SRC - Italian Summer Salad

Time for another Secret Recipe Club reveal!  I love getting my blog assignment each month and this month I was assigned the blog  Miz Helen's Country Cottage.  I was so thrilled to be assigned Helen's blog.  I have been reading her blog for a long time now, have contributed to her full plate Thursday link ups and she always leaves sweet comments every reveal day.  

As always my first stop was the dessert recipes and it didn't take me long to decide on the lemon cheesecake.  I sent Randal the link and fully expecting my sugar addict husband to be all for it and I was truly stunned that his response was "looks great, but how about this Italian summer salad".  I think I read his email 3 times just to make sure my husband was suggesting a salad over a cheesecake!  He has decided to try and eat more healthy and I want to support that idea.

Because it is just the two of us and the recipe makes quite a lot, I decided to halve the entire recipe.  It still made a lot and we had it several times over a few days.   It has a fresh and vibrant taste with lots and lots of vegetables, although I did leave out the yellow squash and olives.   We enjoyed it very much!

Salad: 

8 oz pasta, any variety

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1/2 English cucumber, chopped

1 courgette, chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 cup mozzarella cheese, chopped

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp dried basil
3/4 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp  sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

 

To make the dressing,  combine the olive oil, vinegar and spices in a small bowl.  Whisk to combine and set aside.

In a large bowl, add the chopped vegetables and the 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper.  Pour the dressing over the vegetables and set aside.

Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and let cool.

Combine the cooled pasta with the vegetables, add in the mozzarella cheese, mix together and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

An InLinkz Link-up

SRC - Fruit Salad with Honey-Lime and Mint Syrup

Time for another Secret Recipe Club reveal.  This month I was assigned the blog  A Spoonful of Thyme.  I have been really neglecting my blog lately, which leads to the conclusion that I haven't been cooking much and that is unfortunately true.  I am just so tired at the end of a 12 or 14 hour daycare day that we have been eating a lot of simple meals, however this Fruit Salad recipe immediately jumped out at me because the daycare kids love fruit, we go through so many berries these days it is crazy! and it looked so cool and refreshing which is perfect for the hot weather here in Texas and it was something that I could easily make and I knew that we could all enjoy it.

The salad is easily customisable, I am not a big melon fan so although the original recipe had 3 kinds of melon in it I left out the honeydew, I had planned to add either raspberries or blackberries but I forgot to pick some up, so next time I make this fruit salad I will try it with those.

Syrup:
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

Fruit Salad:
1 lb strawberries, hulled and cut in half
1 cup red grapes
2 cups watermelon, cubed
2 cups cantaloupe, cubed
1 cup fresh pineapple, sliced
4 kiwis, peeled and diced

To make the syrup, mix the honey lime and mint together in a small bowl.

Add all the fruit to a large bowl and pour over the syrup and toss to combine everything together.  Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes before serving.

An InLinkz Link-up

Curried Rice Salad

Time for another Secret Recipe Club reveal. This month I was assigned the blog Fit Mama Real Food .   Heather's blog is filled with so many healthy recipes that it took me a long time to decide what I was going to make.  I found her recipe for Curried Grain Salad and thought it looked really good, and as I have been wanting to make a rice salad for a while I decided to just go with just the rice and not any other grain.  I hope Heather doesn't mind that I took inspiration from her recipe but I changed it slightly to make it a rice salad that tastes a little like my coronation chicken salad.

2 cups cooked jasmine rice
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 spring onions, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup hot mango chutney
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 tbsp curry powder (I like the penzeys sweet curry powder)
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup dried cherries
salt and pepper

In a medium bowl add the mayonnaise, turmeric, curry powder, mango chutney, apricot preserves and mix together.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a large bowl add the cooked and cooled rice, diced bell pepper, celery, spring onions and cherries.  Add in the mayonnaise mixture and mix well.  Keep refrigerated.

Mediterranean Chef salad

One of the best things about grocery shopping at HEB are all the food samples they give out. We have found so many great recipes through samples at HEB, and as soon as I tasted this salad last week I made Randal go back and ask for the recipe card. I had everything in my cart that this salad needed anyway, except for the turkey, so I changed my lunch plans for the week so I could make this.

