Directions: Whisk together olive oil, vinaigrette, lemon juice, and mustard. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place salmon in a small roasting pan. Cook for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish (plan on 10 minutes per inch), or until an instant-read thermometer registers 140°F. Remove salmon from oven and set aside. Once it's cool, flake into bite-size pieces with a fork.

Meanwhile, bring a 2-quart saucepan filled with water to a boil. Add broccoli and boil for 1 minute or until florets turn bright green. Drain and rinse under cold water. Shake to remove as much water as possible and place in a large bowl. Toss broccoli with dressing; set aside.

In another bowl, combine salmon, black beans, and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Divide salad greens and basil among 4 plates. Top with broccoli and salmon mixture and garnish with shaved carrots.

Directions: Cut sweet potatoes into bite-size chunks. Place in a steamer and steam (over boiling water) for 10 minutes or until tender when pierced with a sharp knife. Let cool, then transfer to a large bowl. Add scallions, celery, and parsley.

 

Whisk together mayonnaise, buttermilk, lemon juice, and mustard until creamy. Pour over potato mixture and gently toss to mix. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

To jazz up flavor, add a tablespoon of sweet pickle relish and several halved cherry tomatoes or both.

Directions: For dressing
Mix first 7 ingredients in a blender until smooth. Salt to taste. Makes about 1 cup. (Can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover; refrigerate. Stir before using.)

For salad
Toss first 7 ingredients together in a large bowl to combine. Mound the salad onto plates. Top with tortilla strips and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve the dressing on the side or, if desired, toss the salad with enough dressing to coat.

For crispy tortillas
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut 4 5-inch corn tortillas in half; then cut into thin strips (approximately 2 1/2-by-1/4 inch). Drizzle 2 teaspoons of canola oil into a medium bowl. Add tortilla strips and toss, then sprinkle with salt. Arrange strips evenly on a heavy baking sheet and bake until crisp, stirring occasionally to ensure even browning, about 15 minutes. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate. Cool completely. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. (Can be made up to 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Directions: 1. Combine quinoa and 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Set pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook 10 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and quinoa is translucent.

2. Remove from heat and stir in next 6 ingredients. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve warm or chilled.

Directions: To make dressing, combine tangerine concentrate, vegetable oil, lime juice, water, oregano, cumin, salt, and red pepper in a jar. Cover tightly and shake to blend. Set aside.

Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact. Toss with 1 tablespoon of dressing in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Snap off woody ends of asparagus. Trim ends of squash and cut in half lengthwise. Place asparagus and squash on a plate and brush with 1 tablespoon of dressing.

Thread shrimp on skewers, leaving a 1/2-inch space between shrimp. Coat a grill rack with cooking spray and place it over medium-hot coals.

Put shrimp skewers on rack. Grill 11/2 to 21/2 minutes on each side or until browned and firm. Transfer to a shallow dish and remove shrimp from skewers. Toss with 1 tablespoon of salad dressing. Set aside.

Grill asparagus, yellow squash, and tomato halves for 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly browned, turning once. Toss spinach with 3 tablespoons of dressing. Arrange spinach on a serving platter and top with shrimp and vegetables. Drizzle with remaining dressing and serve.

Directions for the big fat Greek salad recipe

In a large bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, oregano, and pepper. Next, add lettuce, carrots, cucumber, tomato, beans, and feta cheese. Once all of the ingredients have been added to the bowl, toss to combine into a healthy salad. To serve the salad, transfer the mixture to either 4 plates or 4 shallow bowls. Finally top each serving with 5 olives and ¼ cup croutons.

Nutrition facts: To boost this salad's protein and healthy fat count, you can add delicious tuna. Just toss in two 6-ounce pouches of chunk light tuna and you'll have a nutritious and savory meal for your balanced healthy diet.

Directions: Cut each orange half into thin slices and place them in a bowl, along with the cucumbers. Drizzle with oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Gently toss to mix. Transfer to a decorative serving platter. Scatter onion, mint leaves and olives over top. Flavors will meld best if salad is allowed to sit a few minutes before serving.

Directions: In a large salad bowl, whisk together lemon juice, salt, cumin, and oil. Add scallions, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, parsley, and mint. Toss to combine. Add spinach and pita chips. Toss again. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

Boost Nutrition: Top salad with 1/3 cup of crumbled feta cheese to add 38 calories, 3 g fat, 2 g protein, and 69 mg calcium. Serve with 4 teaspoons of prepared hummus to add 41 calories, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein, and 20 mg calcium.

Directions: For dressing
Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. (Can be made up to 3 days ahead. Cover; refrigerate. Stir before using.)

For salad
Cut carrot crosswise into 3 equal-length pieces. Slice the 2 larger carrot pieces into thin strands using a spiral slicer or into julienne strips. (Remaining piece is not needed.) Toss carrot, watercress, cabbage and 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds in a large bowl with enough dressing to coat.

Mound salad in center of plates. Arrange edamame and radish sprouts around salad. Sprinkle with remaining toasted sesame seeds.

For toasted seeds
Many different nuts and seeds add delicious crunch when toasted and tossed into salads. Toasting times vary, but the following guidelines should work nicely for pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts, cashews and other nuts.

- To toast seeds or nuts on the stove, heat a small, heavy skillet over medium-low heat. Add the seeds or nuts to the dry, hot skillet; stir until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Cool completely.

- To toast seeds or nuts in the oven, preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Arrange seeds or nuts on a heavy baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, stirring once to ensure even browning, 5-8 minutes. Be sure to set a timer, as nuts and seeds toast very fast. Cool completely.

Directions:

Cook the noodles in a large pot of rapidly boiling water for 8 minutes, until just tender. Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and ginger. Sauté for 1 minute. Add sugar snap mix and sauté for 2 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender. Add vegetable mixture to noodles, add tamari sauce, and toss to combine. Transfer mixture to four plates and top with soy nuts.