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"  Just as I predicted, the weather here in New York City is heating up. With temperatures reaching the 90&amp;#039;s, all I want to eat are cool, refreshing salads, but sometimes plain mixed greens just won&amp;#039;t cut it. My go-to summer salad is the Thai kind called, yum. The name says it all. When I was growing up, my mom often made Thai salads when the weather was hot or if she had some vegetables and leftover cooked proteins she wanted to use up. The beauty of a Thai salad is that, with a few pantry staples, you can transform pretty much anything into a light, but satisfying yum. For the Dressing, You&amp;#039;ll Need: Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce, lime juice, palm sugar/light brown sugar, heat (example: Asian chili garlic sauce, Sriracha sauce, minced Thai chili peppers/Serrano peppers, or crushed red pepper flakes), fresh cilantro, and garlic Most of these items are shelf-stable or last a long time in your refrigerator, so I always have them on hand to whip up a quick Thai dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together 3 Tbsp. fish sauce, 3 Tbsp. lime juice, 2 tsp. sugar, however much of your heat source you think you can handle, about a handful of cilantro leaves, chopped, and a clove of garlic, smashed into a paste or crushed with a press. Depending on how big a salad you&amp;#039;re making, you might want to double this recipe, while sticking to these basic proportions. If you&amp;#039;re sensitive to garlic, you can also just lightly smash and peel it, put it in the dressing, and then fish it out right before serving the salad; that way you get just a hint of garlic. At this point, taste the dressing. The sweet, salty, tart, and spicy flavors characteristic of Thai food should all be in balance, but also be according to your tastes. I personally like it very tangy and spicy, while others may like it on the sweeter side. Adjust according to your preference.  For the salad itself, you can add pretty much anything and it&amp;#039;ll be tasty (and healthy!). Go wild mixing and matching these ingredients with the dressing: Proteins: Grilled shrimp, steak, pork chop, pork tenderloin, squid, sauteed ground chicken/pork/beef Starches: Glass/cellophane noodles, rice noodles, short grain brown rice, barley, Israeli couscous Flavor Add-Ins: Chopped mint/basil, very thinly sliced green onions/shallots/red onions, chopped peanuts/cashews, finely minced ginger, miso paste, sesame oil, soy sauce Vegetables: Thinly sliced raw cabbage, cucumbers, radishes (red or daikon), shredded carrots, julienned green papaya, halved grape tomatoes, cooked green beans, julienned green apple, mixed mesclun greens, chopped romaine Not quite ready to go it alone? Here are some classic (and not-so-classic, but still delicious) recipes and ideas: Chopped Chicken Salad with Peanuts Steak and Tomato Lettuce Wraps Squid, radishes, basil, mixed mesclun greens, cucumbers, and grape tomatoes Cooked ground pork, cellophane noodles, cashews, and basil Steak, cucumber, barley, red onion, and mint Pork chops/pork tenderloin, mint, green apple, and cabbage Chicken thighs, rice noodles, shredded carrots, mint, basil, and cashew Shrimp, green papaya, grape tomatoes, and green beans If I&amp;#039;m using a starch like noodles, I like to toss it with the dressing first, followed by the protein and vegetables. I then pour that entire mixture over a big bed of greens and garnish with nuts, if I&amp;#039;m using any, and additional herbs (whatever&amp;#039;s in the salad). If you&amp;#039;re short on time or patience, you can simply throw all the ingredients into the bowl with the dressing and toss. To hear more about what we like to cook in our down time and how we test recipes, sign up for a free tour of the Good Housekeeping Research Institute. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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