The strange hot weather this spring has me thinking about salads. Warm or cool salads. With or without meat. Anything not to heat up the kitchen. An additional bonus with this recipe was the low-no dollar amount to prepare -- it was all sitting in my fridge. Great recession recipe.

I had the opportunity to make a salad for a cook-out my spouse attended for work recently, and came up with something that just about anyone could eat. No dairy, no meat, no wheat. I didn't want to run out and get a bunch of mediocre veggies, so rummaged through the fridge to see what I had left over from my grocery store and farmer's market trips earlier that week. I came up with a cool black bean and tofu salad. I improvised this dish, but it ended up being hearty and light at the same time. Try something similar with your own left-overs.

Black Bean and Tofu Salad

• 1 can drained black beans
• fresh garlic, onion and scallion
• cucumber, skinned and cubed
• boiled potatoes, 3 or 4, cubed
• wheat-free tamari
• maple syrup
• salt & pepper to taste
• shake of cayenne pepper
• mixed peppers (frozen yellow, red and green were used here)
• extra firm tofu, cubed
• cilantro
• lemon juice
• romaine lettuce, chopped
• canola oil

Stir fry in a cast iron pan the onions, garlic and scallion in oil, throw in frozen or fresh peppers and sautee. Add drained and rinsed black beans. Add salt, pepper, cayenne to taste.

In large, separate bowl, put tamari (1/4 cup or less? can't remember measurement) and maple syrup (Tbsp or to taste). Add tofu, fresh cilantro, cucumber, potatoes and mix in with tamari/maple syrup sauce. Then stir in the black bean, garlic, onion and peppers mixture into the large bowl mixture. Put cold, chopped lettuce on top, squirt with 1/2 fresh lemon. Done.

This salad traveled well without the lettuce wilting since it was on top, and when it arrived at the cook-out, it just needed a quick toss and was ready to be eaten. Great for lunch or dinner. Would probably work with chick peas or other kind of bean, also, as well as your favorite in-season vegetables and fruits thrown in to boot. Maybe even some almond slivers or sunflower seeds would be tasty

Bon appetit, budget conscious salad eaters!