I’m on a main-dish salad kick this week since it’s so hot outside. I’m also so busy developing and testing recipes for a Christmas project for a major brand. It is so fun to think about Christmas and smell holiday dishes cooking in my kitchen in July. Testing heavier recipes for work makes me want something really light and healthy for dinner. This recipe is one of my favorites for this time of year. I love the freshness of grapefruit, oranges and basil served with the shrimp. When I make this, it’s gone within minutes. It’s very low in carbs, fat, calories and gluten-free.

People ask me all of the time for healthier versions of recipes, and this is one of my all-time favorite main-dish salads. This Healthy Taco Salad recipe has only 184 calories, 4 grams of fat and 19 carbohydrates per serving. It’s so easy starting with a homemade taco seasoning blend for the beef and homemade baked corn tortilla strips. This recipe can also be gluten-free substituting gluten-free tortillas and gluten-free salsa. Enjoy for a simple, healthy weeknight dinner.

Since summer began, things seem (and are) busier than ever. Trying to work at home with 3 kids is always a challenge. Some days, dinnertime becomes a last minute thought. This recipe for Steak Fajita Salad is one of my “in a pinch” recipes. My kids love these, and they wrap the steak and vegetables in flour tortillas. I serve mine over lettuce (trying to skip the carbs). I dollop mine with nonfat Greek yogurt for some extra protein and a great substitute for sour cream.

Note: for the Fajitas seasoning, I used McCormick.

I’m cooking ribs and coleslaw for the 4th of July at my house today since I’m heading to the lake tomorrow. I wanted to make a really easy, but delicious, light coleslaw. I had a great idea that made my life oh so simple. Recently, I bought some new spices from Penzeys, (when I went to get a present for someone else-you know how that goes). I tried the “Country French Vinaigrette” dry spice mix which works great in this 15 Minute Summer Coleslaw. This recipe was a huge hit with everyone, including the kids.

Note: In Birmingham, Alabama, the Penzeys is located in Homewood.

My kids love pasta salad, and always request it. This week my daughter, Leigh, and I threw this together. It was so delicious, fresh, healthy and gone in about 10 minutes. The photo got rave reviews on twitter and facebook when I posted it. Everyone was begging for the recipe. Here it is just in time for summer. It’s a cool and light idea when it’s so warm outside. Feel free to add cooked or grilled chicken if you like.

For the Sun-Dried tomatoes, I love “California Sun Dry Tomatoes” that come already julienne- cut.

Edamame have become increasingly popular, and my kids honestly love them. Edamame is an excellent source of low-calorie protein, fiber and even iron. This recipe for Edamame-Corn Salad is so light and wonderful using fresh ingredients such as corn, tomatoes, fresh basil and chives. It’s so easy to prepare, but you might want to double it. It goes really fast!

By the way, the incredible pottery in this photo is my absolute favorite from Earthborn Pottery. If you live in Alabama, it can be purchased at The Cook Store in Mountain Brook.

It means so much to me when people tell me how much they love my site (so to those of you who tell me that, thank you!) I ran into my friend, Adelaide, at my daughter’s recital a week or so ago, and she told me how she told her entire tennis team about me, and how they are all now subscribing and cooking from my blog. She even gave me an idea for a recipe that she and her good friend, Sissy Bice, had made. She showed me a photo on her phone that Sissy took of the finished dish. It seems I’m not only giving recipes and ideas, but I’m inspiring friends to be creative. I couldn’t wait to make this Tortellini, Chicken and Feta Salad for my family because these are all ingredients that they love. This recipe is so easy. Feel free to steam or blanch the asparagus and use feta or goat cheese. I love using rotisserie chicken as it makes dinner a snap. Thanks again to Adelaide and Sissy. Hope more of you will share ideas soon, Alison

We have tuna salad just about every weekend at my house. I’m fortunate because my kids love it. I’m always trying to come up with new ways to give it a twist. I had some leftover fresh basil and red bell peppers and didn’t want to use any mayonnaise. I threw these ingredients together, and it came out great. You may want double the recipe because it goes fast.

I love Curry Chicken Salad, and this is one of my favorites. It’s really quick and easy because I like to use rotisserie chicken to simplify things. The combination of chutney, white wine, curry, cranberries and nuts flavor it to perfection. This recipe will be featured on Tuesday on NBC 13 “Daytime Alabama” at 11:30 a.m central time along with a few other wonderful spring salads. Take a look or check the website for the video.

In honor of Earth Day, I thought I would offer a simple salad recipe that can also be a sandwich. This Spinach Salad Wrap is a breeze, fresh and flavorful.

For Earth day:

1. Shop Local, Buy Local

2. Clean green

3. Eat vegetables and fruits in season

4. Eat more organics

5. Save water