For years, I thought I hated Waldorf salad. It wasn’t the fruit or nuts, it was the thick, gloppy mayo most recipes call for! (I don’t hate a little mayo, just an excess.) A better alternative is this Waldorf-Inspired salad, courtesy of Hannaford. (While they’re not my favorite supermarket chain, I do like the food magazine.) It’s heavy on fruit and veggies, light on mayo, and bursting with fresh taste. 

To make Waldorf-Inspired Salad, you will need:

• 2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
• 10 cups chopped romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 2 Gala apples, chopped
• 1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt/pepper to taste

Combine the first 7 ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients to make the dressing. Mix both together until evenly coated.

This is best served ice-cold and leftovers won’t keep (too soggy), so I like to serve this as a dinner salad. It worked wonderfully last night during 96-degree heat! For those who need extra protein, try adding a can or two of tuna.

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During the summer, I’m always on the lookout for fresh produce bargains. My latest find was 4 giant bunches of basil. Basil is an extremely delicious herb, but it sure can be expensive (I’ve seen it priced at $4.99 for a teeny handful during the off season!). The bunches I bought were discounted to only $0.99 each. Using it all up before it went bad was my goal. I started by making a tomato, basil, & mozzarella salad. Then, I pulled out the blender and got busy making batches of pesto. 2 of them I’ll freeze and the rest I’m incorporating into other dishes.

Here are 20 easy ways to use an abundance of pesto:

1. Pasta (The most obvious choice & also the most yummy.)
2. Meatballs (Works better with chicken/turkey over beef.)
3. Burgers (Same as meatballs, I like it much more with poultry.)
4. Pizza (Use it instead of tomato sauce or drizzle on top of a traditional pie.)
5. Sandwich spread (A nice change from mustard or mayo.)
6. Flavored butter (Mix 1/2 cup of pesto with 3 TBS of soft butter.)
7. Potatoes (Drizzle over roasted potatoes or into potato salad.)
8. Fish sauce (So good on tuna steaks or salmon)
9. Green veggies (Try it with peas, asparagus or string beans.)
10. Cucumber salad (Combine chopped cukes, red onion slices & pesto.)
11. Chickpeas (Mix with hummus or make a salad of whole chickpeas.)
12. Chicken salad (Add some pesto into the mayo for a neat twist.)
13. Eggs (Try it with Deviled or scrambled.)
14. Stuffed mushrooms (Moisten breadcrumbs with pesto.)
15. Minestrone (Drizzle on top of a bowl of soup.)
16. Meat marinade (Mix pesto & vinegar. Marinate overnight.)
17. Wing sauce (Try making wings with pesto instead of Buffalo sauce.)
18. Croquettes (Salmon + pesto = delish.)
19. Black beans (Use pesto instead of cilantro.)
20. Cream sauce (Mix pesto with heavy cream for a dairy delight.)

And, for my readers that hate cooking, if you happen to have extra leaves, they can always be used as a pretty garnish.

When it’s 92 degrees outside, the last thing I want to do is turn the oven on and make a hot house even worse! Here are 3 strategies I use to beat the heat:

1. Serve cold food

Quick to prepare, easy to serve, refreshing to eat. I love a cold dinner in the summer! All of these go over well at my house. Combine 2 or 3 for a complete meal:

• Salad  (Green, potato, macaroni, coleslaw—we love it all!)
• Sandwiches
• Cheese and crackers
• Veggie tray
• Bagel with cream cheese
• Fruit slices
• Deviled eggs
• Chips and salsa
• Yogurt parfait

2. Use a slow cooker

My family will gladly eat cold food. If yours insists on a hot meal, this is the easiest option. These machines are fabulous for containing heat even though the cooking period is long. Even better if you can place it in the garage or on a patio/deck (preferably in the shade). Items I love to make in a slow cooker include:

• Whole chicken
• Beef brisket
• Stew
• Soup
• Cake

3. Prepared foods

There’s no shame in picking up a rotisserie chicken or a carton of grilled chicken pieces from the grocery store. The cost is affordable (usually $5.00 on sale) and the aggravation savings is priceless! Normally, I just buy cooked meat because the mark-up on side dishes is so high, but do whatever works best for your situation.

Do you have a favorite “oven-free” recipe?

Of all the wonderful veggies in this world, I think string beans might be my favorite. They are so good prepared simply with a little butter and a squeeze of lemon (how I cook them most often), but to take string beans to the next level, try making them Asian-style with sesame.

These are called Triple Sesame String Beans because sesame oil and two kinds of seeds are used. The look of white and black seeds combined is gorgeous. If you have trouble finding both, a single color can be used, but it won’t be as pretty.

To make Triple Sesame String Beans, you will need:

• 4-5 cups of fresh string beans, washed and tipped
• 1 TBS sesame oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 TBS soy sauce
• 1 TBS white sesame seeds
• 1 TBS black sesame seeds

Heat oil, soy sauce, and garlic in a large pan. Cook for 1 minute, then add string beans. Stir fry for approximately 6 minutes. (Cooking time depends on desired level of softness. I like mine cooked through but not mushy.) Add sesame seeds, stir to combine and plate.

In less than 10 minutes, you can make a lovely side that both looks and tastes amazing. This pairs well with salmon or chicken, plus rice or potatoes for a complete meal.