These marinated vegetables are sweet, juicy with just the right amount of tang. It is really versatile - any number of veggies could be added - cauliflower, carrots, cucumber to name a few. This did not make a large amount, so if serving to 4 or more people double or triple the recipe.

It is a nice accompaniment to add alongside steamed vegetables, potatoes, or on top of cooked greens, it is even yummy along side a tuna sandwich!

1/4 cup diced yellow zucchini

1/4 cup chopped fresh yellow beans or green

1/4 cup diced tomatoes

1/4 cup diced green or red pepper

1/8th cup diced torpedo onion or red onion

1 small jalapeno pepper, de-seeded  and diced

2-3 tblsp. finely chopped fresh basil

Vinegar Marinade: 2-3 tblsp. dill pickle juice, 1/2 tsp. sugar, salt to taste - stir well until the sugar and salt dissolves. (add more sugar for a sweeter taste if that is your preference)

Make the Vinegar Marinade first, then set aside.

Prepare all the vegetables and place in a bowl.  Cover with the marinade and marinate 4-6 hours before serving.

 

This is a lovely side dish to any main, and easy to put together.  I saw somewhere? if you only use half the dressing to mix in, then add the remainder before serving, it is much better with gluten free pasta - it makes a big difference to the flavor and overall creaminess of the pasta salad.

8 0z. gluten free pasta shells

1/4 cup finely diced red/green pepper

1 celery stalk with leaves, finely diced

1-2 Tblsp. finely diced red onion

handful of finely chopped green onion

Dressing:

2/3 cup plus 3 Tblsp. Mayonnaise

2 Tblsp. plain yogurt

1 big Tblsp. yellow or green sweet relish

1/2 Tblsp. White Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. sweet paprika, salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Cook pasta per directions.  While cooking make up the dressing in a separate bowl, whisking well , and chop the vegetables.  Add the vegetables to a bowl, drain and rinse the pasta in cold water, then drain well again.

Add in half of the dressing to the pasta and vegetables, add in the chopped green onion and mix well.

Refrigerate.  30 minutes before serving, take out the pasta to come a bit to room temperature.

When ready to serve, add remaining dressing and mix well, add a sprinkling of sweet paprika, and serve alongside any main dish.

We recently had this fabulous marinated bean salad, I brought to a family gathering - I should have doubled the recipe - it is our new favourite and comes together so easily.

I made the dressing the day before, then put the salad together to marinate an hour or two before eating.

2 1/2 cups fresh green beans, cut 1 1/2 inch size, and parboil - 3 minutes, drain and add to ice bath, then drain and place on a clean towel

1 pint fresh cherry/grape tomatoes, halved

big handful of roughly sliced, then big chopped red onion

big handful of fresh basil, chopped

14 oz. can drained, rinsed chick peas

crumbled feta cheese, - goat cheese would work nicely here too

DRESSING: - can easily make the day before

1/4 cup plus 2 Tblsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 1/2 Tblsp.  fresh squeezed lemon juice

2  1/2 Tblsp. White Balsamic Vinegar

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

salt to taste

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. Mrs. Dash Season blend

Once the vegetables are ready to go, add to a bowl with the fresh herbs and drained chick peas

Pour over all of the dressing, mixing well to combine, then sprinkle on a handful or more of crumbled feta cheese.

 

 

This is a lovely side dish to have with any main dish or lunch, especially in summer.  While not a big fan of sweet coleslaw, there is a bit of sugar in this recipe, but it is not overpowering at all, and by all means add more if that is to your taste.  The dressing makes about 3/4 cup, and in this recipe we used 1/4 dressing for the coleslaw, so leftovers can be used again on just about any salad you make.

DRESSING:

1/2  cup Mayonnaise

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1 Tblsp. White vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. white sugar

1/2 tsp. ground celery seed

1/2 tsp. paprika

fresh cracked pepper

COLESLAW:

1 1/2 cups finely sliced, shredded green cabbage

rounded 1/2 cup finely sliced red cabbage, or a bit more if you prefer

1 small to medium grated carrot

2 green onions, diced

Whisk up all the ingredients listed in the dressing recipe and set aside.

To a bowl, add the green and red cabbages, grated carrot and green onions, tossing with a fork to combine.  Pour in 1/4 cup of the dressing, mixing well.  Refrigerate 1- 2 hours before serving.

 

Curry potato salad offers up a nice change to regular potato salad and goes well with most other main dishes.  These past few years we have been fortunate to buy organic potatoes from a local farm - such a difference in flavor and texture.  If you are able to get organic potatoes this salad will delight.

2  1/2 lbs. potatoes - red or yukon gold preferably

2 large hard boiled eggs

1/2 cup frozen, thawed green peas

1/4 cup diced green onion

1/4 cup finely diced celery

cilantro garnish (optional)

Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise plus 3 Tblsp.

1/4 plain yogurt

2 teaspoons mustard

3 teaspoons Madras Curry Powder

Salt to taste

lemon juice from a 1/4 size lemon wedge

Paprika

Scrub the potato skins, cook whole until tender, drain and allow to completely cool.  Cook the eggs and allow to cool.

Once potatoes are cooked, peel off the skins, and chop to cube size. Place into a medium/large sized bowl

Peel eggs and mash with a fork, then add to the potatoes.  Add the green onions, celery, peas to the potatoes and eggs.

Whisk up the dressing in a separate bowl.

Pour over the potato/eggs and toss/mix to evenly coat.  Check for salt.  Then add a sprinkling of paprika over the top.

 

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.