Broccoli Slaw Salad

My husband usually grills on Thursdays, because I teach until late and we don't really want to eat dinner at 8:15. Plus, I often don't feel like cooking when I get home, and that leads to fast food. Bad ending. So, during the summer months, I just plan that my husband grills, and he gets good practice. More difficult than finding something to grill is finding side dishes that hold up well for several hours, and can be made completely ahead of time. None of this 'toss with dressing just before serving', or anything like that. Completely made ahead. One recipe I came up with is this quinoa salad. Its light, refreshing, zippy, and perfect for a hot day and grilled meats.
Another dish I remembered was one I had at a friend's house quite a while ago. Raw broccoli, tossed in a cole slaw dressing, topped with crumbled bacon. I didn't have the recipe but I knew I had the components. If you have mayonnaise in your fridge you can make it up. The flavors play so well together you will find yourself staring at an empty plate and wondering how it was possible that you like broccoli that much. Confession: I was actually nibbling on the broccoli while I was making up another side dish. It might be possible that I have never composed a sentence like that. For an added flavoring, reserve the bacon grease and toss the broccoli in it after you have dressed it with the cole slaw dressing. Magical.

Broccoli Slaw

4 cups broccoli, chopped into small pieces

2 slices bacon, cooked and roughly chopped (reserve grease)

Cole Slaw dressing:
This makes a little more than you need, but everybody's tastes are different. You might like a little more than I do. 
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons vinegar (white, red wine, apple cider, but not balsamic)
1 teaspoon celery salt (if you don't have any, plain salt is fine)
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine dressing ingredients. Toss 1/3 cup of dressing with broccoli. Adjust seasoning if necessary and add more dressing if you would like. Drizzle on 1 Tablespoon of reserved bacon grease. Top with chopped bacon.

Quinoa and Cucumber Salad with Zesty Garlic Dressing

This recipe came to me after reading about tons of fresh, summery salads made from cooked grains. It was the beautiful union of several ideas, yielding a simple and fresh recipe that was suited to what I had on hand. I have been trying to get in the habit of cooking extra quinoa to store in the fridge to use later. I love re-frying it in butter and salt and pepper and serving it with scrambled eggs for breakfast. It is healthy and delicious, and I feel good about what my family is eating.
There are so many perks with this one, I don't even know where to begin. It can be made hours in advance and kept in the fridge, and it only tastes better because the veggies get to marinate in the dressing. It is perfect for a picnic, potluck, or barbeque, because there is no mayo, so no risk of that spoiling. You could change up the ingredients any way you like. As is, the recipe is vegetarian, vegan, preservative-free and loaded with whole grains and fresh veggies. And there is no compromise in flavor with this tangy lemon and garlic dressing. 

Give it a try and tell me what you think.

Quinoa and Cucumber Salad with Zesty Garlic Dressing
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 English cucumber, chopped in a thick dice
1 roma tomato, diced
1 can olives, drained

for the dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 minced cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Allow the quinoa to cool. Combine dressing ingredients in a mason jar and shake well or whisk in a bowl. Lightly dress the quinoa, then add other ingredients. Add remaining dressing and salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.