I saw an article in our local newspaper showcasing Coronation Salad.  Having never heard of this recipe I discovered there are many versions of Coronation Salad, a salad that has layers of flavors, and a salad that is versatile in how you want to present it.  This is my version, which really is 2 salads in 1.  A rice and vegetable salad topped with the curry chicken salad.

Rice Salad:

1 cup Basmati rice rinsed well and cooked

2 chopped green onions

3/4 cup diced peeled cucumber

1/4 of a small yellow pepper, diced

1 celery stalk with leaves diced

2 seeded roma tomatoes, diced

2/3 rounded cup frozen peas

handful of chopped flat leaf Italian parsley

salt and pepper to taste

juice of 1/2 a large lemon

4 Tblsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Once your rice is cooked, set aside to cool.  Prepare all the chopped vegetables and measure out the frozen peas.  Once the rice is cooled add in the vegetables, peas, parsley and toss with a spoon.  Pour in the lemon juice, EVOO, and season with salt and pepper.

Chicken Curry Salad:

3 chicken breasts - I cooked them in the air fryer, but use your preferred method of cooking

1 1/2 Tblsp. plain low fat yogurt

3 rounded Tblsp. mayonnaise

1 1/2 tsp. marmalade

3 1/2 rounded tsp. Madras curry powder - or more to taste

juice from a fresh wedge of lemon

chopped almonds

steamed fresh asparagus to plate on the side

Once your chicken is cooked and cooled, cut into small cube size pieces, and set aside.  In a bowl, combine the rest of the ingredient except the almonds.  Whisk well.  Add the chicken pieces to the curry dressing and mix well.  Sprinkle the top with chopped almonds.

To assemble the Coronation Salad, add the rice salad to a bowl, then place a generous amount of the chicken curry in the middle of the rice salad with fresh steamed asparagus on the side.  A salad packed full of flavor, making a great lunch or dinner.

 

 

 

 

This lovely salad dressing is easy to prepare for any fresh garden salad, macaroni salad, and of course Greek salad as well.  The amounts here will give you enough salad dressing for a couple of days, but if feeding a crowd definitely double the recipe.

5 Tblsp. Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tblsp. white vinegar

3-4 Tblsp. grated Feta cheese

1 tsp. dried basil, dried Greek oregano

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

fresh cracked pepper, 1/2 tsp. salt

Put all of the ingredients into a jar/or other container and shake well.  I like to make this dressing in the morning to allow the flavors to really incorporate.  A good Extra Virgin Olive Oil works best.

Oh. My. Goodness.  I have never had a Cobb Salad before....and upon dreaming about this recipe with the flavors awakening me in the morning, I just knew I had to give it a go.  Our tummy's were very happy. Cobb salad is such a lovely dish which makes a healthy lunch or dinner any day of the week.  You can use different salad greens, add radishes or sliced avocado, grated carrot - whatever you have on hand.  Here I went with a Mediterranean flavoring which was delicious.  Served alone or with a lovely gluten free French bread - a meal from the heavens!

 

 

 

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 Tblsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Seasoning:  a light sprinkle of lemon pepper seasoning, (we use this one) a light sprinkle of dried rubbed Greek Oregano, salt

fresh squeezed lemon juice

5 slices cooked bacon cut in half

2 cooked semi hard boiled eggs, cool slightly then peel and slice into quarters

Heat up a frying pan on medium heat with the EVOO.  Season the chicken with the above seasonings and cook the chicken breasts 8-9 minutes turning half way through.  Cooking time will depend on how thick the chicken breasts are - you can also pound them out to a thinner size.  Remove to a plate and squeeze fresh lemon over the chicken breasts, allow to rest.

Dressing:  (make ahead and refrigerate)

3 Tblsp. Mayonnaise

1 Tbslp. water

1 tsp. white vinegar

juice of 1/4 wedge fresh lemon

1 large sun dried tomato in oil, very finely minced

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

fresh cracked pepper

Mix all the ingredient in a container, refrigerate until needed

Salad:

Romaine lettuce, spinach, sliced cucumber, chopped green onions, sliced celery on the diagonal, chopped tomatoes, kalamata olives crumbled feta cheese.

Arrange the salad ingredients on a platter in order given, layering outwards on the platter.  Sprinkle the feta cheese through out the salad.  Slice the cooked chicken breasts on a diagonal and arrange on the outside of the salad.  Place the sliced eggs around the chicken and add slices of cooked bacon.  Drizzle the salad dressing through out the salad and serve.

 

 

 

 

This was an easy tasty salad - a perfect side dish to any summer meal.  This recipe was great for 2 for a couple of days, but can easily be doubled.  Might be the simplest salad there is!  Fresh green beans are a must for this recipe, and any good quality store bought pickled beets will work nicely.

2 cups green beans ends trimmed cut in half

1 cup pickled beets, chopped

1 round wedge of red onion - rinse well in cold water, then slice into 1 inch lengths

juice of a small lemon wedge

2 Tblsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

Crumbled feta cheese

Bring a pot of water to a high boil.  Have an ice water bath ready.  Add the beans to the boiling water, and once back to a high boil, blanch the beans for 1.5 minutes, lid on medium high, drain and put into the ice bath to stop the cooking, and once cool, drain and place onto a paper towel.

