Taste the rainbow

Whatever You have in your pantry and refrigerator can be arranged in a container so you have a ready-to-eat salad at work or at home. There are only a few rules to follow. Add the dressing first so it is at the bottom and doesn’t make the salad wilted before its time. Layer the hardest ingredients first, like beans or onions, so that they start marinating in the dressing. Use ingredients of many colors so the salad is attractive, like a rainbow. Lastly, separate like colors. For example, do not put red bell peppers and tomatoes next to each other. Create this kind of salad with your favorite veggies. Before eating, shake to spread the dressing and eat from the container, or transfer to a large bowl and toss before eating. The container makes it easy to transport.

Rainbow Container Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons salad dressing of your choice

• 1/4 cup chopped carrots

• 1/2 cup sliced red cabbage

• 1/2 cup canned garbanzo beans, drained, substitute any bean

• 1/4 cup chopped tomatoes

• 1/4 cup chopped cucumber

• 1/4 cup chopped colored bell peppers

• 1/2 cup fresh or canned corn kernels

• 2 cups lettuce, in bite-sized pieces

Directions:

Use about 4 1/2 cups vegetables of many colors. Fill container with salad dressing ~ rst, then layer hardest vegetables ~ rst and arrange layers by color. Toss in container or transfer to a bowl. Serve one large salad or two smaller ones. Other ingredients could include: peas, celery, cheese, boiled eggs, hearts of palm, onions, green onions, cilantro, daikon, green cabbage, kale, apples, cooked potatoes and beets.

Makes a big salad for one person or smaller salad for two.

Lynette Lo Tom has written three cookbooks and loves hearing about home cooks. Visit lynettecooks.com for more information.