Greek Vegetable Salad

This Greek vegetable salad was a great hit with a small group of friends lunching on my deck. A lovely summer afternoon: lunch with serious political discussion!  Yes, there is a webite www.greeksaladrecipe.net! It seems to be part of a network of recipe sites. I'll learn more about the network and let you know! Enjoy!

Greek Vegetable Salad

Ingredients:

Salad:

1 large cucumber, chopped
2 Roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1 (5 ounces) jar pitted Kalamata olives
1 (4 ounces) package Feta cheese, crumbled
1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 (10 ounces) package Romaine lettuce leaves
1/2 (10 ounces) package baby greens

Vinaigrette Dressing:

6 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar

Preparation:

 Salad

Add chopped cucumber, chopped tomato, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, sliced red onion, romaine lettuce, and baby greens to large serving bowl.

Vinaigrette Dressing

In a small bowl, whisk olive oil, garlic powder, dried oregano, dried basil, Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice, and red wine vinegar.

Source: Greeksaladrecipe.net

Well, My Vegetarian House has been out of touch for more than one month!  But, we have celebrated the perfect wedding for a perfectly matched couple. We wish them a life filled with happiness.

When everyone is going to eat grilled fish, how does the vegetarian get a good protein source for dinner? Look in your cupboard to see if you have ingredients for Greek Garbanzo Bean Salad.  Amazingly, I had most of the ingredients [except for the black olives] for this recipe that I found on www.allrecipes.com.  I  used olive oil instead of the Italian dressing to provide a more natural taste.  Try this out on a warm summer evening, such as tonight! Enjoy!

Greek Garbanzo Bean Salad

Ingredients

• 2 (15 ounce) cans garbanzo beans, drained
• 2 cucumbers, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (15 ounce) can black olives, drained and chopped
• 1 ounce crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup Italian-style salad dressing
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Combine the beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, red onion, garlic, olives, cheese, salad dressing, lemon juice, garlic salt and pepper. Toss together and refrigerate 2 hours before serving. Serve chilled.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/greek-garbanzo-bean-salad/detail.aspx

Tofu "Egg" Salad

I'm continuing the recipes from my Summer Sunday Brunch, but, remind me to tell you about my wonderful Summer Dinner on the Deck menu!  This Tofu "Egg" Salad proved to be a surprise hit, but, admittedly, several of the brunch guests carefully watch their fat and cholesterol intake.  The original recipe is from kblog.lunchboxbunch.com, but, of course, I made some changes.  Enjoy!

Tofu "Egg" Salad

Ingredients:

12 ounce package firm tofu

1/3 cup organic mayo

1/3 cup horseradish mustard (the original recipe suggested classic Grey Poupon)

1 teaspoon celery seed

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup chopped scallions, include the green sections

Instructions:

1. Prepare tofu by squeezing out the liquid and dicing into small cubes.
2. Mix scallions, seasonings, mayo, mustard with the tofu.
3. I smashed some of the tofu cubes to achieve a somewhat smoother texture.
4. The author said add celery for crunch, if you wish. I think I'll add pickle relish next time.
5. Chill until ready to serve.