Easy Salad Recipes
Healthy Picnic Food Ideas

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Making salads can be as simple or as complicated as you want them to be.

Keep Things Simple

These healthy salad recipes below are ever so easy for you to make up and you will be proud to serve them up to your friends and family.

Too many different sauces, different dressings and complicated ingredients can create hard work and take all the pleasure out of the experience of making your salad.

Enjoying A Picnic Outdoors With The Family

Here you will find an easy salad recipe or two that will become favorites with your family.

Add or subtract ingredients to your liking. Just enjoy the whole experience of experimentation with food textures and tastes.

Picnicking is such a great fun family activity and it can be enhanced if you have all the necessary bits and pieces to make the whole experience easier and that includes looking after the 'cook'

Simple Easy Salad Recipes Using Chicken

The Chicken in these easy salad recipes can either be pre-roasted, grilled or poached.

If roasting or grilling you can add seasoning according to your taste preference

When it comes to seasoning, remember to always take into consideration the others who are going to eat the meal. It is important to be careful with the salt, pepper, chili etc.

Try not to overcook the white meat as this will make it too tough.

If you are poaching the chicken meat the same rule applies.

Cutting the chicken into smaller pieces reduces the cooking time and helps with keeping the meat tender.

Poaching sometimes can mean, bringing the liquid to the boil, simmering for a few minutes, covering, removing from the heat and allowing the chicken to just stew in the liquid until cool.

Remove the meat, drain the liquid and shred into pieces ready to add to the salad, the meat is tender, white and yummy.

Chicken and Black Bean Easy Salad Recipe

Serving Size : 6

• 30 ounces Black beans; drain--rinse (Can use canned black beans---15oz)
• 3 cups Chicken; cooked -- cubed
• 6 Green onions -- sliced
• 1 Sweet red pepper -- chop
• 1 Sweet yellow pepper -- chop
• 2 Tomatoes -- coarse chop
• 1/4 cup Coriander; chop -- fresh

In large bowl, gently stir together black beans, chicken, onions, red and yellow peppers and tomatoes.

Make up the dressing and add it to the salad mix at the picnic

Dressing

• 1 Jalapeno pepper -- minced or chopped very finely
• 1 teaspoon Grated lime rind (can use lemon instead)
• 1/4 cup Lime or Lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic -- minced
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
• 1/4 cup Vegetable oil

In small bowl, mix together jalapeno pepper, lime rind and juice, garlic, salt and pepper; gradually blend in the oil.

At the Picnic pour over salad; add coriander and toss gently.

The picture below is a simple variation on the recipe above and can taste just as delicious.

Chicken And Bean Salad

Basic And Simple Easy Chicken Salad

Serving Size : 6

Prepare the lettuces, put into a container and keep chilled till at picnic.

• 1/2 iceberg lettuce
• 1/2 bunch watercress
• 1 bunch curly endive -- small bunch
• 1/2 head romaine lettuce
• 2 tablespoons chives -- minced
• 2 medium tomatoes -- peeled, seeded, dice
• 1 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts -- cooked, diced
• 6 bacon slices -- cooked, diced
• 1 avocado -- peeled and diced
• 3 hard-boiled eggs -- diced
• 1/2 cup Roquefort cheese -- crumbled

French Dressing

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 garlic clove -- minced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil

Combine all these ingredients and store in an airtight container, keep chilled till at the picnic then shake well and serve over the salad mix.

At the picnic - take the chilled and fresh lettuces and greens, tomatoes, chicken, bacon, avocado and eggs, combine gently .

Sprinkle with cheese, you can leave this out if you want to.

Sesame Chicken Salad Recipe

Serving Size : 6

• 3 cups Cooked rice
• 2 cups Cooked chicken breast--shredded (cook the chicken in packet Stock liquid)
• 1/4 kilo Fresh snow peas -- trimmed cut into julienne strips
• 1 medium Cucumber -- peeled, seeded and cut into narrow strips
• 1 medium Red pepper -- cut into thin strips
• 1/2 cup Sliced green onion --(including tops)
• 2 tablespoons Sesame seeds (optional) -- toasted lightly (releases their fats)

Sesame Dressing

• 1/4 cup Chicken broth (use a stock cube or packet stock liquid mix)
• 1 tablespoon Peanut oil
• 3 tablespoons Rice or white wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons Soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon Sesame oil
  

Combine all ingredients in jar, cover tightly and shake vigorously.

Keep chilled until ready to use.

Makes about 3/4 cup.

Add to salad mix or allow the guests to add their own.

At The Picnic - Combine all the salad ingredients and stir well.

Add the dressing and enjoy.

Easy Salad Recipes Using Vegetables

When making up easy salad recipes with vegetables it is usually about the dressing and/or the colour.

Easy salad recipes that are made with all green vegetables and a hint of yellow you can use for a cool feeling.

Reds, Yellows, Purples and Greens can be used for that festive occasion.

Best Potato Salad Recipe

Serving Size : 2-3

• 1 1/2 Kilo new potatoes
• 1/4 Kilo mushrooms --sliced thinly
• 3 green spring onions --chopped
• 3 celery stalks --chopped finely
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 3 hard-boiled eggs
• 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard to taste
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• Salt, pepper to taste
  

Cover potatoes in pan with cold water and bring to boil over high heat. Cook until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, thinly slice mushrooms, onions and celery and combine in mixing bowl.

When potatoes are tender, drain and halve or quarter, depending on size and add to bowl.

Sprinkle with vinegar.

Cover and refrigerate.

When cool, chop eggs and add to bowl.

Add mustard and mayonnaise, and season to taste with salt and pepper, mixing everything together gently.

Easy And Simple Potato Salad

Caesar Green Salad Recipe

Serving Size : 2

• 20 Large romaine leaves
• 1 Head lettuce
• 1 cup French bread, cut 1/2 into cubes
• 1 Large garlic clove
• 1 Egg
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 Juice of one lemon
• 1/4 cup Olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1 Fresh ground pepper to taste

Warm bread cubes in 275 degree F oven, tossing until hard and dry but not burnt.

Store these until ready to use.

Mash garlic into side of large salad bowl.

Ease egg into boiling water and boil exactly 1 minute, then crack into bowl, breaking it up with fork.

Add salt, lemon juice, olive oil and Worcestershire.

Mix well. (Makes about 1/2 cup dressing.)

Store this in air-tight jar until ready to use.

At The Picnic - add lettuce leaves and cubed bread (croutons), tossing to coat thoroughly.

Add salt and pepper. Toss again

Yummy.

Simple And Easy Caesar Salad With Chicken

Cucumber and Onion Salad

Serving Size : 1

• 1 medium cucumber -- sliced
• 1 medium onion -- sliced
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  

Mix together at the picnic and serve.

You can add other vegetables to this easy salad recipe as you choose eg, sliced raw zucchini, beans, tomatoes etc.

Cherry Tomato Vegetable Salad Recipe

Serving Size : 6

• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes
• 6 bacon slices
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise, home-made or personal purchase choice
• 1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh basil -- chopped
• 6 romaine lettuce leaves
• 2 tablespoons chives -- chopped

Have all ingredients ready to mix together at the Picnic.....Wash and stem tomatoes. Dry completely.

Cook bacon until very crisp; drain thoroughly on paper towels.

Mix mayonnaise, vinegar, olive oil, salt, and basil, store in air-tight container until ready to use.

At the picnic - Pour over tomatoes, crumble bacon over all and stir to coat tomatoes with dressing.

Serve on lettuce leaves, sprinkled with chives.

Cherry Tomato Easy Salad Recipes Mix

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