Mediterranean Pasta Salad

I made this pasta salad for dinner with ingredients on hand in the kitchen and garden. It was good enough to make again.

2 cups dried pasta cooked according to package directions
2 tins tuna, drained and flaked
1-1/2 cup black beans
5 large stuffed olives, sliced
2 tomatoes, diced
3 scallions, sliced
5 leaves fresh basil, ribboned

Dressing: 2 tbsp olive oil
                2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
                fresh ground pepper

Put salad ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk dressing with a fork and pour over salad.
Other vegetables such as sliced fresh or roasted peppers, celery, carrot, etc could also be used.

Potato Asparagus Salad

This dish was so very tasty that I had to post it right away. I saw the recipe* on Oh She Glows (a great vegan blog) but modified it somewhat with the ingredients I had on hand. My husband said it was the best potato dish he had ever eaten.

1 lb mini potatoes washed and quartered

2 tsp olive oil

Mix oil and potatoes, spread on baking dish in a single layer and roast at 425F for approximately 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender

1 lb fresh asparagus, washed and cut in 1-2 inch pieces

2 tsp olive oil

Heat oil in a pan, add asparagus and stir fry until tender-crisp- about 8 minutes. Combine the potatoes and asparagus in a bowl.

Lemon juice from one lemon

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp coarse salt

Whisk lemon juice, oil and salt together and pour over potatoes and asparagus. Serve warm. 

Makes approximately 4 servings.

*the original recipe includes garlic, dill, mustard, scallions, and a few optional ingredients which would add to the flavour.

Roasted Rhubarb Salad

I came across a recipe for roasted rhubarb and decided to give it a try. My first attempt turned into a sauce which was tasty but not suited for a salad. I picked fresh leaf lettuce, arugula, chives, cilantro and rhubarb from my garden and made this for lunch. You could add crumbled cheese, nuts, seeds etc as desired. I used the liquid from the rhubarb sauce and a little balsamic vinegar for dressing. Any vinaigrette would work.

Roasted Rhubarb

4 small stalks rhubarb

1-2 tbsp sugar (to taste)

Wrap securely in foil and place in the oven at 425F for 10-12 minutes. Check it every 5 minutes and take it out when sugar is melted and the rhubarb is just starting to soften. You should still be able to slice the stalks. Cool for a few minutes and add to greens. 

Black Bean and Corn Salad

• 3-4 cups black beans, rinsed and drained 
• 2 cups corn, preferably cut from the cob
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoons each ground cumin and ground chili powder
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 2-3 limes, juiced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together and allow to sit for 15 minutes for flavours to blend. Serve on tostados.
This recipe is just a guide. Feel free to adjust ingredients according to your taste.

Layered Salad with Orange Ginger Dressing

This is another recipe from Angela Liddon's blog. I made it first for a potluck lunch and then again the next day with a few changes. The orange-ginger dressing is what makes the finished product so tasty. The salad can be layered in 500 ml mason jars (instant lunches!) which will keep in the fridge for a few days. You can also layer or mix the ingredients in a bowl.

Measure

• One cup each, dry of two grains such as wheat berries, kamut, barley, quinoa, brown rice ( I used barley and farro, then barley and kamut). Cook them separately in salted water until tender.  Drain in sieve.
• Boil 1 cup of frozen edamame in water for a couple of minutes and drain.
• Measure 1/2 cup dried fruit like raisins or dried cherries

Chop or grate the following vegetables: ( I used a food processor)

• 1 cup carrots
• 1 cup green pepper
• 1 cup red pepper or tomato
•  1/2 cup cilantro

Dressing;- Mix together

• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated or pressed (I used a garlic press)

Assemble salad
For the 500 ml jars layer

• 1/2 cup one grain
• 1/4 cup green pepper
• 1/4 cup red pepper or tomatoes
• 1/2 cup second grain
• 1/2 cup carrot
• 2 tbsp dried fruit
• 1/4 cup edamame (or other legume)
• cilantro (or parsley)
• 1/4 cup dressing 

(I had some cooked grains left over)
Alternately, layer/mix all ingredients in a bowl. You can serve it immediately or store in fridge for up to four days.

Rainbow Vegetable Slaw

I have an abundance of vegetables in my fridge and made this large marinated salad that should keep for several days. It is colourful and delicious! I used my food processor to prepare the vegetables.

1 medium cabbage
3 ribs of celery
1 red onion
1 large zucchini
3 sweet peppers

Dressing:
1/3 cup oil
2/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup sugar or sweetener or to taste
1/3 cup water
2 tsp salt

Mix dressing until sugar is dissolved and pour over prepared vegetables.

Variations: Add any of these-
corn, chickpeas, raisins, jalapeno pepper, carrots, yellow zucchini, cucumber, celeriac, napa, etc

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad

This recipe is adapted from An Appetite for Reduction. (I recommend this fast, easy, low fat vegan cookbook). The salad is topped with grilled tofu, but meat eaters could add chicken or shrimp.

Make the dressing first, marinate the tofu, and soak the rice vermicelli while you chop the vegetables.