Add to a bowl with the pickled beets, red onion, juice of the lemon, EVOO,  salt and pepper.  Mix well and add crumbled feta cheese.  Serve along side any main dish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes - an all Vegan Potato Salad that was surprisingly delicious!  We had tried this at a local deli and I thought I would give it a try at home, never believing potato salad could taste this good with Vegan mayonnaise.  Simple to make and with a creamy texture just like the potato salad with eggs.

1.5 lb. summer new potatoes

1/4 cup green onion, chopped

1/4 cup diced celery

3 Tblsp. finely diced red pepper

1 small finely diced sweet gherkin pickle

Dressing:

1/2 - 2/3 cup Vegan Mayonnaise (based on taste)

2 tsp. Dijon Mustard

1-2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. paprika

salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Cook the potatoes in salted water until fork tender.  Drain and allow to cool.  Once cooled, take off any extra peel, and cut into chunks.  Add to a bowl with the green onions, gherkin pickle, celery, and red pepper - season with salt and pepper.

Mix up the dressing and add to the potato mixture, gently stirring to combine.  Check for seasonings and adjust if necessary.  A great summer side dish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was a quick and easy marinated beet salad - cooking was the only lengthy process.  Rather than steaming up beets for a side dish,  I thought I would make this simple marinade and turn it into a salad.  This is also delicious on top of a garden salad.

In this dish I used 3 medium sized beets - but you could certainly increase all the amounts here to have the next day or to serve a crowd.  This is best made early in the day and refrigerated 4-6 hours so the flavors develop.

3 medium sized beets, red stocks trimmed off, then wash well leaving the skin on and the beets whole

2 sliced "rounds" of red onion, rinse well in cold water, then slice to 1 1/2 inch pieces

1 Tblsp. Apple Cider Vinegar

3 Tblsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tblsp. reserved beet water

salt to taste.

Add the clean beets to a pot and cover well with water.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to medium, lid cracked slightly.  Cook 45 min. or longer until tender.  Reserve 2 Tblsp. of the beet water and place into a bowl.  Once the beets have cooled, take off the peels, and cut into even sized chunks.

Rinse the red onion well under cold water, then slice into 1 1/2 inch slices.  Add the beets and onions to a bowl.

In the bowl with the beet water, add the EVOO, Apple Cider vinegar and salt whisking well.  Pour over the beets and red onion mixing well.

Refrigerate 4-6 hours before serving as a side dish or on top of a garden salad.  After this post a new VEGAN POTATO SALAD THAT IS YUMMY!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have been in a heat wave...very unusual for our area.  We ended up the first day BBQ'ing chicken and hence the above salad to accompany it.  To nite we will thankfully be having cold leftovers.  So, this all dressed potato salad is yummy served warm or cold.

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. new potatoes (scrub well, chop, and cook till fork tender)

2 large green onions, finely chopped

1 tsp. dried dill

1 tsp. garlic powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 tsp mustard Dijon is best but here I used regular which was good too

2 Tblsp. Wine Vinegar (mine looks more rose colored so white or red should be fine)

3 Tblsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

handful of minced Italian flat leaf parsley

good sprinkling of Parmesan cheese

paprika to sprinkle over top

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain well and set aside.  Chop the green onions and parsley and set aside.  Mix the dill, garlic powder, salt and pepper, wine vinegar, mustard and EVOO in a small bowl whisking well to combine.  Pour over the potatoes and toss, then add the green onions, parsley, and Parmesan cheese mix gently to combine, then sprinkle the top with a bit of extra flat leaf Italian parsley and top with a good sprinkle of paprika.  Serve along side any other dishes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was such a simple delicious salad, I wanted to share...it is definitely a salad I will be making again and again.  As a matter of fact, I just requested more yellow beets in my next weekly organic veggie delivery.  We have never had yellow beets before, and being the some what purest that I am, I was a bit dubious whether or not we would like them.  YES we do.
As with my other roasted beet salad, roasting brings out such incredible flavor and sweetness to the beets.  Add roasted garlic, and you have a winning combination.
10 -12 small yellow beets, about 2-3 inch in size
1 medium sized red onion, cut in half and sliced
1 bulb of garlic
2-3 Tblsp. minced Italian Flat Leaf Parsley
Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
feta cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Wash and trim the ends off the beets, then peel and slice in half.  Place onto a large piece of tin foil.  Add a few drops of water - with wet hands sprinkle on the water.  Wrap up tightly and place onto a baking sheet.  With another piece of tin foil add a large garlic bulb - remove just the outer skin of the bulb.  Drizzle with EVOO and wrap tightly.  Place onto the same baking sheet.
While the beets and garlic are roasting, heat up a frying pan on low medium heat with a good drizzle of EVOO.  Add the red onion, and saute until nicely caramelized about 15 minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste, then set aside.
Roast the garlic for about 45 min. and remove.  Continue to roast the beets - about 1 hr. or until tender, then remove from the oven, open the foil and allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Slice the beets into a medium sized bowl. In a separate bowl squeeze out the garlic from it's skin and mash with a fork.  Add the juice of 1/2 a lemon mixing well.  Add to the sliced beets, with the minced parsley, and a good drizzle of EVOO seasoning with salt and fresh cracked pepper, mix well.  Taste for seasonings.
Sprinkle on a good handful of crumbled feta cheese and serve along side any main dish.