Salads Take Center Stage

The reason I remember the first time I was served a main-course salad, easily 15 years ago, is that it was such a revelation.

It was served to a group of us, six or more, in a large shallow wooden bowl and it was full of all kinds of good things; greens, chickpeas, nuts, seeds, sliced chicken breast and a dressing fragrant with fresh tarragon and basil. I remember my hostess saying how uncomplicated a meal it was to prepare, serve and clean up after.

Main-course salads are a terrific opportunity to combine a variety of ingredients creatively and colorfully. The late, celebrated U.S. cookbook author, James Beard said meat salads originated in North America as a way to use leftovers; maybe he was right.

Certainly, it's a chance to be imaginative in the kitchen. When it comes to main-course salads, there is no wrong way. Add grains if you like, or stick to vegetables and meat. Or don't use meat. Or don't use vegetables. One of the best things about main-course salads is how few rules there are, although one is that you really should make your own vinaigrette.

I once put my imagination together and marinated and grilled chicken breasts on a grill pan, but you could barbecue them instead -- and how they can be paired either with buckwheat noodles or with crunchy coleslaw. The chicken can easily be replaced with salmon or tofu.

In Heartsmart Cooking for Family and Friends, Bonnie Stern does a take on a classic nicoise - made with roasted salmon and grilled vegetables, and served with wheat berries. Or rice. Or barley. It's served on one large platter or in individual portions.

In "A Good Day for Salad", there's a recipe for a main-course salad made with strips of cooked lamb, white beans, arugula and a dressing flavored with cherry tomatoes, garlic and fresh rosemary. There's another for a mango-mint chicken salad featuring boned, skinned chicken breast, sugar snap peas, arugula, bean sprouts, mangos and mint sprigs for garnish. The dressing includes fresh lime and lemon juice, honey, mint leaves, soy and grated fresh ginger.

In her cookbook "Nigella Bites", Nigella Lawson includes a ginger-hot duck salad. A duck breast is grilled and then carved on the diagonal into thin slices, tossed with a couple of tablespoons fish sauce, the juice of half a lime and half an orange; a finely chopped hot pepper; some grated fresh ginger and a few drops of sesame oil, and turned out onto serving plate covered with baby spinach or watercress. Or both.

I've made all these salads -- and then some. I've taken recipes and changed them, played with them, added to them and subtracted from them. I've made main-course salads for myself and made them for a crowd. And I'm far from an expert cook. If I can do it, so can you.

We have a wonderful salad that makes a meal by itself called "Japanese Cabbage Salad" (Serves 8).

Japanese Cabbage Salad

Makes a full meal when served with any Asian-style chicken, fish or tofu.

2 cups shredded red cabbage
2 cups shredded green cabbage
6 greens onions, sliced
1/4 cup slivered almonds, to toast
1/2 cup sesame seeds, to toast
1/4 cup dried cranberries, optional

Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable or olive oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside. Spread sesame seeds on a baking tray and place in a 350F (180C) oven for about 5 minutes. Watch carefully -- they burn quickly. Toast almonds separately, at the same temperature but for a bit longer. Place all salad ingredients together in a bowl. Toss with dressing right before serving, so as not to lose the crunch. Makes 8 servings.

Per Serving: Calories 190, Protein 3g, Fat 16g, Carbohydrates 12g, Fiber 3g, Sodium 195mg (less if salt is omitted from recipe).

Author: Susan Rutter -- Publisher, Nutritionist, and Instructor who assists patients and the public make healthy choices and changes in their lives. Web Site: Healthy YOUbbies http://www.geocities.com/healthyoubbies/

cleaning team near Mundelein ..
In The News:

