That tasty watermelon salad...

I have been meaning to post this up since the beginning of August, when I threw it together for my mom's birthday party barbecue... It went over so well, I thought I had better make a note of what went into it. I know that watermelon is just past its season now, but at least this way I won't forget how to make it. Don't be afraid of the combo of feta with fruit- watermelon loves a little salty!! Ingredients: I medium watermelon, cut into medium/small cubes (seedless works best) 1 lemon, juiced 1 cup of fresh mint, chopped 1/4 cup of honey, 3/4 cup of feta cheese, cut into small cubes Directions Place cubed watermelon in a mesh strainer, cover and place strainer over a bowl in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (up to overnight), so that excess juice drains off. In a large bowl, mix together watermelon, mint and cheese. Separately, whisk together honey and lemon juice to create a dressing. Pour dressing over salad and serve immediately. This should make enough salad for 10 people with leftovers.

Quick Garbanzo Bean Salad

This recipe came from an adaptation of one in Bon Apetit! It was so super tasty and convenient to make I thought I should share it.

Ingredients:
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed
1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2-4 tbs of fresh basil and oregano, chopped (or substitute 1-2 tbs of dried)
2 tbs olive oil
Juice from 1/2 fresh lemon
1 inch piece of hard Parmesan, shredded in medium chunks

Dressing- Mix to taste
minced garlic
dijon mustard
olive oil
finely minced onion or shallots
salt

Mix all ingredients together into a bowl and enjoy!! I am serving this one tonight with some roasted beets and linguini with califlower in white wine reduction sauce with dried cranberries and chilis! Yum!

This should make enough for 3-4 small sides or two main dish salads.

Basic Coleslaw Recipe

This colorful salad is much lighter that your traditional mayo-filled affair. It is also extremely easy to make!

Ingredients
1 small head of green cabbage
1/2 medium red onion, chopped finely
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 cup of fresh or roasted red pepper, chopped finely
1/2 lemon, juiced
3-4 Tbs balsamic vinaigrette (Any homemade or store bought that you like will do, I like to be lazy and use Newman's Own light balsamic vinaigrette.)

Mix vegetables thoroughly in a medium sized bowl. Add lemon juice and stir so that evenly coated. Add a little vinaigrette at a time, stirring so that salad is fully coated but not soggy. Cover and place in fridge for 30 mins to overnight to allow flavors to absorb and cabbage to wilt.

Serves 6-8 as a side dish.

Goat Cheese and Fig Summer Salad

This tasty summer salad gets four stars! We threw it together tonight with a few random ingredients that needed to be used up and turned out delicious! The spinach in this salad came from our garden.

Ingredients:
fresh young spinach (or other sweet leafy greens)
purple or Italian kale, cut into small pieces
fresh goat cheese, crumbled into chunks
fresh ripe figs, sliced
courgette, sliced thinly
good balsamic vinegar

Mix ingredients together gently in a bowl and drizzle with vinegar and enjoy!

Curried Broccoli Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups of broccoli, chopped into small pieces
2 cups of cooked Garbanzo beans (or 1 can)
1/2 cup of onion (yellow or red), chopped finely
1/4 cup of golden raisins
1/4 cup of mayonnaise
1 tsp chili flakes
2 tsp of good quality yellow curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
one hand full of fresh cilantro, chopped

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, chili flakes and curry powder together to create a creamy dressing. Add together in a larger bowl with broccoli, beans, onion and raisins. Add salt and pepper to taste. Throw cilantro and a few sprinkles of chili flakes on top.

This salad can be served right away, or for better flavor, you can cover it and place in the fridge for one hour or more to allow the vegetables to absorb the spices. This one actually tastes even better the next day!

This salad serves four as a side dish.