Summers salads don't have to be predictable, with the same old lettuce-cucumber-tomato combo. Catering chef Rose Reisman offers some new ideas.

Tomato Salad with Bocconcini Cheese and Olives

Serves 4

  • 2 tsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 large sweet white onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 2 large field tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch slices
  • 4 plum tomatoes, each cut into 4 wedges
  • 1 1/2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
  • 2 oz bocconcini cheese, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup halved kalamata olives

Dressing

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp low-fat sour cream
  • 1 Tbsp light mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp finely chopped garlic

Garnish

3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

1. Lightly coat a small skillet with cooking spray and add the oil. Sauté the onion slices over medium heat for 10 minutes, or until tender and lightly browned. Add the sugar and sauté another 5 minutes. Set aside.

2. Arrange the tomatoes, bocconcini cheese and olives on a serving platter. Place the caramel­ized onions on top.

3. Prepare the dressing by whisking together the oil, sour cream, mayonnaise, balsamic vinegar, honey and garlic until well blended. Pour the dressing evenly over the salad and toss. Garnish with basil and serve.

Nutritional Analysis per Serving

Calories - 247
Protein - 5 g
Fat - 15 g
Saturated Fat - 3.9 g
Carbohydrates -14 g
Cholesterol - 12 mg
Sodium - 320 mg
Fiber - 3 g

Grilled Fruit Salad over Rotini with Shrimp

Serves 4

Dressing

  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tbsp orange juice concentrate
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp minced garlic

Salad

  • 8 oz rotini
  • 6 oz raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 small ripe pears, peeled, cored and cut into quarters
  • 2 fresh ripe pineapple rings (1/2 inch thick)
  • 1 ripe peach or nectarine, peeled and halved

1. In a bowl combine parsley, vinegar, orange juice concentrate, olive oil, honey and garlic; whisk well. Set aside.

2. In a large pot of boiling water, cook rotini for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender but firm; drain. Rinse under cold running water; drain.

3. Meanwhile, in a non-stick frying pan sprayed with vegetable spray or on a preheated grill, cook shrimp over medium-high heat, turning once, for 2 minutes or until pink. Add pears, pineapple rings and peach; cook for 3 minutes per side or until grill-marked and tender.

4. Cut shrimp and fruit into large chunks. In a serving bowl, combine pasta, shrimp mixture and dressing; toss to combine well.

Nutritional Analysis per Serving

Calories - 452
Protein - 18 g
Fat  - 8 g
Saturated Fat - 1.1 g
Carbohydrates - 78 g
Cholesterol - 67 mg
Sodium - 76 mg
Fiber -  5 g

Quinoa salad with tuna, green beans and tomatoes

Serves 6

Salad

  • 2 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 1 cup sliced green beans
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
  • 1 cup finely chopped English cucumber (unpeeled)
  • 1 can (6 oz) flaked white tuna (packed in water), drained
  • 4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup sliced black olives
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley

Dressing

  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

1. To prepare the salad, bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the quinoa. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated. Transfer the quinoa to a large bowl and allow it to cool to room temperature. You can also place it in the refrigerator to cool more quickly.

2. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the beans for 2 minutes or until tender-crisp. Drain and rinse with cold water. Add the beans, tomatoes, cucumber, tuna, anchovies, olives, onion, dill and parsley to the quinoa. Stir to combine.

3. To prepare the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, garlic and pepper. Pour the dressing over the quinoa mixture and toss well.

Nutritional Analysis per Serving

Calories - 221
Protein - 12 g
Fat - 8 g
Saturated Fat - 1.2 g
Carbohydrates - 26 g
Cholesterol - 11 mg
Sodium - 625 mg
Fiber - 3.3 g

Fresh corn salad

Serves 4

Salad

  • 3 fresh cobs of corn
  • 1/2 cup diced red onion
  • 1/2 cup diced roasted red pepper (about 1 small roasted red pepper)
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

Dressing

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 1/2 tsp finely chopped jalapeño pepper
  • 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
  • pinch of salt and pepper

1. Lightly coat a grill pan with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat, or heat your barbecue to medium-high heat. Grill the corncobs for about 5 minutes, or until the corn begins to brown. Using a sharp knife, slice the niblets off of the cobs and place in a bowl.

2. Add the red onion, roasted red pepper and basil to the corn and stir to combine.

3. To prepare the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, cider vinegar, jalapeño, garlic, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.

Edamame Salad

Serves 4

Salad

  • 3 cups frozen edamame beans
  • 1 cup corn niblets
  • 1/2 diced water chestnuts
  • 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Dressing

  • 2 tbsp soy sauce, low sodium
  • 1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp crushed garlic
  • 1/2 tsp minced ginger

Garnish

1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1. Boil edamame beans just until bright green, approximately 3 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Place in serving bowl.

2. In non-stick skillet sprayed with vegetable oil, sauté corn just until browned, approximately 5 minutes. Add to edamame along with water chestnuts, bell pepper, green onions and cilantro.

3. For dressing mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, garlic and ginger and pour over salad. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds.