Summer Salads

Emma Parkin gives us some easy and salad and light meals ideas for the warmer weather.

With the weather becoming that bit brighter and warmer, light meals and refreshing salads are the order of the day. Salads don’t have to be a boring and tasteless affair. As long as you have a few basic ingredients in the kitchen, you can put together a tasty salad. Ingredients such as chopped cooked meats, croutons, grated cheese, boiled potatoes and rice will make a more substantial salad. A salad is rarely complete without a dressing. You will find many ready-made varieties in your local supermarket or you can spend two minutes putting the ingredients into a jar, putting on the lid and shaking the jar vigorously to create your own salad dressing. These recipes are guidelines only. Use your imagination and create your own salad ideas!

Greek village salad
Serves 4-6

4-5 ripe medium-sized tomatoes
4 medium green peppers
1 medium onion or 4 spring onions
lettuce leaves, tornServes 4-6 1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced
175g Feta cheese, broken in pieces
16 Greek olives, pitted
French dressing, as required
1tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tbsp capers, optional

1. Cut the tomatoes into quarters
   or wedges. Trim the peppers and slice across into thin rounds. Peel and slice the onion into thin rounds or trim and slice the spring onions.
   
   
2. Place the torn lettuce leaves, cucumber, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, half the cheese and 8 olives in a salad bowl. Toss lightly to mix well, then sprinkle with some of the dressing and toss again.
   
   
3. Crumble the remaining cheese over the salad with the parsley and oregano. Decorate with the rest of the olives and a few capers if desired. This salad can be chilled for up to 6 hours.

Thai hot beef salad
Serves 3-4


1/2 head of iceberg lettuce, shredded
1/3 of a cucumber
1/2 green pepper, cut into match sticks
3 spring onions, chopped
2 nectarines, thinly sliced, stones discarded
handful fresh coriander, chopped
450g tender lean beef
(sirloin, strip loin etc)
2tsp paprika
1tsp ginger
1/4tsp cayenne pepper
salt and pepper 2-3tbsp tomato ketchup
150 ml beef stock
To serve
Warm bread rolls

1. Put the lettuce into a bowl. Cut the cucumber and pepper into matchsticks, discarding the central seeds.
   
2. Put the prepared vegetables, nectarines and chopped coriander into the lettuce and toss. Divide between individual bowls or place in one serving dish.
   
3. Cut the beef into very thin slices. Mix the spices, salt and pepper together and toss the beef in it. Fry beef in small lots in a little hot oil until cooked. Remove beef and set aside.
   
4. Wipe out the pan, add in the tomato ketchup and stock and bring to the boil. Add the beef back to the juices in the pan, mix together and spoon over the salad. Serve with bread rolls.

Easy salad Niçoise
Serves 4

700g new potatoes, peeled or scrubbed
4 eggs
110g French beans
1 large cos lettuce or 4 Little Gems
6 spring onions, trimmed & finely sliced
1 cucumber, quartered & sliced into chunks
400g tin of tuna chunks in oil 4 tomatoes, quartered
75g stoned black olives
6 anchovies in oil (optional)

Dressing 6 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
Crusty bread

1. Add the potatoes to boiling salted water and cook for about 8-10 minutes until just tender. Drain and rinse under cold running water and set aside to cool.
   
2. Meanwhile, put another pan of water on to boil, add the eggs and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Rinse with cold water and leave until cool enough to handle.
   
3. Cook the beans in a third pan of boiling water for 4-5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water to stop them cooking any further.
   
4. Rinse the lettuce leaves and dry with paper towels or in a salad spinner.
   
5. Mix together the lettuce, spring onions, cucumber and French Beans.
   
6. Drain the tin of tuna and flake over the salad. Peel the eggs and cut into quarters. Cut the potatoes into chunks. Arrange the quartered tomatoes on top of the salad with the eggs, potatoes, olives and anchovies.
   
7. Place all the dressing ingredients into a bowl, season and whisk well. Alternatively, combine in a screw-top jar and shake until well blended. Pour over the salad and serve immediately, with crusty bread.

Tomato, bacon and avocado salad
Serves 4

250g rindless streaky rashers, chopped
1tbsp wholegrain mustard
3tbsp honey 11/2 tbsp olive oil
12 cherry tomatoes, halved
2 avocados, peeled and sliced
10 green olives
250ml mozzarella cheese, cubed
salt and black pepper
To serve
focaccia or wholewheat bread

1. Grill or dry-fry the bacon until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
   
2. Whisk the mustard, honey and olive oil together.
   
3. Toss the tomatoes, avocados, olives and mozzarella cheese with the bacon in a bowl.
   
4. Drizzle with the dressing and season to taste. Serve with crusty fresh bread as a tasty light dinner or lunch.
   
   Fat 53g Carbs 12g Energy 633kcal Protein 29g Sodium .2g Fibre 2g