from our kitchen

Cool Meals for Warm Days

Main-dish salads are fresher and bolder than ever, offering colorful and creative combinations of light and healthy ingredients. Grilled chicken, green beans, and grapes top off a mound of crisp greens in this easy-to-fix entrée pictured at right. Small but flavorful amounts of toasted walnuts and blue cheese add both richness and texture. Just serve with your favorite vinaigrette.

New twists on the classic chef's salad are a hot item in restaurants, and those stylish presentations are easier to duplicate at home than you might think. Most of the components can be assembled in advance, making them the perfect one-dish meal for warm-weather gatherings.

You'll find many of our favorite recipes for main-dish salads, along with terrific tips for easy, make-ahead entertaining in this month's Test Kitchens Recipe Box at southernliving.com/features. If you don't have Internet access at home, ask your local librarian for information on how to go online.

Packed With Pizzazz

Flavored mayonnaises take only minutes to make but yield big dividends in quick and easy recipes for last-minute entertaining. They can be prepared with regular or reduced-fat commercial mayonnaise, and they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. When testing with store-bought mayonnaise, we preferred Hellman's Real Mayonnaise and Hellman's Light Mayonnaise.

FRESH HERB MAYONNAISE: Stir together 2 cups mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano. Make a simple salad with boiled new potatoes and sliced green onions, or dollop on grilled chicken and pasta. Add to deviled eggs, or use as a dip for fresh vegetables.

LEMON-ROSEMARY MAYONNAISE: Stir together 2 cups mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, 1 ½ tablespoons grated lemon rind, and 1 pressed garlic clove. Use in place of tartar sauce when serving fresh seafood. Toss with canned tuna, or spread on a smoked turkey sandwich. If you prefer a milder flavor, substitute fresh parsley for rosemary.

BÉARNAISE MAYONNAISE: Cook 1/3 cup dry white wine, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, and 2 minced shallots in a small saucepan over medium-high heat 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced to 1 tablespoon. Remove from heat, and cool. Stir together 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon, 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and wine reduction liquid. Serve with any type of beef from grilled burgers to steak sandwiches. Dollop a spoonful over hot, steamed broccoli, or toss with chopped cooked chicken and canned artichoke hearts.

MARY ALLEN PERRY

Frozen Assets

It's not often that we find a convenience product that tastes as good as these buttery slice-and-bake cheese wafers. Studded with crunchy bits of chopped pecans, Mamie's Famous Cheese Wafers are made without preservatives. Sold frozen for around $7.95 a roll (baked according to package directions, one roll yields about 5 dozen wafers), they're terrific to keep on hand for drop-in guests. If your local grocery store doesn't already carry them, ask the manager to place an order for you. For more information visit www.mamieswafers.com.

Copyright Southern Progress Corporation May 2005
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