Pasta and Edamame Salad

Thanks to this recipe I am now a big fan of Edamame!  If you haven't tried them give this a shot.  This is a simple and healthy salad.

3 cups frozen edamame or green peas, defrosted
3 cups cooked pasta (your choice but a smaller shell pasta works well)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white balsamic or white wine vinegar
zest of one lemon, finely grated
2 stalks of celery, diced finely
200g cherry tomatoes, quartered
150 g Harvarti or medium Cheddar cheese, diced finely (I used Balderson 5 year white cheddar - I get this from Costco and love it!)
1/3 cup fresh basil, sliced finely on the diagonal
Chili powder to taste (optional)

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together gently and season to taste.

Makes 6 servings

Layered Chicken Salad

Prepare this one the night before so the flavours can mix.

4 to 5 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
1/4 lb bean sprouts
8 oz can water chestnuts, sliced
1 medium sized cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced
2 - 8oz pkg pea pods
4 cups cooked chicken, cut into strips
2 cups mayonnaise
2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp sugar
10 to 12 cherry tomatoes, halved

Spread lettuce as evenly as possible in a 4 quart glass bowl.  Top with 1 layer each of sprouts, water chestnuts, cucumber, onions, pea pods and chicken (make sure pea pods are dry).  Stir together, in a bowl, the mayonnaise, curry, ginger and sugar.  Spread evenly over salad.  Decorate with halved cherry tomatoes.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.  You may want extra mayonnaise mixture to serve on the side.

Grilled Tomato Pasta Salad

A salad with great variety and colour.  Lots of flavour.

2 lb (1kg) cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2/3 cup Diana Marinade, Garlic and Herb flavour
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cups cooked orzo or other pastina (tina pasta shapes)
3 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach
1 cup coarsely shredded basil leaves
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
Toasted pine nuts

1. Preheat the grill to mediumhigh.  Line the grate with a sheet of heavy duty foil.  Place the tomatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle with pepper.  Stir the marinade in a separate bowl with the lemon zest and lemon juice.  Gently toss the tomatoes with half of this mixture.  Whisk the olive oil into the remaining marinade mixture in the bowl; reserve.
2. Brush the foil with a little extra olive oil.  Place the tomatoes on the foil, cut side up.  Grill the tomatoes for 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium and grill for 15 minutes or until wrinkled and browned.   Lift the foil with the tomatoes and any juices onto a baking sheet.  Gently scrape the tomatoes into a bowl.
3. Toss the orzo with the reserved oil marinade mixture.  Gently stir in the spinach and half each of the tomatoes, basil and Feta cheese.  Transfer to a deep plater or bowl.  Garnish the salad with the remaining tomato, basil, cheese and pine nuts.  Season with additional fresh ground pepper to taste.

Makes 8 servings

Mediterranean Potato Gratin with Olives and Lemon

A really different gratin with lots of flavour!  I used Gruyere cheese instead of the Comte cheese.

3 lbs (1.5 kg) thinly sliced red potatoes (unpeeled)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups sliced onions
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved and seeded
1 tsp herbes de Provence
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup coarsely chopped black olives
1 tsp grated lemon rind
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup Comte Cheese
1 tbsp butter

1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Place potatoes in cold salted water and bring to a boil.  Boil for 5 minutes or until tender, and drain well.  Reserve.
3. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and saute for 2 minutes or until limp.  Add tomatoes, herbes de Provence and garlic and cook another 5 minutes.  Stir in chicken stock, olives and lemon rind and bring to a simmer.  Simmer for 1 minute to combine flavours and season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Oil a 9 inch ovenproof gratin dish.  Place one-third of potatoes on base, season with salt and pepper, cover with half of sauce, top with another one-third of potatoes, then remaining sauce and finish with remaining one-third potatoes.  Sprinkle top with cheese and dot with butter. Bake for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbling and cheese is slightly browned.

Serves 6 to 8