Black Bean and Rice Salad, a simple salad to prepare, is a perfect choice for a light lunch menu.

Black Bean and Rice Salad, a simple salad to prepare, is a perfect choice for a light lunch menu.

R ecently, a friend of mine prepared some delicious salads and brought them to work for us to enjoy during our lunch break. 

I don’t know what was in the chicken salad she made; she hinted at sour cream and onion flakes, but I never got the full recipe. 

The grape salad was the perfect ratio of juicy grapes to creamy brown sugar and pecan topping. 

Sweet and savory salads are great lunch options for the warm weather season. 

Just add some crackers, a wedge of cheese, a few carrot sticks, or a fluffy muffin on the side, and you have the ultimate lunch plate. 

One day soon I hope to get that chicken salad recipe so that I can make a bowl to enjoy on an easy, breezy summer’s day.

Black bean and brown rice salad

2 cups black beans, rinsed and drained well

In a large bowl, stir together the black beans, brown rice, corn, feta cheese, and cilantro. 

In small bowl, whisk together the lime juice and olive oil. Pour over the salad and toss to coat. 

Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours before serving. 

Optional: You can stir in ½ cup cherry tomatoes, halved.

Sesame and ramen chicken salad

1 package ramen noodles, seasoning packet discarded

1 cup shredded or julienned carrots

3 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped

Break up the ramen noodles and place on a lined baking sheet; stir in the almonds. 

Bake in a preheated 400-degree oven for 5-7 minutes, stirring halfway, until the noodles and almonds are golden brown. 

  In a bowl, whisk together the vegetable oil, honey, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. In a large bowl, stir together the onions, carrots, dried cranberries, chopped chicken, sesame seeds, and toasted ramen noodles and almonds. 

Pour the dressing over the top and toss to combine. 

2 (15 ounces) cans whole kernel corn, drained

1 cup chopped green bell pepper (can use red bell pepper)

1 (10 ounces) bag chili cheese corn chips, crushed

Combine the corn, cheddar cheese, mayonnaise, chopped green peppers, and chopped red onion. 

Stir in the crushed chili cheese corn chips immediately before serving, or the chips will get too soggy. 

Note: If you want to serve as individual servings, reserve the crushed corn chips and store in a zippered storage bag, then add ¼ cup or so to each individual bowl or container before serving.

3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. 

Stir in the mayonnaise, onion, celery, sugar, lemon juice, salt and pepper until well blended. 

Add the chopped eggs and mix well.

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