Dressing:
1/3 cup warm water
3 tbsp sweetener or honey
3 tbsp chili-garlic sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

Tofu:
Cut a 12 oz block of extra firm tofu into 8 slices. Cut each slice diagonally and put tofu in the dressing. Marinate for 15 minutes or more, then grill on BBQ or brown in frying pan. (This can be done after the salad is assembled.) Reserve the dressing to add to the salad.

Salad:
Soak 8-12 oz of rice vermicelli in a large bowl of hot tap water. It will soften up in 10 minutes or less. In the meantime thinly slice:
1/2 cucumber
1 sweet pepper
1 mango
2 green onions
1 carrot
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
Add 2 or more cups fresh greens
(vegetables can be omitted/exchanged according to your preference

Drain vermicelli when softened and add vegetables to noodles. Mix together with your hands if necessary. I break the noodles in half before soaking them to make it easier to combine them with the other ingredients.

Assembly:
Place a serving of salad in a bowl, top with a couple of pieces of tofu. Add dressing to taste and top with chopped peanuts or spicy peanut sauce.  (Use a nut of your choice)
If you don't put dressing on the salad, it keeps well in the fridge for a day or more.

Rice and Bean Salad

I love the flavours in this salad! You can vary the vegetables according to what you have on hand.

2 cups cooked basmati rice (or rice of your choice)
1 tin black beans rinsed and drained
1 cup canned or fresh corn kernels
1/2 cup diced orange or red pepper
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4-1/2 cup diced red onion (to taste)
Finely grated rind of one lime

Dressing:
Whisk until well blended-

1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin

Mix  ingredients together and add dressing. The salad keeps well for a couple of days. Other vegetables that work include diced carrots, cucumber, zucchini, celery.

Variation: Use other grains such as quinoa, farro, barley or couscous

Recipe adapted from this one on myrecipes.com

Crunchy Green Salad

Lettuce is very pricey right now and this salad combines romaine and less expensive cabbage along with plenty of fruit. It has plenty of crunch and taste!

Salad:

• 6 cups chopped romaine hearts
• 4 cups sliced red or green cabbage(or coleslaw mix)
• 1 large red apple, diced
• 1 large green apple, diced
• 1 mango, peeled, diced
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1/2 cup cashews

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Tostadas

During my recent visit to Mexico I enjoyed tostadas with various toppings. My sister-in-law served a hot chicken stew, a crab salad, a wonderful concoction with poblano peppers, mushrooms, tomato and cream, as well as refried beans with cheese on baked tostadas at my brother's birthday party.


I watched a group of young soccer players devour close to 50 tostadas topped with tuna salad while watching the World Cup. The Milpa Real tostadas are the fried version my daughter bought and they were addictively delicious. I haven't found anything as good yet in Canada.


The tostada in the first picture is topped with a salad of lentils, finely chopped apples, carrots, onions, cilantro, avocado, tomatoes and sweet peppers mixed with fresh lime juice.

Or layer refried beans and ground round adding toppings of cilantro, tomato, salsa, sour cream, shredded cabbage or lettuce and grated cheese

The possibilities are endless...

Here is a link to more information on tostadas from Simply Recipes.

Lentil Sprout Salad

I used to sprout mung bean seeds in jars but they are so inexpensive and easily available in the grocery store that it was not worth the effort to do them myself. A few years ago I tried sprouting green lentils and they have become one of my favourite vegetables. I use a large jar (Costco sized jar that had artichoke hearts in it) and soak 1/3 cup of green lentils overnight in cold water. I rinse and drain them using a piece of cheesecloth over the opening of the jar. They need to be rinsed with fresh water twice a day, and in 3-4 days the sprouts are ready to eat. (You can grow them as big as you want.) They can be stir fried or eaten raw. I saw a recipe for curried lentil sprout salad on Veganlicious and modified it as follows.

2 cups lentil sprouts (from 1/3 cup seeds)
2 cups grated carrot
finely grated rind of 1 lemon
juice of one large lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
a handful of raisins
a handful of walnuts
chopped cilantro

Mix ingredients together and serve. I like it best if it sits for a few hours.

Quinoa Salad

This delicious salad can be made ahead and keeps for a couple of days in the fridge. Other grains such as couscous or rice could be substituted for the quinoa.

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed under hot water for 3 minutes and drained in a fine sieve
1-1/2 cups of water
Dash of salt

Rinse quinoa and put in pot with water and salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 7-10 minutes until grains are tender and water is absorbed. Put quinoa in a medium sized bowl.

Cut up finely and add available vegetables to quinoa such as:

celery
carrot
green onion
sweet peppers, red and/or green
seeded tomato
roasted mushrooms, zucchini, peppers
fresh cilantro

Add 1 tin cooked lentils (about 2 cups)

Mix together and add the juice of 1-2 fresh limes or lemons to the salad. Add a couple of tablespoons of good olive oil to the juice if desired.

Chicken Fiesta Salad

Our daughter in London introduced us to this fast and delicious meal.

