Summer Salads Series ~ 4

This fourth entry in the summer salad series comes with a couple of twists: a seafood twist, and a smoked turkey twist, turning an everyday salad into an everyday meal.

Seafood Salad

This salad is so easy to make, it is almost not worth filing it in the "cooking" category. You really only need 10 minutes on your hands to make the dressing, boil the seafood, and toss them all together. This salad is a family hit; even JR loves to eat it. The sercret is all in the dressing!

• 1 pound frozen mixed seafood, I love the one Trader Joe's carries
• 8 ounce bag spring mix salad
• handful of cherry tomatoes
• 5 garlic cloves, crushed
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard

To make the dressing: heat olive oil in a sauce pan. Add garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant. Turn heat off. Add mustard and lemon juice. Whisk until well blended. Add salt if needed.

Once the seafood is cooked. Toss everything in the still warm dressing. Enjoy immediately with sliced baguette on the side.

Smoked Turkey Potato Salad

We all have favorites that just become "old" and "boring." This classic potato salad turns into a new favorite with the addition of just one ingredient; smoked turkey. I hope you like it as much as I do.

• 2 pounds boiling potatoes, unpeeled
• smoked turkey wings
• 1 small sweet onion, diced
• sour cream, 1 tablespoon
• mayonaisse, 1 tablespoon
• juice of one small lemon
• yellow mustard, 1 tablespoon
• olive oil, 1 tablespoon

Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender, but not too soft. Cut into quarters. Bone the turkey wings (save the bones and any extra meat for later). Chop meat into bite size. Make the dressing by mixing all the condiments together. While the potatoes are still warm, add the meat and onions and stir in the dressing. Serve at room temperature.