Rabbit Food me!

The song Constant Craving comes to mind when I think of a good, cool, crisp summer salad. This summer, I have indulged my rabbit food addiction with the perfect concoctions! I want to share some of the recipes I found this year. I hope you give these a try, and tell me what you think!

As with all good recipe searches, I have found Pinterest to be my absolute favorite.
Here are my Top 3 Choices for the best summer salads you can try!

Mediterranean Tortellini Salad with Red Wine Vinaigrette

This salad has to be one of the most perfect pasta/vinegary salads you can try! The recipe came from a site called Eat Well With Others. Here is the basic recipe:
Ingredients
For the pasta:

1 lb tortellini
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, seeded and diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

For the dressing:
⅓ cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the tortellini according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, place the onions in a bowl of cold water to get rid of some of the bite. Drain after 5 minutes.
When the tortellini is done cooking, toss together the onion slices, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, feta cheese, and tortellini.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Slowly pour in the olive oil and whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the tortellini salad and toss to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This yum-yum fantastic quenches two of my major cravings: Balsamic Vinegar and Watermelon! TRUST me on this flavor combo, it will surprise you! This recipe came from a site called Damned Delicious 

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
6 cups diced seedless watermelon
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
1/4 cup mint leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil

INSTRUCTIONS

To make the balsamic reduction, add balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil until thick and reduced, about 4-5 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine watermelon, goat cheese, mint leaves and olive oil.
Serve immediately, drizzled with balsamic reduction.

Mexican Chopped Salad

THIS is divine, and chock full of good stuff!
I found this recipe on The Cafe Sucre Farine.

Ingredients for the dressing:
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon cumin
1 clove garlic
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper
taste and add salt if needed

Ingredients for the tortilla strips:
6 6-inch corn tortillas
1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
½ teaspoon sea salt

Ingredients for the salad:
1 medium head romaine lettuce , chopped in approximately ½ inch pieces
1 medium bell pepper, diced in ¼-inch pieces**, I used small orange-hued peppers (the mini ones). Feel free to use whichever color you want.
½ medium red onion, diced in ¼-inch pieces**
½ medium jicama, peeled and diced in ¼-inch pieces**
1 medium zucchini, diced in ¼-inch dice**
4 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced into ¼-inch dice**
4 ears corn (if fresh corn is not in season, substitute 1½ cups of sweet, tiny frozen corn)
1½ cups canned black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup finely chopped cilantro, plus whole cilantro leaves for garnish, if desired

INSTRUCTIONS
For the dressing, combine lime juice, honey, cumin garlic and salt. Stir to combine. In a slow, steady stream, add the oils, stirring continuously with a fork or small whisk. Taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed. Set aside.
For the corn tortilla strips, preheat oven to 400˚F. Stack corn tortillas on a cutting board. Cut in half. Cut each stack of halves into thin strips, crosswise, about ¼ inch thick.
Transfer tortilla strips to a sheet pan. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and toss to coat.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, or until light golden brown and crisp. Set aside to cool.
For the salad, place corn, two ears at a time, in the microwave and cook for 3½ minutes. Remove from microwave with a hot pad and allow to cool for 5 minutes. After cooling, cut bottom end of corn off, about 1½ inches from end. Pull back husk and silks (almost all of the silk should easily pull away). Cut kernels from husks and set aside.
Combine corn and other salad ingredients in a large bowl. Stir to combine. Add dressing and stir to coat all ingredients. Garnish with cilantro leaves, if desired.
Serve with tortilla strips on top or place a bowl on the side and let guests help themselves!