If a crusty loaf of bread or basket of rolls, a pot of butter and a bowlful of whole-meal salad sounds like a plan (and how can it not, on blistering, too-hot-to-cook nights?), you've come to the right place.
Chicken or chickpeas, take your pick, thanks to the following specifics from FitnessMagazine.com.
Although the chicken version is called warm, and you'll see why, I see no reason the chicken and tomatoes couldn't be prepared in the cool of early morning, then refrigerated until time for assembly.
The chickpea option calls for no cooking whatsoever and does a four-hour stint in the refrigerator, too, letting you either get on with other things or take a breather, whichever's the priority of the moment, and needs only a quick add-stir-sprinkle finish.
Can't beat that, so here's the how-to for:
Warm chicken salad with Dijon dressing
2 cups ripe cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 clove garlic, crushed
Salt
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon cider or sherry vinegar
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cooked
Favorite salad greens
15 large green or black olives, pitted and halved
2 red onions, halved, then cut lengthwise into thin wedges
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Toss tomatoes with the teaspoon olive oil, crushed garlic and salt; put on a baking sheet and roast until slightly charred and starting to collapse. Cool at room temperature.
In a salad bowl, beat the extra-virgin olive oil, mustard and vinegar together with a fork. Pull the chicken into long chunks; add to bowl. Add salad greens, olives and onions; toss to coat. Put on plates, add the tomatoes and serve.
Makes 4 servings.
Quick chickpea salad
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
4 artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
4 large sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
8 ounces very ripe cherry tomatoes, halved
8 scallions, sliced diagonally
Handful fresh basil, torn
1 small bunch chives, snipped
Leaves from 4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, chopped
2 ounces Parmesan cheese, shaved
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
For the dressing, put the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, crushed garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl and beat with a fork. Add the chickpeas, artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes; mix well. Chill, covered, for up to 4 hours.
When ready to serve, add the cherry tomatoes, scallions, basil, chives and parsley. Stir, sprinkle with Parmesan and pepper and serve.
