dressings and have a basket of bread sticks and/or crusty buns at hand.

Rice/Veggie Salad

(8 servings)

¾ cup EACH dry wild rice and long-grain brown rice

1 large red Spanish onion, peeled, cut into sections and finely diced

8 large white or brown button mushrooms, wiped clean, stemmed, chopped

1 large red bell pepper, cleaned, seeded, sliced and finely diced

1 large green (or yellow) bell pepper, seeded, sliced, finely diced

2 large celery stalks, finely diced

1 English cucumber, peeled, sliced, finely diced

1 small fennel bulb with stems/fronds intact

Ahead of time: Cook rices together in large pot with plenty of water and cover. Cook till tender (40 minutes or so). Drain (save cooking water for soup base?), toss, cool.

Prepare vegetables. For the fennel, peel, discarding stalks but saving feathery fronds; rinse and dry fronds, finely dice fennel bulb. Toss all prepared veggies together. Cover and chill.

Make Herb Dressing:

In a medium bowl, mix 1 1/3 cups balsamic vinegar, ½ cup olive oil, ½ cup chopped chives, 1 minced garlic clove, ½ cup finely chopped shallots, 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves, 1 tablespoon lemon thyme leaves and 1 teaspoon minced rosemary leaves. Makes about 2 cups.

Assemble: Toss about 1 cup of the dressing into the rice, stirring in well. Add all veggies/mushrooms and fold into rice to incorporate all well. Taste for salt, add more dressing as needed or pass extra dressing in a cruet for individual tastes.

This salad can be topped with grilled salmon strips, ahi fillets or chicken breast if you wish.

Any fruit in season can be utilized for this lovely meal-ender that boasts a delectable lemon verbena fillip.

Mixed Fruits w/Lemon Verbena Cream

4 cups assorted fresh berries in season – strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, huckleberries, boysenberries, etc.

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup PLUS 2 Tbsps. granulated sugar

3 Tbsps. lemon verbena leaves chopped, divided (or other lemon-flavored leaf or 1/4 tsp. lemon juice or extract (taste for best amount)

1 cup plus 2 Tbsps. chilled whipping cream

Mix 1/4 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 Tbsp. lemon verbena in small saucepan. Bring to simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cover and cool completely. Strain syrup into bowl; set aside.

Mix 2 Tbsps. EACH of cream, sugar, and lemon verbena in small saucepan; bring to simmer over med. heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Strain into a small bowl; chill. When cold, stir in remaining 1 cup chilled cream.

Whip verbena cream in medium bowl until peaks form. Divide among 4 small dessert bowls. Toss and mix berries and verbena syrup in large bowl, then divide among 4 curved plates. Sprinkle with sugar and serve with the whipped verbena cream as pictured.

Tip: Don’t let the lemon verbena thing get you down. Use other flavoring options – orange is especially good – and remember, you can use plain whipping cream (perhaps sprinkled with minced candied ginger?) Make it your own!