Light Tomato Salad

Keeping it light and tasty! Tomatoes are filled with vitamin C and are really tasty for that quick and light salad. This recipe is great for little in-between snacks for those of us keeping an eye on our weight or adding it as a side dish to a main. 

Grilled Vegetable Couscous Salad

 

This summer I learned a new recipe from my sister for a beautiful grilled vegetable couscous. My sister taught it to me while we were preparing lunch/dinner BBQ for my grandmothers 87th birthday. Easy the learn and fast for a quick lunch salad or main dish side. Mr. Man usually dislikes couscous but this time he was pleasantly surprised when I put this on the table eating more than one helping!

Moroccan Salad

My sister came over this monday to have lunch for my birthday since I am leaving for Egypt on the 9th, and the 8th is my birthday. The last time I saw her she was staying with me for she had just come back from a long trip to thailand being diving instructor. When she was staying with me I made a beautiful Moroccan salad for her improvising as I went but it turned out beautiful is all the fresh flavors that give an explosion of flavor in your mouth. I would say best for a hot summers day. Since then I have made two different versions one with left over leg of lamb diced to small pieces and one with chicken. For the leg of lamb it was just left overs so nothing special for the chicken it was a bit more complex. This salad is very filling, could also be considered a full meal or lunch.

Preparation time: 30 min
Cooking time: 20 min
Output: 2 servings or 6 servings for side dish

Ingredients:

• 400 g chicken filet without skin thin strips
• 1 small can concentrate Tomato paste
• 3 tsp sunflower oil
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 handfull fresh mint finely chopped
• 1 red onion diced
• 1 red or yellow paprika diced
• 2 tomatoes
• 1/4 cucumber diced
• 200 g fresh spinach roughly cut
• 2 tbl sp  fine chopped almonds
• handfull cashew nuts
• 6 dried apricots sliced
• handfull dried cranberries
• handful fresh coriander
• 2 couscous portions (follow instructions on package) add pinch of salt

Dressing

• 2 leaves fresh mint finely chopped
• 3 tblsp sunflower oil
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1/2 lemon
• sugar to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

First you need to marinate the thin strips of chicken with the tomato concentrate, 1/2 lemon juice add zest if you want, cumin powder, coriander powder, mint and sunflower oil, salt and pepper to taste. Let this sit while you make the couscous then cut the rest of the salad vegetables and fruit.

Once all the cutting and dicing is done you can grab a non-stick frying pan and fry the marinated chicken (don’t need to add oil for it is  already in the marinate.) Cook for about 15 min for juicy chicken little longer if you don’t trust it. 20 min max.

Get two large bowls to fill for two servings els put all into one for side dish. Divide the couscous over the bowls, then split half of all the vegetables and fruit evenly over the two bowls. I usually build up the salad to make it look nicer, first couscous then spinach then paprika, cucumber ,tomato, chicken, nuts and fruit, fresh coriander.

For the dressing add all the ingredients together and add more to taste. Mix well and drizzle over salad last minute before serving.

Enjoy, as I said above you can always change it up a bit and add more of less of anything, like I added left over leg of lamb instead of making chicken.

Fresh Italy!

Imagine those old rustic houses in Tuscany, the pine trees, the fields of poppies and the humming of the crickets in the burning sun. This is where I found myself on May 23rd, sitting in the honey warm glow eating a beautifully simple salad with my mother.

Since we moved to Italy my mother and I have a sort of tradition of eating salads for lunch as we sit in the hot sun, on the terrace. Its so very simple but has a taste explosion of pureness in the mouth. We have come to find it flows very well with a glass of vinho verde.

Ingredients for two:


1/2 Mixed italian field lettuce pack
2 Freshly chopped medium tomatoes
1 Finely sliced scallion
1/2 Finely diced red paprika
1/3 cucumber
1 Handful Fresh basil leaves
2 Small canned tuna in oil
1 Small canned mais drained
1 Mozzarella di bufala drained and cubed

   Dressing Per Plate:

1 Tblsp Fig balsamic or regular balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tblsp 
Olive oil (or just use the oil from the tuna can)
To taste Freshly ground salt and pepper

Finely chop and divide the ingredients evenly over two deep plates, add the dressing        to taste.

Last but not least pour yourself a cold glass of iced carbonated water “frizzante” as          the Italians say, to sit beside you and your plate in the basking sun.

Of course you can mix it around and add different variations like ice cooled radishes,      different paprikas, smoked salmon, strawberries.