Refreshing Summertime Side Dishes

With summer quickly approaching, our thoughts turn to grilling and outdoor eating. Here are a few great summertime dishes to accompany your favorite grilled dinners. Included are serving suggestions and substitutions.

Grape Salad
This is a year round favorite in our household but it really tastes great on those hot summer days. This is sweet enough to be a dessert but you can also use it as a side dish. The slight bite of the grape offsets the sweetness of the sugar and cream cheese.

3-4 lbs. Red Seedless Grapes, washed
8 oz. Sour Cream
8 oz. Cream Cheese
1 tsp. Vanilla
½ cup Granulated Sugar
4 oz. Chopped Pecans
2 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

Directions: In a large bowl, mix together sour cream, cream cheese, vanilla and granulated sugar. Add pecans, then stir. Add grapes, then stir. Sprinkle in brown sugar, stir. Wait a minute then stir again. Refrigerate overnight.

Substitutions: You can substitute cream cheese for Neufchatel or low calorie cream cheese. You can also use green grapes or other varieties of grapes. Just do not use champagne grapes as they are too small. You can also substitute sour cream with low fat sour cream.

Other notes: You do not have to leave it overnight but the tastes blend better if it is left overnight. This is an excellent complement to grilled chicken dishes.

Strawberry Fields Salad

If you do not mind putting forth a little effort, this is a fantastic tasting salad. Even my non-lettuce eating family enjoys this. Serving it immediately allows your diners to enjoy the coolness of the salad and the warm crunch of the caramelized pecans.

Caramelized Pecans:
1 tbsp. olive oil
½ cup pecans
1 tbsp. sugar

Spinach Salad:
4 cups washed fresh spinach leaves
1 pint strawberries, hulled, sliced
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil or walnut oil
2 tbsp. raspberry or balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

To make pecans: Heat oil over medium heat in a large nonstick sauté pan or skillet. Add nuts and sauté 1-2 min. Sprinkle sugar over nuts and continue to sauté, stirring constantly, 1 minute until sugar melts, coats nuts, and turns golden brown. Remove nuts to a plate to cool.

Enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables prepared in creative ways this summer!

Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Copyright: Wikimedia Commons