Living Well 60+ May-June 2014

1 0 MAY/JUNE 2 0 1 4
Cool Down With Salads This Summer
Recipes make it easier to deal with the heat
Summer is finally on the way, and
we all know those 90-degree days
are coming.
You know what those “dog days of summer”
are like. If you have to stray too far from
the air conditioning, you not only perspire,
but you become enervated – almost totally
without ambition to do anything except curl
up in the coolest spot you can find and sleep
the heat away.
Along with your energy, your appetite
seems to go, too The same person who
could put away a full rack of barbecued ribs
from the grill just weeks ago can now barely
stand the thought of eating.
But one kind of food always seem to hold a
special appeal on even the hottest days, and
that’s a nice cool salad.
Be it a bowl of fresh, crisp greens bathed
in a light vinaigrette, a creamy macaroni or
food
dude
potato offering or even a light, cool dessert
concoction, salad is something most people
look forward to as either a side dish or a
whole meal during the summer. Whether
you make your own dressing or make do
with bottled, whether your taste runs to
vinegar tartness or a sweet gelatin mold,
summer is undoubtedly time for salad.
Following are recipes for a few of the
standard salads we serve in our summertime
home. We make a tasty macaroni salad that
can be enriched further by adding a can of
salad shrimp, tuna or crab meat; a lusciously
cool tomato-onion-basil dish; and a
different take on the old Jell-O mold salad
your mom used to bring to every potluck
or barbecue in the neighborhood, (Don’t
worry, this one’s really tasty!)
Break out the salad forks and cool down this
summer. Salad’s the way!
One kind of food always seem to hold a
special appeal on even the hottest days,
and that’s a nice cool salad.
Frank
Kourt
the
Best-Ever
Macaroni Salad
• 1 lb. elbow or shell macaroni
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 4 carrots, grated
• 1 cucumber, peeled and finely
chopped
• 1 tsp. celery seed
• 1 or more cups Miracle Whip
salad dressing
Cook macaroni until al dente. Mix
macaroni and all vegetables together in
a large bowl. Stir in the cup of Miracle
Whip. You can add more if it seems
too dry for your taste, making the salad
as creamy as you like. Salt and pepper
to taste or sprinkle the top with sweet
paprika. Chill and serve cold. You can
also top with slices of hard boiled eggs, if
you desire.
Tomato-Onion-Basil
Delight
• 5 large tomatoes, sliced thin
• 3 medium red or Vidalia onions,
sliced thin
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh minced basil (5 tsp.
dried)
• 1/4 cup fresh minced oregano
(1/2 tsp. dried)
• 4 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
In a long dish or casserole, layer the
onion and tomato slices, alternating
them. Combine all the other ingredients
and blend well, then pour over the
tomato and onion slices. Cover and
marinate in the refrigerator for at least
two hours. If you choose, you can pour
the marinade over your favorite greens
or simply serve the tomatoes and onion
on their own.
Tasty Jell-O Mold
• 1 package Jell-O
• 1 small container Cool Whip
• 1 can Mandarin oranges or the fruit
of your choice
Prepare your favorite flavor of Jell-O in
a large bowl. Refrigerate until it starts to
set up. Beat the Jell-O until frothy, then
add Cool Whip and fruit. Pour into a
mold until it sets up.