Grilled Chilli Lime Chicken Fajita Salad

This salad caught my eye when I first saw the picture on the net. Tender and juicy chicken grilled in a chilli lime marinade and served with avocado slices, grilled capsicum, onion and lettuce. The best part of this recipe is that the marinade is also used as a dressing. Just make the marinade and use half of it to marinate chicken and other half can be kept in the fridge to use as dressing. We really loved this flavourful salad and is a great addition to a party menu :) 

Grilled Chilli Lime Chicken Fajita Salad

(Recipe from here)

Ingredients:

Marinade/Dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil

100ml (just over ⅓ cup) freshly squeezed lime juice

2 tablespoons fresh chopped coriander leaves

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon red chilli flakes 

½ teaspoon ground Cumin

1 teaspoon salt

Salad:

4 boneless chicken

½ yellow bell pepper, deseeded and sliced

½ red bell pepper, deseeded and sliced

½ an onion, sliced

5 cups lettuce leaves, washed and dried

2 avocados, sliced

Extra coriander leaves to garnish

Sour cream (optional) to serve

Method:

• Whisk marinade ingredients together to combine. Pour half the marinade into a shallow dish to marinade the chicken fillets for two hours if time allows. Refrigerate the reserved untouched marinade to use as a dressing.
• Heat about one teaspoon of oil in a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat and grill chicken fillets on each side until golden, crispy and cooked through. (Grill in batches to prevent excess water being released.) Once chicken is cooked, set aside and allow to rest.
• Wipe pan over with paper towel; drizzle with another teaspoon of oil and fry pepper and onion strips until cooked to your liking.
• Slice chicken into strips and prepare salad with leaves, avocado slices, peppers, onion strips and chicken. Drizzle with remaining marinade/dressing and serve with extra coriander leaves and sour cream.

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Falafel Salad

This salad recipe was shared by my friend, Neethu in Kuwait. A classic Arabic salad and a party pleaser too.... You can prepare falafel ahead of time and fry them just before preparing the salad. For healthier options you can even bake or grill the falafel.... you can add any leafy vegetable like spinach, cabbage etc to the salad.... 

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Chicken Biriyani / Kozhi Biryani

Like I said in my Mutton Biriyani post there are plenty of ways to make biriyani and every household has their own unique recipe for the same. This recipe is from my mom which many moons ago was published in Vanitha magazine. Whenever I make chicken biriyani I stick to this recipe as it is easy to make and can be prepared ahead of time and baked just before serving. So if you are planning to make biriyani on Christmas or New Year try this one and let me know :)

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Mango and Avocado Salad

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Spinach and Avocado Salad

Spinach and Avocado Salad

(Recipe Source: Pam’s For the Love of Cooking)

Ingredients:

Baby spinach

1-2 avocados, diced

Cherry tomatoes, quartered

Red onion diced

Craisins

Orange

Croutons

Parmesan cheese, shaved

Simple Vinaigrette (recipe below)

• Place the baby spinach in a large bowl then top with the avocados, tomatoes, red onion, craisins, croutons, and Parmesan cheese.

Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup canola oil

1 1/2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar

1/2 red wine vinegar

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 tsp sugar

Sea salt and Freshly cracked pepper, to taste

• Make the vinaigrette at least 30 minutes prior to serving the salad so the flavors have time to mingle. Combine the ingredients together and whisk well before serving.
• Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad to taste; toss until evenly coated. Serve immediately.

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Moroccan Carrot and Orange Salad

Found this very refreshing and colorful salad at Soma’s e-curry blog. This slightly sweet and tangy salad can be served as it is or as a side dish with grilled dishes. This can be made ahead of time.

Moroccan Carrot and Orange Salad

(Recipe Source: Soma’s e-curry blog)
Ingredients:

5 Big Carrots, grated
3/4 Cup Golden Raisins
1/3 Cup Almonds / Pine nuts, lightly toasted
3 Clementines / Oranges, Peeled and segments halved
2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp Orange Juice
1tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp Honey
Fresh Mint Leaves
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds, crushed
1 tsp Paprika
Pinch of Salt
1 tbsp Orange Blossom Water

Method:

• Soak the raisins in hot water for 30 minutes, then drain.
• Peel the carrots and grate/shred them. Mix the carrots, oranges, nuts, raisins and mint leaves in a bowl.
• Combine Orange blossom water, lemon juice, orange juice, honey, olive oil, salt, paprika and cumin and whisk well.
• Combine the dressing with the carrots, oranges and other ingredients in the bowl. Cover, and refrigerate for half hour or more to allow the salad to macerate.
• Serve in bowls along with the juice.

