missmaggiepops

I don’t know about you, but whenever a long weekend comes up, all of the recipe boards feature meat meat meat. In copious amounts of it, in almost obscene combinations and variations of it (ie: bacon & pork belly stuffed beef short rib pot pie, bacon popsicles, etc). What if you’re a vegetarian or vegan? What if you’re trying to be a bit more healthy and incorporate some green fiber into your life? What if you just don’t feel like eating meat because you want to rebel against all of the meatapalooza advertising that’s being bombarded your way? And since this is a pretty big bbq/pool party weekend in the US (4th of July), you’re most likely going to be asked to bring a dish to share to wherever you’re being invited to. I say be self-absorbed with this one- bring something you really want to eat; bring something you want to fill your plate with and not have very much room for all of that meat being passed around. Bring one of these salads:

• I love this salad, it’s one of my favourites for summer. It’s the grated hard-boiled egg & saffron infused marcona almonds that just elevates something so simple into something extraordinary: Blue Kale Studio Salad
• I love love love Za’atar. I discovered it on a meditation retreat in California years ago. It was a silent retreat, but you could leave messages for the teachers to ask questions about your experiences, etc. I left messages for the chef; this spice mixture was one of my discoveries: Chickpeas & Za’atar
• This is the salad pictured above. Feel free to leave out the fennel as I did if you’re not into it. The dressing is awesome. I love how Heidi’s dressings are so much more than oil & vinegar: Kale Market Salad
• A-Ha! This one features a grill so that you’re not the only one who misses out on the famed charcoal action that exemplifies a long weekend. The dressing is amaze: Grilled Romaine Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing
• When you incorporate grains into your salad it gives it more heft, and makes it more of a “1-bowl-meal” sort of thing. Perfect if you’re trying to avoid all of that meat: Heather’s Farro Recipe
• If you’re gluten-free, the quinoa in this salad will fill you up. It’s the dressing that gets me every time with this one. Love love love: Quinoa & Grilled Zucchini
• I love the yoghurt dressing in this. I use farro instead of barley, I like the toothiness of the farro instead. It adds a nice counterbalance to all of the softer elements of the salad: California Barley Bowl
• I love this jalapeno dressing. It eventually tempers a bit the longer it sits. If you like it spicey, make the dressing just before serving: Greeny Salad with Crispy Chickpeas
• This makes A Lot, is super pretty, and has rosewater in it (such a great conversation starter….): Purple Power Salad
• The humble lentil is put into the spotlight with this amazingly flavourful dressing. Double the dressing if you’re adding in a lot of chopped veggies to bulk out the salad (which will help you feed more people): The Best Lentil Salad
• Everybody needs a coleslaw recipe. Yotam Ottolenghi is one of my cooking gods: Grilled Sweet Corn Slaw
• The sweetness of the grilled pineapple is so delicious in this salad. Don’t worry if you can’t find watercress, I used arugula instead: Cuban Avocado, Watercress, and Pineapple Salad
• I have doubled this salad before to help feed a lot of people. It’s a crowd pleaser for sure: Rainbow Chopped Salad
• Ok, not exactly a salad, but is super pretty: Blue Cheese & Red Potato Tart
• Jamie Oliver was one of my first influences in cooking. He had this show called ‘The Naked Chef’ years ago that I used to watch in my early 20s. His premise was to use as little ingredients as possible and to do almost everything by hand; he made it look so simple. And he was just a yr older than me, so he made cooking “cool”: Superfood Salad

I hope this little list will come in handy for you this summer. Happy 4th of July!