Cool Summer Suppers
By Janet Peterson

When the afternoon temperatures soar into triple digits, cooking dinner over a hot stove, even with the air conditioner running full speed, is hardly inviting. Yet eating dinner goes on year-round regardless of the weather. It’s tempting to do the drive-through or take-out thing — perhaps too many times for good health and the family budget.

Serving main-course salads provides a satisfying meal and keeps the cook cool — and happy. A refreshing salad on a hot summer night is more appealing to diners as well.

When part of the salad needs to be cooked — such as chicken — prepare it early in the day or in large batches to be stored in the freezer for later use.

Here are some savory summer salads that will be crowd-pleasers around your table — whether you serve it on the deck, under a canopy, poolside, or picnic style.

Round out the meal with fresh fruit, bread or rolls, and an iced drink.

Chicken Rice Salad

22 cups cooked chicken, diced
2 cups cooked rice, chilled
1 cup halved seedless red grapes
1 cup chopped celery
1 (11-ounce ) can mandarin oranges
1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks or tidbits
3/4 cup sliced almonds

Dressing

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 teaspoon salt (more, if desired)
3/4 cup mayonnaise

In a large bowl, combine chicken, rice, grapes, celery, oranges, pineapple, and almonds. In a small bowl, mix olive oil, orange juice, vinegar, salt, and mayonnaise.

Combine dressing with chicken mixture. Chill before serving.

Serves 4 to 6.

Tropical Chicken Salad

2 cups cooked, cubed chicken
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup mayonnaise
2 to 1 teaspoon curry powder
1 (20-ounce) can pineapple chunks, drained
2 bananas, sliced
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges
2 cup flaked coconut
Salad greens
3/4 cup salted peanuts, cashew halves, or chopped pecans

Place chicken and celery in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and curry; add to chicken and mix well. Cover and chill 30 minutes.

Just before serving, add pineapple, bananas, oranges, and coconut; toss gently. Serve on salad greens. Sprinkle with peanuts, cashews, or pecans.

Serves 6.

Chicken Dill and Pasta Salad

3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon dill weed
1 tablespoon onion salt
2 cups cooked and cubed chicken, cooled
2 cups halved red grapes
2 cups chopped celery
1 (8- or 12-ounce) package large shell macaroni, cooked, drained, and cooled

In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, sour cream, dill weed, and onion salt.

In a glass salad bowl, combine chicken, grapes, celery, and macaroni. Stir in mayonnaise mixture. Chill before serving.

Serves 8 to 10.

Grilled Chicken Salad

Ingredients can be varied according to taste. Try it without chicken for a great green salad.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 head Romaine lettuce, torn
2 Granny Smith apples, diced
1 cup walnut halves
1 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
1/2 cup bleu or feta cheese, crumbled
Newman’s Own Balsamic Vinaigrette

Season chicken with salt and pepper or lemon pepper and grill or broil until cooked through. Cool; cut into bite-size pieces.

Put lettuce, apples, walnuts, and dried cranberries in a salad bowl. Add diced chicken and bleu or feta cheese and gently mix. Just prior to serving add vinaigrette to lightly moisten salad.

Serves 4 to 6.

Santa Fe Chicken Caesar Salad

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Dash cayenne pepper
3 to 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 to 12 cups frozen or canned corn
2 to 1 (15-ounce) can black or kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cup diced jicama
3 to 4 green onions, sliced
1 avocado, diced
1 to 2 heads romaine lettuce, torn
Newman’s Own Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing
Grated Parmesan cheese
Seasoned croutons (optional)

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, lime juice, cumin, garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Blend well. Marinate chicken in mixture in a resealable plastic bag or covered glass dish in refrigerator 1 hour or more.

Drain marinade. Cook chicken in a medium skillet or grill on medium heat until lightly browned and cooked through. Cool.

In a medium salad bowl, combine chicken, corn, black or kidney beans, jicama, green onions, avocado, and lettuce. Add amount of dressing desired. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Top with croutons, if desired.

Serves 4 to 6.

Southwest Steak Salad

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 to 1 pound sirloin steak, cut in 2 -inch strips
6 cups assorted salad greens
1 small red pepper, cut in strips
1 small yellow pepper, cut in strips
2 to 3 green onions, sliced
Guacamole (see below)
Sour cream (optional)
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Tortilla chips

Combine olive oil, lime juice, soy sauce, water, lemon pepper, and garlic powder in a shallow glass baking dish or a resealable plastic bag. Add steak strips, turning to coat evenly. Marinate for 2 hour.

Arrange salad greens on individual serving plates or in a large bowl.

Put steak strips in a large skillet. Cook over high heat, 3 or 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Arrange steak strips over salad greens. Top with red and yellow peppers and green onions. Add a dollop of guacamole and sour cream, if desired. Sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with tortilla chips.

Serves 4 to 6.

Guacamole

2 large ripe avocados, mashed
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 medium onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh lime or lemon juice
1 (4-ounce) can green chilies, chopped
Salt to taste

In a medium bowl, combine avocados, tomato, onion, garlic, lime or lemon juice, green chilies, and salt. Chill 1 to 2 hours before serving for optimum taste.

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