Your ultimate weekend BBQ dinner side salad

Temperatures are finally rising and the first long weekend of summer is upon us. Whether you’re packing up the car to leave your city or town or planning early morning, beat-the-heat long runs, the summer mindset has taken over.

With the kick-off of summer this weekend, I’ve mentally committed to enjoying every last (humid) minute of the season. This means lots of grilling and evenings spent on my patio.

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Now that in-season produce is hitting the shelves and markets, I’m inspired to get cooking. For me, my summer menu revolves almost exclusively around the grill. Not only is it an almost fool-proof way to prepare simple and delicious meals, but dining al fresco does great things for the soul.

I like to keep summer meals simple. There are so many beautiful ingredients to include– many of which don’t even need to be cooked. More often than not, my favourite summer dinners consist of meat and a nice big salad. When it comes to marinating perfect meat for the grill, I follow my dad’s rule of one part acid (vinegar, lemon), one part oil and one part liquid flavour (mustard, Worcestershire), with any additional spices to taste. Take this rule and customize as you choose.

For salads, I go with a toss up of textures and flavour profiles: sweet and spicy, a mix of fruit and vegetables, nuts and seeds for crunch keeps things interesting. The following salad never fails to impress. It’s bursting with flavour and most importantly, is filling enough to sustain you for that looming early-morning long run.

Fresh Summer Quinoa Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup cooked quinoa
1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced
1 small jalapeno, diced and seeds removed
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted*
3 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
4 cups baby spinach leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine olive oil and garlic. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, pineapple, jalapeno, pecans, onions, mint and dressing. Toss to coat.
3. Refrigerate until chilled. Serve over spinach

*To toast pecans, coat 1 cup of raw pecans (whole) with 1 tbsp melted butter. Spread evenly onto a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake at 350 for 5-7 minutes, stirring partway through.