2 chicken breasts cut into strips
1 pkg dry fajita or taco mix (we used PC BlueMenu low sodium taco mix)
1 14 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 10 -12 0z can corn or cut kernels off 2 cobs of corn
1/2 c salsa
salad greens
grated cheese, tomato, onion, sour cream, cilantro
lime wedges, guacamole, taco chips for garnish as desired

Coat chicken strips in fajita mix and cook then in a lightly oiled frying pan until done. Take the rest of the fajita mix and add it to the beans, corn and salsa. Heat in a pot on stove until warm.

Place salad greens on plate, add bean mixture, top with chicken strips and garnish as desired.

Makes 4 generous servings.

Vegetarian Option: Cut extra firm tofu into strips, coat with fajita mix and fry in lightly oiled pan until crisp. Serve instead of chicken.

Carrot Salad

Mom made lots of this salad when we were growing up and it was always a favourite. I have seen similar carrot salads with added dressings, but this is just marinated in pineapple juice. It tastes better the second day and keeps for a few days in the fridge. The raisins are optional.

Two pounds carrots, grated
1 tin of canned pineapple, tidbits or crushed
Handful of raisins

Stir ingredients until well combined.

Broccoli Salad

We go the the homestyle buffet at The Crossroads in Elmira occasionally and this is my favourite salad there. It can be made with broccoli and/or cauliflower. I have had it at potlucks where other additions such as raisins and sunflower seeds are included. Here is the basic recipe.

1 bunch of broccoli cut into small pieces
2-3 slices cooked bacon, finely chopped (we use bacon flavoured soy bits)
Grated cheddar cheese, about 2 ounces
Salad dressing or mayonnaise, 1/3 to 1/2 cup as desired
Sliced green onions

Mix together. Salad keeps for a couple of days.

Tuna Salad

Stephanie invented this recipe and serves it often in her home in Mexico. She made it for us and it was delicious but she emphasized that the ingredients are added until the salad "looks and tastes right". Don't be afraid to substitute ingredients or amounts. The lime and cilantro are what make the taste special. It can be served with tostadas, taco chips, or crackers.

Dice (small dice)
1/2 onion
1 carrot (can be grated)
1/2 sweet pepper or jalapeno pepper
1 small seeded tomato
1/2 diced apple (or mango or pear)

Add
1/2 tin corn niblets or corn cut off one cob
1-2 cans drained tuna
1/4 cup or more chopped cilantro

Squeeze the juice of 2 limes (more or less to taste) over the salad and add salt and pepper to taste.

I have now made this a few times and find it a very satisfying lunch for work. I have doubled the vegetables and fruit and added 1/2 cup of garbanzos or peas and found it very tasty.

Chicken Salad

This is another recipe Stephanie uses in Mexico. She had it at a local restaurant and asked how it was made. It is served cold and keeps for a day or so.

Dice in 1-2 cm squares:
4 large potatoes
2-3 carrots

Boil in salted water until just tender and drain.

Add:
1 can corn
1 diced green pepper (or poblano peppers)
celery (optional)
2 apples
1/2 head shredded iceberg lettuce
2 cups cooked chicken, diced

Dressing:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 to 1/3 cup mayonnaise (change the proportions according to taste)
salt and pepper

Cabbage and Onion Slaw

Mom made a cabbage and onion slaw that kept for a few days in the fridge and actually improved in taste as the cabbage marinated in the dressing. She got the recipe from Catherine Philp, a neighbour on Unicorn Avenue when I was about 10 years old. Even then I liked the coarsely chopped cabbage and onion. The Becka loves this too and adds it to her elaborate sandwiches instead of lettuce.

Thinly slice 1/2 a large cabbage. I like Savoy cabbage the best
Thinly slice 1/2 a large Spanish or Vidalia onion and mix with cabbage in a large bowl.

Dressing

1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar or sweetener (or to taste)
1-2 tsp salt

Heat dressing ingredients in microwave until hot. Pour dressing over the cabbage. Let sit for 12-24 hours before serving.

Variations

Grated carrot or green pepper can be added as well or other seasonings as desired.

This salad is delicious in wrapped in rice papers and served with peanut sauce making a Thai inspired "cabbage roll".

Marinated Vegetable Salad

This salad keeps for a few days in the refrigerator. I often make a batch on the weekend and use it for my work lunches. The vegetables can be varied, but should total 6 cups for the amount of dressing described. I used edamame (green soybeans) for extra protein, and put in cauliflower instead of the zucchini I didn't have on hand. Hard vegetables need to be blanched for 4 minutes in boiling water. I love fresh Thai basil and used it instead of parsley.

Basic Recipe:

1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup fresh green or yellow beans cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup fresh snap peas (or edamame)
1 cup sliced zucchini
1 cup sliced yellow summer squash
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced sweet peppers
fresh parsley or other herbs to taste
2 oz pickled olives or jalapenos (optional)

Dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil (original recipe called for 6 tbsp oil)
3 tbsp lemon juice and/or red wine vinegar
1 minced garlic clove
1/8 tsp salt
pepper, sugar if desired

In a large pot of saucepan, bring a few inches of water to a boil. Add carrots, beans and peas and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and rinse in cold water. Mix with other vegetables. Mix dressing ingredients together and pour over vegetables. Marinate at least one hour before serving.

Makes 12 half cup servings.