Free Authentic Greek Salad Recipes - Quintessential Greek Lunch

The Greek salad is the quintessential Greek lunch enjoyed sitting in the sun at gingham laid tables overlooking the turquoise waters of the warm Mediterranean Sea. It evokes the senses: pleasant memories of warm sunshine, fresh herbs, tasty tomatoes and cheeky but handsome waiters.
Greek food is renowned for its simplicity, and the authentic Greek salad is no exception. It is simple to prepare, using simple fresh ingredients. But how can you recreate the authentic Greek salad when you are back home? It's worth doing, because this simple dish is tasty, healthy, and evokes those memories of vacations by the sea. But it's important to get it right.
So let's do it!




To be as authentic as possible, it is important to try and use the freshest, tastiest ingredients just like the Greeks would do. The problem is, many of the ingredients we have available are forced-grown, and often inorganically grown. This affects the quality and also the taste. Many restaurant owners in the resorts in Greece are farmers too (or their cousin Kostas is.) The ingredients they use would often be picked that day from their own farms, organically grown and nurtured by Nature.
The best we can do in our home country, is try and get fresh local ingredients from local shops who advertise local produce, or genuine farmers' markets -- or grow our own! However, the one thing we must accept is that the prime ingredient, Feta cheese, must come from Greece itself -- because if it doesn't, it isn't Feta.
Ingredients
½ red onion ½ a long cucumber 1 red and 1 green pepper (capsicums) 1-2 big soft red tomatoes A big rectangular slab of Feta Cheese Extra Virgin olive oil Oregano Salt and Pepper Lemon juice (if desired)
Some local variations include capers (Santorini), and a softer, less salty cream cheese instead of feta (Crete).
Method
This is a salad remember, so it's not complicated. But here a few tips.
Take the ingredients (except the feta) out of the fridge about 1 hour before you make up the salad. Salad vegetables always taste better when not fridge cold, especially tomatoes.
Use local, organic produce for the best taste.
Use extra virgin olive oil, again for the taste.
The Greeks generally peel the cucumber, so why not do the same?
Chop the vegetables into fairly decent-sized chunks and mix gently. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with plenty of olive oil, and a little lemon juice if you want to.
Pop the slab of feta on the top and drizzle with more oil, then sprinkle with oregano.
Have a good chunk of granary bread handy, because there'll be some lovely olive-oily juice at the bottom when you finish.
A soft, light white wine goes well with this authentic Greek Salad!

Graham Yates

Free Healthy Bean Salad Recipes - Perfect For Diabetics

Beans are nutritious, healthy, versatile, and make great salads. Legumes and beans are an important part of a diabetic diet, especially garbanzo beans or chickpeas as they are sometimes called. Below is a great recipe for a Garbanzo Bean Salad with a great yogurt dressing. This salad is not your usual salad and is a perfect salad to serve your family and friends. You will no doubt have many requests for your recipe. This is a great salad choice for diabetics as well as anyone.
The other recipe is for a Bean and Bacon Salad. This recipe is a salad featuring green beans and bacon. It is also diabetic friendly with its use of boiled eggs, bacon, and healthy olive oil. Both of these salads are sure to spark your interest and your taste buds.

GARBANZO BEAN SALAD 2 cups finely shredded carrot 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced bell pepper 1 1/2 cups chopped plum tomatoes 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion 2 cans (15 1/2-oz each) cans garbanzo beans, drained 12 cups salad greens
In a large bowl, combine carrots, bell pepper, tomatoes, onion, and beans. Pour 1/2 cup of Yogurt Dressing (recipe follows) over carrot mixture and toss gently to coat. To serve place 2 cups of salad greens on a plate. Drizzle greens with 1 tbsp of the following dressing. Top with 1 1/3 cups of the vegetable mixture.
Makes 6 servings
GARBANZO BEAN SALAD DRESSING: 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 1/2 tsp curry powder 1/4 tsp salt, optional 1/2 tsp bottled minced garlic 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 8-oz plain fat-free yogurt In a small bowl, combine all ingredients using a whisk.
BEAN AND BACON SALAD 2 cans (16 oz each) whole green beans, drained 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup vinegar 1/4 tsp salt, optional 1/4 tsp black pepper 4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped 1/4 cup light mayonnaise 1 tsp prepared mustard 2 tsp vinegar dash of salt, optional 4 slices bacon, fried crisp and crumbled paprika for garnish
Combine beans, onions, olive oil, 1/4 cup vinegar, 1/4 tsp salt, and pepper. Toss mixture lightly; cover and refrigerate.
Mix eggs, mayonnaise, mustard, 2 tsp vinegar, and dash of salt. Just before serving, drain chilled bean mixture, add the bacon and toss well. Place each serving on a lettuce leaf. top with a spoonful of the egg mixture and sprinkle with paprika for garnish.