Summer time, and the dinners are easy

As summer wears on, salads are a good option for dinner. I had a nice salmon salad at The Nook on the C'ville downtown mall last Sunday night, with a deck-of-cards-size piece of fish, nice fresh lettuce (tossed with just a bit too much dressing) and shredded parmesan cheese. It seemed more appropriate for the weather than the meatloaf, but let me tell you, if you're hungry, that meatloaf plate at The Nook can fill you up in no time.

But foodies can't live by salads alone. That's why grills were invented. You just need to make sure it's not something that takes a lot of time or attention (have mercy on the griller in the heat). If you're doing chicken, make it boneless breasts or thighs, flattened. Oil that portobello mushroom cap good to keep it from drying out, and season it on the gill side, with a mist of oil to keep it from sticking right before you flip it (otherwise, that's the side that can really soak up the oil and add a meatlike proportion of calories to your meal). Or go for sausage; I like to boil ones that have fresh pork or chicken in them first, just a little, to make sure that the center cooks through. It also serves to firm them up if you want to split them for extra grilling taste.

And split zucchinis were made for the grill. Season the cut side with pepper and garlic salt, spray with oil and grill face down first. Flip over after 5-6 minutes and cook until they are the doneness that you like as you finish up the rest of the dinner.