Recipe(tried): Business lunch ideas - Luncheon Salad with Curry Sauce

Hi Laura - I have had to do some business lunches, myself, and find that a soup starter and heavy salad main course works well. I also make a light dessert, though it's not always accepted.

Here a few main course salad ideas for you - if you don't have recipes for anything posted below, please post a specific request:

A traditional Salad Nicoise using freshly-cooked, sliced, warm tuna or salmon instead of the traditional canned tuna - serve with a starter of soup - leek and potato soup would work really well, as would a curried butternut squash soup;

An old-fashioned Cobb Salad, with turkey or chicken, bacon, avocado, cheeses, etc. - again, serve with a soup starter - tomato basil or curried butternut squash would be great;

A salad of mixed greens, arugula especially, topped with warm sliced grilled steak and grilled red onions, cooked sliced potatoes, and cheese of your choice (blue, cheddar or brie) and topped with a mustard vinaigrette dressing - serve with a light soup starter.

Here is a favorite recipe of mine:

Luncheon Salad with Curry Sauce
This is one of the best salads I've ever tasted, and was the recipe of my best friend's very English mother. Fabulous for both a sit down or buffet meal. Most of it is made ahead of time. If you think people will object to "curry sauce" please let me tell you about the time that I found one of the executive ladies from work standing in my kitchen licking from her plate - the sauce is that tasty. You might serve a hot soup as a starter (leek and potato, creamy tomato, cream of butternut, etc.) and some sort of herby-cheesy bread as an accompaniment.

Recipe for 6 servings.

For the curry mayonnaise:
2 TBL canola oil
2 TBL finely minced onion
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
1/2 lemon, sliced
1/2 TBL high quality curry powder
2 tsp tomato paste
1/2 cup tomato juice
1 cup high quality mayonnaise (Miracle Whip will RUIN this recipe!)
2 TBL apricot jam or mango chutney, minced

For the salad:
2 lbs. boneless cooked turkey or chicken breast meat, cut or shredded in bite-sized chunks
2 cups lightly cooked green beans (the very thin ones are best, but you can "french" the bigger ones by slicing them on a long diagonal after they are cooked, or just cut them in bite-sized pieces)
2 cups seedless red grapes
1/2 cup sliced almonds

For the curried mayonnaise:
Heat oil and saute the onion until barely translucent. Add garlic and lemon slices and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Add curry powder, tomato paste and tomato juice, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Allow mixture too cool slightly, and press through sieve, extracing as much liquid as possible. Allow that to cool completely. Add the cooled curry paste to the mayonnaise and apricot jam (chutney substitutes very well) and allow flavors to blend overnight.

For the salad: arrange the mixed salad ingredients on a lovely serving platter and serve the dressing along side in a sauceboat.

I hope this gives you a new idea that will help! Good luck!