Salads and Summertime

It seems that summer weather has finally arrived.  It's the first week of June and we are finally seeing the sun and getting a break from the rain and cold.  Such strange spring weather for us this year.  The entire month of May consisted of snow, cold, rain, wind, and more rain.

On the bright side, with all that rain we have beautiful flowers, lovely green pastures, and beautiful trees.

The horses love the green pastures.

So do the deer..... they are regulars in the pastures and seem to have made friends with the horses.

With the warm weather I find myself turning to lighter meals, meals that are quick and easy and don't require any heat to prepare.  I've found a salad that all the family seems to enjoy and is a perfect combination for a light dinner.

Santa Fe Salad with Chili-Lime Dressing 

	6 Tbsp reduced-calorie mayonnaise
	3 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, finely chopped
	3 Tbsp water
	1 medium scallion(s), minced
	1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
	2 tsp sugar
	1/2 tsp chili powder
	15 oz canned black beans, rinsed and drained
	1 1/2 cup(s) cooked corn kernels, fresh or frozen
	2 cup(s) grape tomatoes
	1 medium sweet red pepper(s), cut into thin strips (about 1 1/2 cups)
	8 cup(s) romaine lettuce, cut into thick shreds (about 2 hearts)

Instructions

• To make dressing, in a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, cilantro, water, scallion, lime juice, sugar and chili powder until smooth. Transfer to a jar or a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate until ready to use.
• In a large bowl or food storage container, layer remaining ingredients in order listed; cover and refrigerate.
• To serve, spoon salad ingredients into a bowl. Shake dressing and then drizzle dressing over salad; toss well to coat. Yields about 2 cups of salad and 1 1/2 tablespoons of dressing per serving.

Notes
Storing this salad in layers (instead of tossing it immediately) and keeping the dressing separate, helps to keep the salad fresh. It can be stored up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!!