Chickpea Salad

Info
Prep Time: 30 min
Makes: 4 servings
Source: Ricardo Cuisine

What You Need
> Vinaigrette:
2 Tbs (30 ml) cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 Tbs (30 ml) olive oil
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) honey
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) Dijon mustard
1 small clove garlic, finely chopped

> Salad:
1 can 19 oz (540 ml) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 red or orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 Gala or Cortland apple, cored and diced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper

Make It
1. In a large bowl, COMBINE all the vinaigrette ingredients with a whisk. 
2. ADD the salad ingredients and TOSS well. Season with salt and pepper. 

My Comments
Simple and delicious.

Greek Salad

Info
Prep Time: 30 min
Makes: 4 servings
Source: Ricardo Cuisine

What You Need
> Dressing:
3 Tbs (45 ml) olive oil
2 Tbs (30 ml) lemon juice
3 Tbs (30 ml) oil-packed pitted black olives, drained and finely chopped
2 Tbs (30 ml) chopped parsley
1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) dried oregano

>Salad:
4 tomatoes, cubed
1 English cucumber, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cubed
3/4 cup (180 ml) feta cheese, diced
1/2 cup (125 ml) red onion, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper

Make It
1. In a salad bowl or a large bowl, COMBINE all the dressing ingredients with a whisk. 
2. ADD the salad ingredients and TOSS to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Place the salad in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

My Comments
Instead of putting the olives and parsley in the dressing, I added them in the salad. I also added some balsamic vinegar to the dressing. Simple and quick recipe.

Green Mango Salad

Info
Prep Time: n/a
Cooking Time: n/a
Makes: 6 portions
Source: Canadian Living (http://www.canadianliving.com/food/green_mango_salad.php)

What You Need
1/3 cup (75 mL) chopped cashews or peanuts
2 unripe mangoes, 2 lb/1 kg total
1/3 cup (75 mL) chopped fresh coriander
1/3 cup (75 mL) chopped mint
2 tbsp (30 mL) lime juice
4 tsp (18 mL) granulated sugar
4 tsp (18 mL) fish sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
1/4 tsp (1 mL) Asian chili sauce or hot pepper sauce
1 sweet red pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup (250 mL) thinly sliced red onions

Make It
1) In skillet or toaster oven, TOAST cashews over medium heat until fragrant and golden, about 8 minutes; set aside.

2) CUT pointy ends off mangoes. SET each mango on cut end. Using serrated knife, CUT off peel. CUT flesh on either side of flat pit into thin slices; STACK and CUT into thin strips.

3) In bowl, WHISK together coriander, mint, lime juice, sugar, fish sauce, oil and chili sauce. ADD mangoes, red pepper and onion; toss to coat. (Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.) SPRINKLE with cashews.

My Comments
Thank you to my friend Alice for sharing the recipe. I invited friends over at my place for dinner after work. This recipe is simple and ideal for a limited preparation time. I used peanuts instead of cashews and Sriracha sauce as chili sauce. I really like the taste of the salad dressing. I guess this is one of my favorite salads.