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Green Papaya Salad / Kappalanga (Omakka) Salad

I have never tried raw papaya salads before and when I saw this recipe I thought of giving it a try. It was really good with a mix of different flavors of slightly tangy, sweet and hot with crunchy vegetables and peanuts. I didn’t have Seitan (a vegetarian wheat meat), so omitted it. Try this simple but really good healthy salad with raw papaya. I only made half the amount and it was sufficient for both of us…

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Greek Salad

Greek Salad

Ingredients:

Cucumber - ½

Plum Tomatoes-3

Red bell pepper- ½

Yellow bell pepper-1/2

Green bell pepper-1/2

Red Onion-1/2

Lettuce-1/4 (optional)

Olives-60gm (2 ½ oz)

Feta Cheese- 50gm (2oz), diced

Dressing

Olive oil-4 tbsp

Chopped Parsley-1 tbsp

Salt and Pepper to taste

Dried Oregano-1 tsp

Method:

• Cut the cucumber, tomatoes, red, yellow and green peppers and lettuce into 1-2 cm pieces and put them in a large bowl. Finely slice the red onion and add to the bowl with olives.
• Make the dressing by whisking the oil, parsley and oregano. Season to taste with salt and peppers.
• Pour the dressing over the salad and toss carefully. Transfer to serving bowls, scatter some feta cheese evenly over each bowl and serve.

Sending this salad to the 'Only' Salads event hosted by Prathibha ,which is started by Pari of Foodelicious.

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Melon Fruit Bowl

When I saw the Melon Fruit Bowl at Soma of e-curry blog, I thought of impressing my little one with the Honeydew Bowl …. Though I am no where close to Soma’s styling and photography skills, I thoroughly enjoyed making the melon basket… I added some strawberries to the melon… as I didn’t have any blueberries, blackberries or even mint leaves :D…visit Soma’s place to see her beautiful melon basket and recipe :) ......

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Pink Strawberry Dip ~ for PINKTOBER

"Every person has 1000 wishes, a cancer patient only one: to get better"

October or PINKTOBER, is the National breast Cancer Awareness Month. The NBCAM organization is a partnership of national public service organizations, professional medical associations, and government agencies working together to promote breast cancer awareness, share information on the disease, and provide greater access to screening services..... I lost my mother; the most precious women in my life due to breast cancer. She was only 44….A loss that is still difficult to accept even after 13 long years…. A sudden loss that still has the same bitter pain, a loss that completely changed my life…. This post is dedicated to those who lost the battle with cancer, to those who bravely fought and won and to those who are still fighting…. Our prayers go out to all those families that are affected by this dreaded decease…

Pink Strawberry Dip

Ingredients:
(Adapted from Nita Mehta’s Mocktails & Snacks)

Yogurt - 1 cup
Strawberries - ½ cup, chopped
Mint leaves - 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Honey- 1 tsp
Mustard paste-1 tsp
Chaat masala-1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Lemon juice- 1 tsp


Method:

• Tie the yogurt in a muslin cloth and hang it to drain for 1 hour.
• Blend strawberries for a few seconds to make a strawberry puree.
• Beat the yogurt till smooth. Mix strawberry puree and all the other ingredients to the beaten yogurt. Keep in the refrigerator till serving.
• Served with peeled carrots and cucumber cut into sticks, celery sticks, capsicum and blanched broccoli or cauliflower florets with long stalks.
• Arrange the vegetables in a plate with the dip in the centre.
• A little milk may be added to the dip if it appears too thick.
• Sprinkle chaat masala, lemon juice and toasted sesame seeds on the vegetables.
• Enjoy!

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Oriental Noodle Salad

Colorful and crunchy, this salad is ideal for a party crowd. To make a main-dish salad, add cooked shrimp or chicken. You can easily substitute vegetables like snow peas, red pepper, canned bamboo shoots, canned chestnuts, canned baby corns etc. if you wish.

Oriental Noodle Salad
Ingredients:

Salad:
100 gm - Noodles or thin pasta
1 medium – size carrot, pared and cut into matchsticks
1 small head lettuce, trimmed, washed, dried and torn into bite size pieces
1 small Capsicum, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
½ cup sliced Celery
1 small Onion sliced
¼ cup Corn kennels

Dressing:
Soy sauce- 2 tbsp
Rice wine vinegar- 2 tbsp
Oriental Sesame oil- 11/2 tsp
Cilantro or Parsley, chopped - 1 tbsp
Ginger, finely chopped - 1 ½ tsp
Pepper powder- ¼ tsp
Chicken broth – ¼ cup
Mayonnaise- ¼ cup
Peanuts, chopped – 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Prepare Salad:
   Cook Noodles/Pasta according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cold water; drain well. Combine noodles/pasta, carrots, lettuce, capsicum, celery, onion and corn in large bowl.
2. Prepare Dressing:
   Stir together soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, cilantro and ginger in small bowl. Add dressing to pasta; toss well to combine. Refrigerate, covered, until serving. Whisk together chicken broth and mayonnaise in small bowl until smooth. Refrigerate, covered until serving.
3. To Serve:
   Toss salad with mayonnaise mixture. Garnish with peanuts.

