I'm VERY into sports if being 'into sports' can mean being very into making the food that comes with watching sports or tailgating. Getting the food right for a sporting event can be a sport unto itself, and one I take as seriously as everyone seems to be taking the game.

As much as I love a many-layered dip and wings, I also always like to have a light, bright option to offset some of the heavier food people might expect. But you want something hearty enough that it won't wilt during a long afternoon - and it's especially great if it's quick to make. And it's an extra bonus if vegetarians feel like they have a main course option that doesn't alienate meat eaters who are just looking for flavor.

Sometimes a lot of ingredients are right in front of our eyes, and that's what I love about this pickled beet and lentil salad with tahini lemon dressing. You can easily buy the sesame goodness of tahini at any grocery store; find canned lentils to save yourself a cooking step; and I use Aunt Nellies pickled beets to add acidity and depth without the long process of roasting and pickling the beets yourself. So what you end up with is a surprising and filling vegetable dish that requires no cooking. The sesame and lemon of the dressing match perfectly with the earthy beets and you have a dish that will make you the tailgate hero with little to no work. Find a sport that can give you that kind of outcome!

Ali's Recipes, Blog, Cooking, Food, RecipeAli RosenOctober 21, 2019beets, Salad Hero, salad, lemon, sports, 30 Minutes or Less, Served Cold, make aheadComment

A Sweet Twist on a Corn and Black Bean Salad

I'm such a sucker for this time of year. I was walking around the farmers market on Saturday as though it was the perfect day. Local strawberries are finally out, the weather is beautiful, and my son didn't knock anything over.

So I think one of the best kinds of items is highlighting that freshness without overdoing it. This salad just tastes like the sweet early start of summer. I love a corn and black bean salad but I feel like it's one of those items stuck in a rut - why do they always have to have cilantro and red pepper? I wanted something to change it up.

I like using rice vinegar because it adds a bit of sweetness that marries well with the corn. The rest of it is like a deconstructed pesto - you have the basil and the pine nuts but all the textures are coming through. And it uses one of my favorite strategies for corn, which is grilling it on the stove. Nothing makes summer feel more present than a little bit of char on a piece of corn.

It is simple but still special. It's hearty enough to eat as a meal and will hold up as a side if needed. Get ready for a whole lot of summer content coming your way.

Tomato and Roasted Zucchini Salad

It's hard to draw the line between a salad and a vegetable side dish sometimes, but I think that middle ground is actually a pretty great spot. There's no reason why raw vegetables can't marry with cooked. And this time of year I am partial to also combining the best of summer: raw tomatoes with anything charred from a grill or broiler. So this 'salad' accomplishes it all.

Fried Blueberry Salad

This recipe is one of those easy-to-throw-together Salad Heroes that has one special ingredient that ties everything together. A quick fry of the blueberry changes the game. It adds a new flavor and texture to an otherwise simple salad. And when combined with the rosemary you'll have a delectable summery treat.

Blog, Recipe, Ali's RecipesAli RosenJuly 3, 2017Salad Hero, salad, blueberry, pepita, lemon, rosemaryComment

A Doubly Fennel Salad Recipe

So I'm starting with the first Salad Hero by using an ingredient a lot of people scoff at: a fennel and its fronds. Yes there's more to a fennel than just its bulb. Instead of throwing half of it away we are using the fronds (that Oprah recently thought was dill. Oops.) to take it that extra mile. It's a win-win, that isn't too overpowering but gives the salad a bit of an extra something. Some might even call it a salad hero.

Blog, Recipe, Ali's RecipesAli RosenJune 2, 2017salad, Salad Hero, fennel, food waste, orange, spinach, appetizer, side dish, make ahead, Bring It

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