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says polite words like "please" and "thank you" cost millions annually, while direct prompts may improve ChatGPT accuracy by several points.
Chattee Chat and GiMe Chat exposed intimate conversations and photos, revealing users spent up to $18,000 on AI companions before the breach.
New Instagram parental controls allow families to manage teen screen time and content limits through the Family Center with stricter safety settings.
Third-party security breach at Discord exposes sensitive user information including government IDs, highlighting cybersecurity risks from external service providers.
Survey of 1,000 students shows teens using AI for personal relationships while two-thirds of parents remain unaware of their children's AI usage.
Cybersecurity experts warn about a ShadowLeak vulnerability that weaponized ChatGPT's Deep Research agent to steal personal data from Gmail accounts through hidden commands.
Tesla's Full Self-Driving system faces federal investigation following 58 reports of crashes, with six vehicles running red lights before colliding with other cars.
The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest developments on artificial intelligence, with news on OpenAI moving to soon allow erotica for adult users.
Eric Schmidt alerts that hackers can reverse-engineer AI models to bypass safety measures, citing examples like the jailbroken ChatGPT variant called DAN.
Cybercriminals exploit Microsoft Teams through impersonation, malicious links and fake profiles to gather intel and deliver ransomware to personal and work devices.
Google, Dior, Allianz and dozens of other companies lost sensitive customer data in Salesforce-related breaches affecting millions of records across multiple sectors.
Apple launches iOS 26 with new Preview app that combines document editing, PDF annotation and scanning features into one streamlined iPhone experience.
New AI road monitoring system uses sensor-embedded fabric to predict infrastructure problems, potentially reducing maintenance costs and traffic disruptions for cities.
Holiday charity scams target retirees through lookalike organization names, untraceable payment requests, and data broker information to steal donations.
The Federal Trade Commission says criminals are posing as IRS agents, law enforcement officers or other officials, often over the phone or online, to steal thousands of dollars at a time.
AI phishing scams now use voice cloning and deepfake technology to trick victims, but Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals warning signs to watch for.
Inversion Space unveils Arc, a reusable reentry vehicle that can deliver up to 500 pounds of cargo from orbit to anywhere on Earth in under an hour.
Red flags like processing fees, urgent countdowns and requests for full Social Security numbers expose fraudulent settlement sites targeting consumers.
Comprehensive analysis of Google Maps, Waze and Apple Maps examines usability, routing accuracy, data handling and features across the top navigation platforms.
Expert analysis reveals whether wired Ethernet or wireless Wi-Fi connections are safer for home internet use, plus practical steps to secure your network from attackers.
Australian construction robot Charlotte uses sand, crushed brick and recycled glass to 3D print fireproof, floodproof homes with reduced carbon footprint.
Cybercriminals are using fake invitation emails to trick recipients into downloading malware and stealing personal information and data.
Flying drones could help retailers fight a 93% increase in theft rates as Flock Safety promotes airborne security systems to track suspects and deter crime.
The Fox News Artificial Intelligence Newsletter brings you the latest news on the emerging technology every Saturday, highlighting top stories.
Hacker group Radiant stole data from 8,000 children at Kido nursery chain, demanding ransom and directly contacting parents with intimidation tactics.

Taste the Good Health Fruit Called Apple

"To eat an apple before going to bed will make... Read More

Put a Zing in your Step with Ginger!

Zingiber officinale has been held in the highest regard by... Read More

Preventing Heart Disease: What Not To Eat

About 12.6 million Americans currently have heart disease.1.1 million Americans... Read More

Protective Effects of Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 appear to reduce the risk of heart attack. A... Read More

How To Get Fit And Slash Your Health Insurance Costs

Okay, before we start, let me explain the purpose of... Read More

Substitutes for Butter

Instead of Butter: Use top quality, cold pressed, extra virgin... Read More

How Good Is Your Health?

It is a question we must ask ourselves continually if... Read More

Buying Organic Produce: 6 Tips on How to Shop Wisely and Save Money

Some say they don't or can't buy organic foods due... Read More

Food Sources That Boost Glutathione Naturally

Copyright ? 2004 priya shah Glutathione, the body's... Read More

Personal Wellness Program

Having a personal wellness program has become a concern for... Read More

The Non-Diet Diet

Diets don't work. If they did the U.S. of A.... Read More

Finding Your Reason Why to be Healthy

The most incredible thing you can do for yourself is... Read More

South Beach Diet - US vs. World

Diets concern especially Americans as they do have a "national... Read More

You Dont Have to be Wealthy to Eat Well: The Truth about Your Grocery Budget

Many people complain that organic foods are more costly than... Read More

You are Closer to Being Vitamin C Deficient Than You Think

Okay, so you think you are doing pretty well with... Read More

Being Proactive With Your Health Decisions

In today's world, there's a definite need to be proactive... Read More

16 Quick Tips for Eating at Restaurants or Work

Most of us eat at restaurants for a variety of... Read More

Alcohol as a Key Ingredient to a Healthy Diet

Evidence suggesting that alcohol is "cardio-protective" first appeared in the... Read More

Is Organic Really Better for You?

I had finally come to a place in my life... Read More

Beans - The Perfect Food?

Beans. Legumes. Pulses. Whatever you call this plant group, they... Read More

Beauty Foods That Will Keep You Young and Healthy

You've heard that old saying: True beauty comes from within.... Read More

Whats The Truth About Fat?

When I hear the word fat I usually think of... Read More

Create Your Own Diet...Quickly & Easily:

If you are like most people, you've tried dieting before.... Read More

5 Favorite Summer-Break Tips

You can trust me that I make sure to take... Read More

Let Your Freezer Be Your Ally!

Most recipes end with instructions to "serve immediately." You could... Read More

move out cleaning service Park Ridge ..