When my friend Jenni arrived at our neighborhood Fourth of July party with this salad in hand, I thought I’d won the lottery. A big bowl brimming with beans and veggies and chunks of avocado (I mean come ON) right there amid the burgers, hot dogs, and brats. I was delighted! I love a good cookout as much as the next person, but a big bowl of something fresh and healthy makes a welcome addition any time.

I asked for the recipe immediately, and she graciously agreed. I’m all for sharing my best finds with you, so here it is. There are a few extra steps in this one to grill the veggies, but they’re worth it because grilling brings out the natural sweetness in a way you won’t get if the vegetables are left raw.

If you’re storing leftovers, keep the avocado out so it doesn’t turn black,and add fresh avocado when you’re serving it again!

Spicy Summer Salad with Beans, Grilled Vegetables, Tomato & Avocado

serves 12

Ingredients

1 cup fresh tomato chunks
1 teaspoon salt, divided
3 ears corn, shucked
1 medium sweet onion, 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 jalapeño pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cooking spray
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 (15oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 diced peeled avocados

Directions

1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

2. Place the tomatoes in a large bowl, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand 10 minutes.

3. Brush the corn, onion, and jalapeño with oil. Place vegetables on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill corn for 12 minutes or until lightly charred, turning every few minutes. Grill onion slices and jalapeño 4 minutes on each side.

4. Let vegetables stand 5 minutes. Cut kernels from cobs. Coarsely chop onion. Finely chop jalapeño; discard stem.

5. Add corn, onion, and jalapeño to tomato mixture; toss well. Add remaining salt, cilantro, and next 4 ingredients (through kidney beans) to corn mixture; toss well. Top with chopped avocado before serving.

If you’re still buying salad dressing at the store, it’s time to make your move! Having a good, basic vinaigrette in the fridge that you made with your own two hands is liberating…and delicious. This one uses ingredients you probably already have on hand and a simple mason jar. Once you master the technique, you can riff off of this, using different acids (lime or lemon juice for example, or balsamic vinegar) different oils (canola oil, safflower oil, walnut oil) and different flavor boosters (garlic, shallots, thyme, parsley, cilantro, ginger, etc).

We’ll build out your collection of dressings over time, but try this one to get the ball rolling. Trust me, your salad will thank you!

PS – This will keep for a week or more in the fridge, and by then you’ll be ready to whip up a new batch anyhow!

Everyday Vinaigrette

Serves 8

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon agave nectar or honey
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a glass jar with a lid and shake till emulsified. Or, place all ingredients in a glass bowl and combine with a whisk till combined.

Sausage and Peppers is one of those quintessential summer sandwiches. The aroma is so distinctive – if you’ve ever had one, you know exactly what I mean. Nonetheless, I gave up pork sausage years ago because the fat content is so high that it’s almost impossible to justify eating it.

This makeover of the classic is a great example of how to work the nostalgic flavors into your summer plans without wavering in your commitment to a healthy lifestyle. This calls for buns and cheese, but you could omit either if you prefer.

Turkey “Sausage & Peppers” Burger

serves 4

Ingredients:

1 sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced (use red or yellow if you’d prefer but the flavor will be sweeter)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 ounces ground turkey (I like 93% lean)
2 links Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
1/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 slices provolone cheese
4 small whole-wheat hamburger buns, toasted

Directions:

1.  Place a grill basket on one side of grill.  Preheat to medium-high.

2.  Toss onion, bell pepper, oil, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp basil, and pepper in large bowl.  Transfer to the preheated grill basket and  cook until the vegetables are tender, about 12 minutes..

3.  In a separate bowl, combine ground turkey, sausage, breadcrumbs, fennel seeds, garlic powder and the remaining oregano and basil.  Shape into four “burgers”.

4. Oil the grill, place the burgers directly on the rack, and cook for 4 minutes.  Turn them once, top with the grilled vegetables and cheese; continue grilling until the burgers are cooked through and the cheese is melted, 4 to 6 minutes more.  Serve on buns.