Hot Weather Calls For Salads

We’ve quietly and serenely moved into the month of August. The last remnants of cold from last November’s ice storm have melted from our bodies and there is an appreciation for the sun’s warmth.

At this time of year, before we get serious about back-to-school clothes and supplies shopping, the pace of life is blessedly slower. We wake to the sounds of birds, drive by public pools full of noisy kids, and sit on our back deck in the evening, listening to the hum of lawn mowers in the distance.

Some weekends we spring out of bed with a purpose. Off to the lake today! Turn on the oven to bake the chicken, boil water for the potato salad and pull out tomatoes from the refrigerator. Find the sunscreen, count the beach towels and fill the ice chest with cold drinks.

I start looking for new salad recipes in August. I love salads, and any excuse to make the dinner meal a salad meal suits me.

Sometimes the easiest salads are those put together without a recipe. Recently I cooked up a big pot of green beans. I cooled them off, then added some low-fat Sweet Sesame Dressing (Green Garden brand). They were a nice treat along with the baked chicken and potato salad.

Mayonnaise, even the nonfat type, is not my first choice for starchy salads anymore. Experimenting is fun, such as with reduced-fat Italian and ranch dressings. Add the vegetables you have on hand: carrots, red peppers, zucchini, cucumber. And don’t forget favorite herbs, such as dillweed.

Here’s a no-cook salad featuring lots of fresh mushrooms. It’s full of flavor and can be a real treat on a warm evening when the sun has started its slow farewell to another glorious day.

Fresh Mushroom Three Bean Salad

From the Mushroom Council.

10 ounces fresh white mushrooms, quartered (about 3 cups)

1 (7-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained, cut into strips (about 3/4 cup)

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans (or white seasoned beans), rinsed and drained

1 (15-ounce) can reduced-sodium red kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 (15-ounce) can reduced-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained

2 ribs celery, sliced (1 cup)

1/2 cup coarsely shredded Parmesan cheese, divided use

3/4 cup prepared Italian salad dressing

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a large bowl, combine mushrooms, peppers, beans, celery and 1/4 cup cheese. Add dressing; toss to coat well. Stir in parsley. Serve topped with remaining cheese.

Yield: 6-8 servings.

Nutrition information per each of 8 servings: 681 calories, 14 grams fat (19 percent fat calories), 39 grams protein, 104 grams carbohydrate, 4 milligrams cholesterol, 298 milligrams sodium.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

MEMO: The goal of Five and Fifteen is to find recipes where you can do the shopping in five minutes and the cooking in 15. Merri Lou Dobler, a registered dietitian and Spokane resident, welcomes ideas from readers. Write to Five and Fifteen, Features Department, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210.

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