MORE SALADS

Still hot and steamy in New York, so, we'll have more salads. This is the only thing one can have in this heat, salads, salads, salads. The main idea is to make sure that you have enough variety so you don't get fed up of salads. Be creative: use leftover meats or chicken, try different kinds of beans and beans combinations, add new veggies or even fruits, or better yet dried fruits, raisins, figs or dates. Add cheese, spices, olives,nuts, actually anything you like to your salad, just make it delicious!

ARTICHOKE SALAD

                                                    

We love artichoke, but with this heat it's better to have it in a salad. I usually buy frozen artichoke hearts, and I keep a couple of bags of it in my freezer. I made this salad as a simplified version of the artichoke casserole that I make in winter: it has artichoke, peas, ground meat in white sauce. But since this is a salad, I'll only use artichoke and peas. I looked around to see what else can I use, and found 3 potatoes. That's enough, I'll use them in 2 salads. You'll need:

1 bag (14 oz) of frozen artichoke hearts

1/2 bag (15 oz) of frozen peas

1 1/2 cup boiled potatoes cubed

2 tbsp green olives stuffed with pimento, sliced

2 hard boiled eggs

Dressing:

2 to 3 scallions, white parts and some green

1 tbsp capers, chopped

2 tsp mustard

1 tsp vinegar

2 tbsp oil

Salt and pepper

Cook the artichoke hearts in salted boiling water for about 4 to 5 minutes. Just before they are tender, add the peas to the pot. Drain and let cool. Cook the potatoes in salted water. I actually had 3 potatoes only and decided to make 2 salads with them. When all the veggies are cool enough to handle, cut the artichoke hearts in bite size pieces, and add them to a large bowl. Add the potatoes. Thinly slice the scallions, add them to a small bowl to make the dressing. Add all the other ingredients, except the oil, salt and pepper. Mix well then drizzle the oil while mixing. You may add salt and pepper, but make sure that you don't add too much: your veggies are already salted and mustard is salted too. Slice the eggs and add them to the salad. Sprinkle some freshly ground pepper and serve.

GREEN BEANS SALAD

                                              

Two days ago I asked my husband to get us some fresh fava beans. It's the season, and I like to eat them raw with some feta cheese. But he got us the huge kind, each bean was almost one inch big. So we ate a couple, and found them too hard to eat raw. Would I throw them away? No way, they were fresh and tender on the inside, so I must find a way to use them somehow. When I tried to eat them raw, I had to peel the skin off each bean, so why not boil them for a couple of minutes, peel them and use them? That's exactly what I did. I made a salad, and it turned out to be real good, the fava beans melted in my mouth and were delicious. You'll need:

1 lb fresh fava beans, shelled

1 box of frozen green beans

1 1/2 cup cooked potatoes, cubed

Dressing from the previous salad

Cook the fava beans in salted boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and let cool. Cook the green beans in salted boiling water, drain and add to a bowl. When the fava beans are cooled enough to handle, peel them and add them to the bowl. Add the potatoes, drizzle the dressing and mix to coat. How easy is that?