Easy Summer Salads, Lighter Foods For A Brighter Summer

Easy summer salads are the way to go, now that the winter blues are fading into the distance and salad days are here. The best salads are light, bright and easy to prepare.

Who wants to spend hours slaving away in the kitchen when friends are round for lunch, the garden is in bloom and the wine is chilled and ready to pour. But before you start to cook you can save a lot of energy by buying the right ingredients. That way you don't need the heavy bottled sauces and dressings to make a great flavor. After all you don't want to take a beautiful crisp summer salad and soak it in a mixture of fat, sugar, salt and chemicals do you?

If you start off with great food and don't do too much to them you don't need all these strong tastes. All you need is to combine it well so that the flavors work together, have a nice crunchy texture and add a little light dressing to set it all off. Let the taste buds do the rest Freshness is, as in all cooking, the way to a good salad.

Don't take what the supermarkets give you. Although it's easier to pick up the ready packed tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, bell peppers etc. To make sure you get the best, take a minute or two and pick over the vegetables, choose what is firm ripe and ready to use. The same of course applies with meat and fish. There is a reason why supermarkets prepackage, and it's not always convenience. So choose well, cook quickly and simply and your friends won't have finished the wine by the time you get there! Enjoy a little bit of summer now with this easy poached chicken salad.

Easy poached chicken salad

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts (skinless)

1 finely sliced red onion

1 whole half onion

4 good ripe tomatoes sliced thickly

250 grams/4ozs salad leaves mixed

4ozs raisins soaked in hot water for ten minutes

1 half lemon

2 fresh or dry bay leaves

1 teaspoon peppercorns black

1 small French, stick loaf or similar sliced at an angle into 1/2 inch slices

For the dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

1clove garlic crushed

1/2 dessert spoon Dijon or other mild mustard

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

To make the dressing:

Whisk the vinegar and mustard together with the garlic, slowly add the olive oil while whisking and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To make the salad:

Bring a pan of water to the boil with the bay leaves, 1/2 white onion, lemon and peppercorns. Carefully add the chicken and simmer gently until cooked, if you are unsure it is worth investing a few dollars in a meat thermometer. The temperature should be at least 75 celcius/167 Fahrenheit, put the sliced bread on a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt. Bake in a medium oven until crisp but soft in the middle.

Mix the leaves together with the onions and raisins. Turn in the salad dressing and put into 4 good-sized bowls. Place slices of tomato and bread alternatly around the edge. Slice the warm chicken at an angle and put attractively on top of the salad. Sit back, enjoy and get someone else to do the washing up.

Nearlyhealthy.com is a new quality easy recipe, cookery tips and information site, for great tasting food that is also easy to cook. Cooking should be a joy not a chore.Using the best ingrdients and keeping it simple means your food tastes good with the minimum of fuss. Cookery book reviews, we choose the best in current and classic recipe books and food travel writers. Also product and good food suppliers.

Need to know the best food processer we take the time to choose so you don't have to. Need to know where to find the best organic pork? We bring you the best suppliers and information.

We have started small but will add more and more content over the coming weeks so do keep checking back.We look forward to seeing you and listening to your comments and feedback.

http://www.nearlyhealthy.com

---

How to Make Gooey Grits Cake

I was intrigued when I came across this unusual dessert... Read More

5-Minute Strawberry Jam

Nothing tastes better than fresh picked strawberries. For many people,... Read More

Swiss Cheese Fondue

Ingredients600g white bread (I recommend baguette or any other kind... Read More

Chocolate Tasting Techniques

First of all start with an empty stomach. This has... Read More

Spanish Food - The Perfect Paella

Looking for a traditional Spanish recipe? Without doubt, the best-known... Read More

How I Made Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies In Simple, Super Easy Steps

I was sitting there watching one of my favorite tv... Read More

How to Make a Tantalizing White Lightening Chili

Chili cooks always want to discover that award-winning chili recipe... Read More

Best Recipes: Chicken with Apples

Ingredients1½ cups quick-cooking rice 2 large onions, thinly sliced 250g... Read More

Mrs. Butters? Secret Key Lime Pie Recipe

"Frozen Key Lime Pie recipe?" Fern Butters asked. "Child, I'll... Read More

Low Carb Barbeque Sauce

Is there such a thing as low carb bbq sauce... Read More

How to Make a Seductive Chili

Dedicated Chili cooks always seem to be looking for an... Read More

Boneless Prime Roast Recipe

When it comes to prime rib and there are two... Read More

Tayberry Jam

The taste of Summer, bursting with flavour and anti-oxidant effects.... Read More

Prime Rib Cooking Times

As you look over a couple of prime rib recipes... Read More

Simply Salads

"It is just sensible."exclaimed my friend. She was referring to... Read More

Light Veal Recipes to Barbeque or to Broil

With everyone watching their weight and seeking out recipes that... Read More

Spinach Salad with Mango and Papaya

This is a great summer salad, leaving you refreshed even... Read More

Planning Help: Meal Two

One meal planning challenge for me has been to `lighten... Read More

Cinco de Mayo Recipe

My ex reminded me last week that the holiday that... Read More

Summer Basil Pasta Salad

With the long hot days of summer, you will find... Read More

Tuna Patties With Lemon Dill Sauce

Lean protein is your diet is essential to weight loss... Read More

Vegetarian Gourmet----Meatless Makeovers

Three years ago I decided to go "meatless." It wasn't... Read More

Going Halfway Around the World: How to Make German Cookies

I absolutely loved experimenting with foreign recipes, especially dessert recipes,... Read More

Spanish Food - The Tasty Tortilla

It certainly is a poor man or woman who cannot... Read More

How to Make Your Own Low Fat Vanilla Ice Cream

Sometimes, when you have set yourself in the weight loss... Read More

Limes

Limes were originally grown in Asia,introduced by the Arab traders... Read More

Mouth Watering Memphis Style Pork Ribs

The Memphis Style pork rib is one of the most... Read More

Holiday Recipe: Filled Cookies

From the book: Christmas In Dairyland (True Stories From a... Read More

Ma Po Tou Tu (Bean Curd with Chili Sauce)

Ma Po Tou Fu is Sichuan's well known characteristic dish.... Read More

Pasta Recipes ? The Very Best In Italian Cuisine!

These pasta recipes are excellent for dinners or parties.In this... Read More

6 Steps to Beating Childhood Obesity

These days kids would rather spend time on the computer... Read More

Crab Stuffed Salmon with Lobster Sauce

I served this dish at an event I catered and... Read More

How to Prepare the Perfect Garlic Lemon Chicken

If you want to prepare the perfect garlic lemon chicken... Read More