Taco Salad:

16oz can chili beans in sauce

4 oz diced green chilies

8 oz grated colby cheese

1 head iceberg lettuce/cut up

1 bag tortilla chips crushed

16 oz green goddess salad dressing

3 diced roma tomatoes

Spritz of lime/optional

Mix...serve chilled.

We had a salad too.

Romaine lettuce and spinach, avocado, blue berries, walnuts, feta cheese, hard boiled eggs .... and ranch dressing, all stuff we had at home.

It was yummy, with a nice piece of garlic bread.

Moni

I made a cold salad plate last week, and the temps are going to be very uncomfortable again this week, so it will be on the menu again. Homemade Green Goddess dressing on the goodies. The bread is beer bread which we really like with savoury dishes.

-BLT Salad

-Marinated Vegetables and Cheese

-Tuna-stuffed Tomatoes

-Lettuce Wraps

I shared this recipe at the Cooking group recently:

Black Bean Taco Salad

(An easy no-cook recipe when it's too hot to cook. I usually make 1/2 the recipe.)

2 cans (15-oz. each) black beans, rinsed and drained (or make your own)

1 can (2-1/4 oz.) sliced ripe olives, drained

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)

1/3 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 c. chopped green onions (3 medium - I generally use fresh chives)

1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro (I use parsley because I think cilantro tastes like soap)

2 T. lime juice (I keep True Lime packets on hand to make lime juice if I don't have any fresh limes on hand.)

1 t. ground cumin (I use less - so to taste)

1/4 t. black pepper

4 c. chopped spinach (6-oz. - or other greens of choice)

Mix beans, olives, tomatoes, cheese, onions and cilantro. Mix lime juice, cumin and pepper; toss with bean mixture. Serve on spinach.

I made this for last month's potluck and t'was delicious!

I halved the recipe and put in a square pyrex dish!

MOLDED CHICKEN
SALAD

1 (6
oz.) pkg. lemon Jello
2 c. boiling
water
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
Pepper to
taste
3 c. diced cooked chicken
2 c. mayonnaise
1 c. chopped
celery
1 c. mandarin oranges
1 tbsp. grated onion
1 tsp.
(scant) curry

Dissolve lemon Jello in
boiling water; add lemon juice, salt and pepper and let cool. When it begins to
set fold in all other ingredients. Place in 9 x 15 inch dish and chill until
firm.

I like taco salad, Early June Pea and Shrimp salad, Chinese Chicken with Cantaloupe salad on hot days.

We really like this salad; it is so cooling and refreshing.

Melon Ball Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette

1 small red onion, thinly sliced
3 cups balls or bite-sized pieces of ripe cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon, or
other fresh melons
1-2 hearts of Romaine lettuce, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 Tbs coarsely chopped or torn basil leaves

For the vinaigrette:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 Tbs raspberry vinegar
2 Tbs finely chopped basil leaves
1 Tbs finely chopped mint leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Place the onion slices in a small bowl and cover with cold water. Soak for 20 to 30 minutes, drain, pat dry,
and combine with the melon balls, Romaine lettuce, and herbs. Toss gently
to combine and refrigerate until ready to serve. Whisk together the
ingredients for the vinaigrette and toss gently with the melon mixture
immediately before serving. Serves 6 to 8.

WalnutCreek, I make a simple watermelon salad with sliced onions, minced basil, balsamic and olive oil and chunks of feta. Delicious.

I love some of these suggestions! Cold meals are a favorite of mine during the summer. I made rice wraps for us yesterday, filled with vegetables, rice vermicelli, and shrimp, and a couple of different sauces for dipping.

Here's another version of a salad with melon. I first saw it in Southern Living a couple of years ago and have made it several times with a few modifications.

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/melon-crispy-prosciutto-salad

Give me good ol cold fried chicken, potato salad and fresh fruit and I am good on a hot day.

I like making shrimp salad for dinner on the hot days. Or a slice of ham with pineapple, cole slaw and potato salad. Yum.

Chicago has been hot and humid the past few weeks, so cold dinners are on the menu. So far:

Chicken Caesar

Lemon basil chicken salad from Paula Deen

Tuna mac salad

Cobb salad

Grilled beef salad (used leftover steak from the weekend)

Shrimp salad with a touch of brandy in the dressing-one of my favorites

Normally in the summer we eat on the patio, but even dad wants dinner indoors. So today (90F) it is Italian beef sandwiches with coleslaw and mac salad. Beef was in the freezer so it is an easy meal.