Next Day Salad

When I am entertaining I have a tendency to cook too much food.  It is a running joke with family members. "Do you think we'll have enough?" they ask sarcastically.  Maybe it is from my many years of catering, where my worst fear was running out of food.  I know how to do the math and estimate servings, but I still always have plenty left over.  Now I just plan to make a salad the next day with the extra food.  You can make one with anything, steak, chicken, fish, grilled vegetables, whole grains etc. and just throw in whatever else you have on hand.  This past week-end my sisters and their families came up to our cabin for the week-end.  I served grilled salmon with cous cous for dinner one evening and had enough left over to make a salad for lunch on Sunday.  I love a good salad and have a few personal rules I follow when making one.  First of all, everything must be chopped.  I like to get a little taste of everything in each bite.   Second, it should have something sweet like fresh or dried fruit.  Third, it should have something crunchy like nuts, seeds or croutons of some sort.  Fourth, it should have something with fat for good mouthfeel like avocados or cheese.  Finally, it should be tossed with a light dressing that doesn't take away from the natural flavor of the ingredients in the salad.  Here is the next day salad I made for  my family this week-end.  It ended up being a big hit.  I didn't measure anything, so all measurements are rough estimates.  Hopefully it will inspire you to make one with your left overs!

Fresh chopped spinach, about 5 cups

Whole wheat cous cous, about 1 1/2 cups

Flaked grilled salmon, about 12 oz.

Toasted pine nuts,  about 1/2 cup

Fresh blueberries, about 1 1/2 cups

Extra virgin olive oil, about 1/3 cup

Juice of 1 or 2 lemons, salt and pepper

1 avocado chopped

Toss and serve.  Enjoy!