Trying to avoid turning on the stove this summer has been a challenge.  My creativity has gone into full gear and I’ve been surprising myself at the different summer dishes I’ve come up with lately.

Take for instance this refreshing cantaloupe salad I had for lunch the other day.  I really wanted to turn a ripe cantaloupe into my lunch and I succeeded by making the most amazing dressing to go with it.  Because the melon was at its perfect peak of sweetness, I had to create a tangy and citrusy dressing to balance it out.  My creativity went into full gear when I decided to use a tangerine flavor Outshine Bar to give it that citrus twist.  Yes, you read that right.  You only need one and that is the perfect quantity to create a vinaigrette for your lunch.

The ingredients are simple and inexpensive.  If you have a hard time finding alfalfa sprouts any type of sprout will do.  The flavorful cotija cheese will take care of seasoning the salad and the pepita seeds will give it an earthy crunch this salad needs to make it complete.

Packed in a jar or plastic container for your office lunch, this salad travels well and only tastes better as the dressing marinates and wilts the spinach leaves.  You can also prepare it the night before and store in a tight sealed container to keep it fresh and ready to enjoy the following day.

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