1 lb extra lean ground turkey
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 bunch spring onions, chopped
1 head romaine lettuce
1 bag baby lettuce medley
1 large tomato
1 large avocado
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

Dressing:
1/2 cup plain greek yogurt
3 tbsp fresh mint
1 tbsp lemon juice

Heat the oil in a large pan.  Add the turkey and cook for 5 minutes.  Add in the garlic and cook for another minute, season with salt and pepper and add the kidney beans and cook for another minute.  Remove from heat and stir in the spring onions.

To make the dressing, finely chop the mint and stir it into the yogurt and add the lemon juice.

Tear romaine into bite sized pieces and place onto a serving platter.  Top with the lettuce mix.  Spoon the turkey mixture over the lettuce, add the tomato and avocado and drizzle with the dressing.

Macaroni Salad

I have never made macaroni salad before, but Randal loves it and I needed something to go with the ribs I was making, and it turned out to be a good side dish and we both enjoyed it.

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 lb macaroni, cooked and drained
1 cup sliced celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped green onion

Mix together the mayo, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Add in the macaroni and the chopped vegetables, mix well and refrigerate until needed.

 

Cornbread Salad

I got this recipe from my friend Allison.  I had never heard of cornbread salad, but I knew Randal would love it.  I actually lost the recipe that Allison gave me, but I remembered enough of it that a quick search showed that you can pretty much add anything you would like to this salad, so I went with Randal's favourites such as bacon, corn, jalapenos and bell peppers.  I also halved the recipe as most seemed to use 2 boxes of cornbread mix and I knew we didn't need to make that much.

1 box Jiffy cornbread
4 slices bacon, cooked
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, diced
1/2 cup canned corn
Mayonnaise

Make the cornbread per package instructions, leave to cool.

Crumble the cooked cornbread into a large bowl.  Chop the cooked bacon and add to the cornbread, along with the onion, bell pepper, jalapeno and canned corn.  Add enough mayonnaise to bind all the ingredients together.  Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate.

 

 

Minted Quinoa and Cucumber Salad

I made this to go with dinner tomorrow night, but it's so good that I can't stay out of it, so I'm not sure it will make it to the dinner table tomorrow!
 
 

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sliced english cucumber
1/2 cup fresh mint
1 jalepeno
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Put the water, quinoa, bay leafand salt in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, leave to cool.

In a food processor pulse together the mint, jalapeno, salt, olive oil and vinegar.

In a medium bowl mix together the cooled quinoa, sliced cucumber and the mint sauce.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
 
 

Potato Salad

This is the potato salad recipe that my mum always made when I was a kid, it's our go to potato salad recipe and Randal loves it as much as I do. I had to adapt the recipe a little bit from my mum's to make it something that Randal would love, as my mum definitely did not use yellow american mustard, but I think she would approve of the final result.
 
 

I had to include this picture to show how my husband eats his potato salad.  Covered in bbq sauce.  I'm pretty sure my mum wouldn't approve of that!

 
 

3 pounds potatoes

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped red onion

4 chopped hardboiled eggs

1/4 cup chopped sweet gherkins

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

2 tablespoons dill pickle relish

Salt and pepper

Place the potatoes in a large pot of salted water, cook potatoes until fork tender. Leave to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, relish and salt and pepper. 

When the potatoes are cool place them into a large bowl, add the celery, red onion, hardboiled eggs, gherkins, and the mayonnaise mixture. Stir together and season with salt pepper.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Curried Orzo Salad

I have had this recipe from The Perfect Pantry saved for a long time, I don't know why I have not made this before because I love all things curry flavoured and this was no exception.  Randal also really liked this salad, and we will definitely be making this again.

8 oz orzo
2 tsp curry powder (I like Penzey's sweet curry)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Juice of half a lemon
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup diced english cucumber

Cook the orzo according to package directions.

In a large bowl mix the mayonnaise, curry powder and lemon juice together.  Add in the orzo, bell pepper, cucumber and raisins and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.