Make-Ahead Tip: The salad and mayonnaise mixture can be prepared separately up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated, covered. Toss with the mayonnaise mixture just before serving.

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Spicy Orange Chicken Salad!

This is the third recipe I have tried from Pam’s For the Love of Cooking blog. Her Strawberry and Banana Muffins and Flank Steak Panini were keeper recipes. And now this Spicy Orange Chicken Salad is a huge hit in my family. Try this easy to make, delicious and filling salad!






Spicy Orange Chicken Salad
Adapted from here

Salad:
8 oz of romaine lettuce, chopped
8 oz of roasted chicken, chopped
3 green onions, diced
5 celery stalks, chopped
2 large oranges, peeled and cut into segments

Dressing:
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp hot sauce (more if you desire)
1 tsp sugar


Method:

• Combine the lettuce, roasted chicken, green onions, celery, and orange segments in a large bowl.
• In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, hot sauce, and sugar then mix thoroughly.
• Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated.
• Serve immediately.

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Parmesan & Macaroni Chicken Salad with Roasted Bell Pepper

A very tasty and rich salad adapted from Ria's Collection

Ingredients:
Macaroni-150gm, boiled
Chicken-100gm,boiled and shredded
Parmesan cheese- 75 gm, grated
Mayonnaise-5 tbsp
Frankfurters -2, stir fried and sliced to small pieces
Sweet corn kernals-4 tbsp
Roasted bell pepper-1, cut into bite sized pieces
Fresh cream-1/2 cup
Vinegar/lime juice- 1 tbsp
Salt and pepper-to taste
Cilantro-2 sprigs
Italian seasoning- 1tbsp

Method:

• Mix everthing togther and chill for 5-6 hours. (Adjust seasonings as per your taste).
• Serve cold.

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Purple Cabbage Salad Recipe

I tried this wonderful salad from Elanas Pantry . You can see the original recipe here with the stunning photo...Thank you Elana for this really tasty and colourful salad recipe....

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Tabbouleh / Cracked Wheat & Herb Salad

Ingredients:

1 bunch Parsley, finely chopped (stems discarded)

1 Small Onion, finely chopped

1 medium Tomato, finely chopped, seeded

1/2 teaspoons Salt

1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper powder

Juice of 1 lemon

25gm fine Bulgur (Cracked Wheat)

60ml boiling water

1 tsp mint, finely chopped

1 tsp Olive Oil

Method:

• Place cracked wheat in a bowl, add boiling water and set aside to soak for 15 minutes.
• Place chopped parsley, mint, onion and tomato in a large bowl then add the salt and pepper.
• Mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
• Drain the cracked wheat, squeeze out excess water and add to the bowl and combine. Finally add lemon juice, olive oil and mix all ingredients.
• Serve chilled or at room temperature.
  

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Brinjal Dip/ Baba Ghannouj/ Moutabal

Ingredients:
1 large aubergine (Brinjal)
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons tahini (Sesame paste)
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons natural yoghurt
2 teaspoons olive oil, for garnishing
Juice of half a lemon, for garnishing





Method:

• Preheat oven to 180ºC (350ºF) for five minutes. Place whole Brinjal on a baking tray and bake for 45 minutes until outer shell is crisp and inside is soft. Set aside to cool for 20 minutes.


• Split open the brinjal by cutting in the centre, and scoop out the flesh into a medium sized bowl. Discard the skin.


• Next add the garlic, salt, lemon juice, yoghurt, tahini and mash by hand until a smooth puree is achieved, or place in a blender and pulse for 5 seconds.


• Spoon onto a serving dish. Garnish with olive oil and lemon juice. Decorate with parsley, olives or paprika. Serve chilled or at room temperature with pitta bread.

This goes to Chutney / Dip Mania at Mane Adige

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Brinjal Salad / Batinjan Bil Laban (Aubergine With Yoghurt)

This is an arabic salad that I make very often. Try it out, it is nice and healthy and very easy to make and I am sure you will love it.

Ingridents:

Brinjal-1 medium cut into thin circles

Garlic-1 colve, crushed

Salt-1 tea spoon

Fat FreeYoghurt-200ml (1 cup)

Vegetable oil-2table spoon, for frying

Parsley or Dill leaves-3table spoon

Method:

1-Place yoghurt in a medium bowl, add salt, garlic, 2 table spoon parsley or dill leaves and mix well and keep aside.

2-Slice Brinjal into thin circles.

3-Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large non stick frying pan and fry brinjal slices on medium heat until slightly brown and crisp.

4-Tansfer fried brinjal slices on an absorbent paper to soak any oil. Lay the brinjal slices in a serving dish and top with yoghurt mixture. Garnish with left over parsley or dill leaves and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

5- Serve Chilled decorated with fried Kuboos.

This goes to Pooja's "Vegetable Of the Week - Brinjal".

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