Beetroot salad

Ingredients:

250g cooked beetroot (NOT in vinegar)
50g walnuts 
50g raisins
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tblsp mayonnaise
1 tblsp vegan yogurt

Method:

Put the beetroot in a food processor with the walnuts and pulse a few times until well chopped.

Stir in the raisins and garlic, then add the mayonnaise and yogurt. Mix well, and transfer to a serving dish. 

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Until about six months ago, I thought I disliked beetroot. In the UK it's usually served sliced, in vinegar, which I don't like at all. 

Coronation chicken salad

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

250-300g cooked chicken
1 crispy apple
20-30g raisins or sultanas
1/2 iceberg lettuce, washed
200-250g plain yogurt
100-120ml mayonnaise
1 tbsp curry powder
Tomato and/or cucumber slices to garnish

Method:

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl. Core and chop the apple (no need to peel). Add to the chicken, along with the raisins.

Mix the yogurt, mayonnaise and curry powder, then stir into the chicken mixture to combine, ensuring the chicken is coated.

Tear the lettuce into smaller pieces and use to form a bed on a serving dish. Pile the chicken mixture on top. 

Sweet potato and black bean salad

serves 3-4

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet potato (or two small)
1 medium bell pepper (red, orange or yellow)
1 small onion (or half medium)
200g cooked black beans
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp garlic granules
1 tsp dried parsley
olive oil

Method:

Peel and slice the sweet potato, cutting larger slices into two (or four) to make bite-sized pieces. Cook in a little olive oil in the oven or air fryer, turning a couple of times until they are soft and beginning to brown.

Remove from the heat and cool slightly. Meanwhile wash, core and chop the pepper, then peel and finely chop the onion. 

Place all the vegetables in a suitable serving dish, along with the black beans (drained, if using canned beans) and stir to combine. 

Sprinkle the lemon zest, garlic and parsley over the top, cover, and refrigerate until needed. 

Sardine and Lentil Salad

Sardine and Lentil Salad

serves 2-3

Ingredients:

1 can sardines in tomato sauce
50g lentils, cooked and drained
1 small cucumber, chopped
50g frozen peas

20-30g lemon juice
fresh or dried mint to garnish

Method: 

Mix the first four ingredients together. There is no need to thaw or cook the peas first. Then toss in the lemon juice. Sprinkle chopped fresh or dried mint over to garnish. 

Peach and tomato salad with feta

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients:
1 small onion, thinly sliced
250g tomatoes
250g ripe peaches
1 tblsp olive oil
1 tblsp lemon juice
1 tblsp honey
30g feta cheese (dairy or otherwise)
salt and pepper
dried (or fresh) basil to garnish

Method:
Wash the tomatoes and peaches, and cut them into wedges, placing them in a serving dish with the thinly sliced onion pieces.

Mix the olive oil, lemon juice and honey, and pour over, tossing the main ingredients until coated and well-mixed. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chop the feta cheese into small chunks, and place in the middle, then sprinkle with basil.

Serve immediately.

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I knew I had several peaches in the fridge, which weren't going to last much longer. I'd frozen lots of them, and wondered idly if I could use them as part of a salad. A quick online search led me to a recipe entitled Summer peach and tomato salad which sounded ideal, since I also had a couple of biggish tomatoes, and plenty of onions. I didn't have red onions, as the recipe suggested, but that didn't worry me. 

Since my onions were large, I only used a half one, cutting very thin slices and then cutting those again. I was seriously dubious about mixing onions with peaches but I've learned, over the years, that the most unusual of combinations can work. Maybe. 

I actually included about 300g peaches, using up the ripest ones. The original recipe talked about a specific kind of tomatoes, and asked for both beefy ones AND cherry ones. I simply had two ordinary tomatoes so used those. 

I nearly always use lemon juice rather than vinegar, as I prefer it and it's more nutritious, and I misread the teaspoon of honey as a tablespoon... but I put it together, and tried it cautiously. It was absolutely delicious! Quite sweet, but the tartness of the feta offset that perfectly. We had a lettuce salad with it, and some other vegetable chunks, but we kept going back for more of this. The onion gave a crunchiness and extra flavour that somehow enhanced it. 

I'm sure it would serve four people if it were part of a big meal,  but two of us nearly finished it by ourselves. This is one we are definitely going to repeat, so long as peaches are in season.