Salad recipes

Individual crustless spinach and feta pies baked in ramekins with mint, nutmeg, and a bright Greek tomato salad on the side. A Mediterranean appetizer or light main.

Mediterranean lamb burgers: grilled rosemary-garlic lamb patties stuffed into pita with goat cheese, olive-tomato salad, and minted yogurt sauce. A greek-style upgrade on burger night.

Pan-fried SPAM slices on toasted buns with mayo, crisp lettuce, ripe tomato, and melty cheese. These 20-minute SPAM burgers are the easiest weeknight dinner you'll ever throw together.

Hot artichoke dip baked with mayonnaise, Parmesan, garlic, and green chiles until golden and bubbly. Five ingredients, 30 minutes, and always the first thing gone at a party.

Crab and portabella melt: grilled mushroom caps topped with tomato, Old Bay crab salad, and melted cheddar. A bread-free open-face that eats like a proper sandwich.

Serve with lightly dressed salad greens, tossed with tomatoes, then finish with pineapple chunks spooned over yogurt.

This light dinner is full of vegetables and pairs well with a simple salad in summer or a warm bowl of soup in winter. Can be made gluten-free!

Mexican-style bow ties: hearty pasta salad with seasoned ground beef, kidney beans, corn, tomatoes, cheddar, and a zippy yogurt-salsa dressing, topped with crushed tortilla chips. Warm or cold crowd-pleaser.

Loaded tuna salad with crunchy walnuts, sweet pickles, and hard-boiled egg piled on toasted bagels with tomato and melted cheddar. Foil-wrapped and baked until bubbly, this hot tuna melt takes the classic sandwich to the next level.

Savor the fresh, vibrant flavors of Italy with these Caprese Melts. Toasted bread is layered with juicy tomato slices, creamy mozzarella, and fragrant basil, then broiled to golden perfection. This quick and easy recipe is perfect for a light lunch or appetizer, delivering classic Caprese salad flavors in a warm, melty sandwich.

Here is a kind of throw together recipe I came up with: If you are entertaining you can garnish with fresh parsley and serve with a caesar salad, garlic bread and a nice chablis. The vegetables can vary. I've used mushrooms, spinach, cauliflower etc. Grouper works well with this because it has a lot of flavor. I've used fresh tuna and halibut but prefer grouper.

Stovetop chicken lasagna layered with ground chicken, cottage cheese, egg noodles, and crushed tomatoes in one skillet. All the lasagna flavor without the oven or the wait.