I know it’s not quite summer, but it already feels like summer here in Ohio. My husband and I were in North Carolina this weekend for the PGA tournament, and it certainly felt like summer there, too! I can’t help but get a little gitty during this time of year, thinking about all the summer salads, colors, textures, and delicious flavors of dishes we will be creating this season. Lately I’ve been into combining some type of grain (quinoa is my favorite) with some type of bean (I’m loving black beans these days) and a vegetable or ten (ha!) and some cheese. These grain salads can be made in bulk and eaten throughout a week as a side or a main entree (add tofu, or chicken, or salmon). A favorite recipe of mine is made with quinoa, dill and cucumber:
2 cups cooked quinoa, 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, cucumber, red pepper, carrots, feta, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add all ingredients to taste.
Other favorites:
Love and Lemons Summer Grain Salad
Why beans? I love adding beans to salad for extra protein, fiber, and delicious flavors and textures. All varieties of beans have their own unique taste and texture, so it really mixes up a salad. Beans are also a great source of iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc. Beans truly ARE the magical fruit!
Photo below is of another salad form Lemons and Zest (she’s got some great ones)!
