salad

Beet and Feta Salad

This recipe was inspired from a meal at Wonderland on Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas cruise ship. This salad is super easy to prepare and is full of flavor. Candied walnuts complement the salad and a mustard balsamic vinaigrette adds freshness. 

Ingredients:

3 medium beets, scrubbed and trimmed
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 package of spinach salad greens (or use any greens of your choice)
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 avocado, cubed

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
salt and crushed black pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Place beets in a saucepan, and fill with enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes, until tender. Drain and then cool. Cut into cubes and set aside. 
  2. In a small skillet, place walnuts and cook on medium-low heat. Heat until walnuts are slightly toasted and then add the brown sugar. Warm until the sugar beings to melt. Remove from heat and coat walnuts with sugar.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar and mustard. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
  4. In a large bowl, mix spinach greens, cubed beets and cubed avocado. Sprinkle the candied walnuts, feta cheese, and drizzle the dressing on top. Serve and enjoy!

Mango Salad

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Description:
Enjoy the crunch of crisp vegetables and mango with a sweet and sour balsamic homemade dressing!

Preparation Time:
10 minutes

Servings:
8-10

Ingredients:

Salad:
1 semi ripe mango
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 orange bell pepper
½ medium red onion
2 medium carrots
½ chopped green coriander

Dressing:
2 teaspoons balsamic vinaigrette
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
a pinch of red chilli powder

Directions:

Julienne the three peppers into very thin pieces.
Chop the semi-ripe mango into small pieces.
Thinly slice the medium red onion.
Grate the carrots into long thin pieces.
Chop the green coriander.

To make the dressing, add the balsamic vinaigrette, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, sugar, and red chilli powder into a separate small mixing bowl. Whisk everything together to create the salad dressing.

Add the dressing right before serving the salad. Mix the dressing well in the salad and serve.

Pomegranate Salad

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Description :
This easy salad is a wonderful appetizer. It’s colorful, flavorful, and a must-try!

Preparation Time :
10 minutes

Servings :
8-10

Ingredients :

1 pomegranate’s seeds
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1-16 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-16 ounce chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen grilled corn kernels
3 tablespoons chopped coriander

Dressing:

1 lemon, juiced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon crushed black pepper
½ teaspoon Chaat Masala
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil (lemon flavored-optional)

Directions :

Thaw corn and de-seed pomegranate.

Combine ingredients in a big bowl. Chop coriander and top the salad.

For the dressing, in a separate small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, salt and pepper, chaat masala, and olive oil.

Add the dressing to the salad before serving. Toss and serve.

Note: Chaat masala is an Indian spice that is available in the South Asian section of all grocery stores. The spice is a mixture of dried mango powder, cumin, black salt, coriander, dried ginger, salt, black pepper, and chili power.

Enjoy!