Linked to: Mom On Timeout, Michelle's Tasty Creations, Frugal Follies, A Little Nosh, Momnivores-Dilemma, Miz Helens Country Cottage, Two Yellow Birds, Simple Living

Potato and Green Bean Salad

Randal and I both love potato salad, but it seems I only ever make the same one I grew up eating.  There is nothing wrong with that, it's a great potato salad recipe, but when I found this recipe for a lemony potato and green bean salad it looked so different from our usual potato salad that I had to try it.

1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks

1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and halved

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

1/4 cup mayonnaise 

3 tablespoons sour cream

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Juice of 1 lemon, plus 1 teaspoon grated zest

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper

Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a colander with a slotted spoon. Add the green beans to the boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the colander with the potatoes, run under cold water and pat dry.

Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream, 1 tablespoon mustard, the parsley, lemon juice and zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl. Add the potatoes, green beans and onion. 

Linked to:  Flour Me With Love, Couponing and Cooking, Sweet and Savory, All The Small Stuff

Coronation Chicken

Coronation chicken is a cold, curried chicken dish that was created for the coronation of Queen Elizabeth ll in 1953. There seems to be so many versions of this British classic, some more complicated than others, but my version is quick and easy, with the addition of dried cherries. If you have never tried coronation chicken I really recommend this one, it's so delicious and Randal and I are addicted to it, we have served it in little phyllo cups for an appetizer or on crunchy bread for sandwiches.



3 chicken breasts
1 onion
1/2 cup mayonaise
1/4 cup hot mango chutney
1/4 cup apricot preserves
Curry powder (I like the penzeys sweet curry powder)
1 tsp tumeric
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 bayleaf
2 tbsp chicken soup base
Salt and pepper

Bring a large pot of water with the bayleaf and chicken soup base to a boil, rub chicken with some of the sweet curry powder and add to the pot of water, poach chicken for 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from pot and leave to cool.

Finely dice the onion, add a little olive oil to a pan and cook the onion with the tsp of tumeric and a tsp of the curry powder until the onion is soft. Leave to cool.

Mix together the mayo, mango chutney, and apricot preserves, and a tablespoon or two of the curry powder.

Dice the chicken into a large bowl, add the onions, the sauce and the dried cherries, combine well and season with salt and pepper.

Linked to:  The Grocery Cart Challenge, Gooseberry Patch

Layered Pea Salad

This is a salad that Randal used to make years ago, and as I had never tried it, I thought I would give it a go this week. It's a little too sweet for me, so next time I'll reduce the amount of sugar.



4 cups lettuce
3 hard boiled eggs, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
3 strips bacon

Place the lettuce in the bottom of a large bowl, add the eggs, celery, peppers and onion, cover with the frozen peas. Spread the mayonnaise over the top and sprinkle with sugar. Top with cheese, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. When ready to serve top with cooked bacon.

Mint Pea Israeli Couscous

The original recipe for this mint pea couscous was made with sugar snap peas, but as I didn't have any of those I went with just regular frozen peas. I made this to go with Armenian beef kebabs and fatoosh salad.


1 1/3 cups Israeli couscous
1 cup frozen peas
1 3/4 cups water
2 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup fresh basil
2 tbsp fresh mint
Juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper

Bring water to a boil and add cousous and the frozen peas, reduce heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes.
In a blender, combine the mint, basil, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil, blend until combined.
Once the couscous has absorbed all the water, add the mint mixture, stir to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Fatoosh Salad

The hubby and I tried out a new restaurant a few weeks ago, and one of the items on the menu was fatoosh salad. The fact that the hubby not just tried it but actually liked it was enough for me to want to make it at home as soon as possible!


2 pita breads
8 leaves romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
2 green onions, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons sumac
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Feta cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Toast pitas 5 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven until crisp and break into bite size pieces

In a large bowl toss together toasted pita pieces, romaine lettuce, green onions, cucumber, tomatoes, mint and parsley

In a blender, combine the garlic, sumac, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and blend until smooth

Pour dressing over salad and crumble as much feta cheese ontop of the salad as you like