Tag: Easy Summer Dinner Recipes for Family

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Greek Watermelon and Cottage Cheese Salad

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It’s the Greek summer favourite!

I know the minute you read Watermelon and Cottage Cheese Salad, you thought to yourself what a strange combination. This combination is not only refreshing but delicious too! One spoonful of this refreshing summer salad will leave you convinced that the combination of watermelon and cottage cheese is truly divine!

This easy summer salad is a favourite at our dinner table. We normally eat it as an evening snack or light meal. The sweet and salty mix of cottage cheese and watermelon definitely keeps us cool and refreshed during the hot summer days! 

It is the perfect summer salad recipe to toss up at the last minute if you have guests coming over or just want to cool yourself down after a tiring summer day! This vibrant bowl of watermelon is sure to add colour to any dinner table while you indulge in a feast with your loved ones.

Watermelon being the juicy summer fruit, icy cold cubes of it and crumbled salty cottage cheese salad is a Greek summer favourite. I have adapted this recipe from the classic Greek watermelon feta mix, making it easier to toss it up last minute by using cottage cheese instead of feta. The saltiness of the cottage cheese makes it the perfect substitute for feta. This variation includes thin slices of onion, a handful of seeds of your choice, a touch of freshly chopped vibrant mint leaves and a tangy lemon vinaigrette dressing. I have used pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and flax seeds to add a slight crunch.

All the ingredients required are the everyday pantry staples that we all have.  

It’s important you choose ingredients wisely and pick a juicy, ripe watermelon and fresh cottage cheese for your salad. How to pick the perfect juicy, ripe watermelon? 

The perfect watermelon for your salad

This is one of the tricky parts about choosing a watermelon as you don’t know what is inside. Most people check if the watermelon is ripe by tapping it. But another way to check is by lifting it.

Is the watermelon heavy according to its size? Compare it with the weight of another watermelon of the same size. The heavier the watermelon the ripest it is, which indicates that it is full of water. Also, take a close look at the colour of the watermelon. For the salad pick a dark and dull green watermelon instead of a light and shiny green one. This will make the perfect watermelon for your salad. 

The salad provides a lot of hydration from the watermelon, essential fatty acids and a full profile of amino acids along with vitamin A, B, C and E from the sunflower, pumpkin and flax seeds.  

Pair this refreshing salad with a chilled glass of wine and a chunk of bread. You can have it with any grilled meat such as chicken or fish, it’s a lovely light dinner. I recommend you to go out of your comfort zone and give this combination try. This is one of the best summer salads to indulge in on a hot day. I’m sure this watermelon and cottage cheese salad will become a favourite on your table. Just the way it did on ours!

Lets see how to prepare the Watermelon and Cottage Cheese Salad

Greek Watermelon and Cottage Cheese Salad
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Greek Watermelon and Cottage Cheese Salad

Recipe by Ishana PassiCourse: Salads, VegetarianDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

10

minutes
Cooking time

5

minutes
Total time

15

minutes

Ingredients SALAD

  • 1 handful chopped fresh mint leaves

  • 3 cups cubed, cold watermelon

  • 1/3 cup crumbled cottage cheese

  • 1 handful mixed seeds

  • DRESSING

  • 1tbsp olive oil

  • juice of 1 lemon

  • Rock salt to taste

  • Pepper to taste

  • 1 tsp honey

Directions

  • Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing and refrigerate.
  • Add the chopped mint leaves, watermelon, onion, cottage cheese and the seeds to a large salad bowl.
  • Drizzle the dressing and toss it all together.
  • Serve chilled.

Also try the Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Salad

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Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Salad

Grilled-chicken-salad-recipe-summer-salad-recipe-easy-summer-dinner-recipe-for-familyhealthy-salad-dressing-vinaigrette-arugula-leaves-marinated-grilled-chicken-3

No more dull grilled chicken dinners!

During this summer season, there is something about the heat that has me wanting lighter foods like this Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Salad. Grilled chicken salads make for a wholesome dinner to share with your loved ones. Summer salad recipes are not only simple to toss but also totally delicious and often a nutritional powerhouse, like this Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Salad. 

Nothing is more revitalising than a bowl of mixed greens, fresh summer produce and a healthy salad dressing. 

During the summer season, my father and I mostly indulge in refreshing and light salads to beat the heat. These easy summer dinner recipes for family are delicious and healthy salads. They always work when we are back from our workout sessions or simply just enjoying the evening breeze. We like to use fresh vegetables and greens and create a vibrant bowl leaving us satisfied and full. 

How-to-make-grilled-chicken-salad-recipe-spoonful-stories

This recipe provides lots of Vitamin A and folate from the arugula leaves, protein from the grilled chicken and lots of antioxidants from the cucumbers and tomatoes. The tangy honey-mustard vinaigrette is the perfect healthy salad dressing to balance the bitterness of the arugula leaves and the juiciness of the tomatoes. I assure you, put this refreshing summer salad in the centre of the table and it will be finished in no time. The tanginess of the dressing, bitterness of the leaves and the char of the grilled chicken is truly irresistible! If you have been trying to make your dinners healthier then this is the perfect salad to start with. 

This is a fairly simple recipe that only requires one dressing which also acts as a marinade for the grilled chicken. 

Arugula Leaves Preparation

You should always start by washing the arugula leaves under running water. This dusts off the dust and dirt and immediately resting them in an ice bath for a couple of minutes. The ice bath prevents the leaves from changing its colour and keeps them fresh. 

how to make healthy salad dressing

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

The honey-mustard vinaigrette requires olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, honey, oregano, chilli flakes, chopped garlic and mint leaves. Whisk together all the ingredients and you have your salad dressing ready! Isn’t it super quick and easy? 

Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Marinade

Now coming to the marinated grilled chicken! 

A tip, try to marinate and refrigerate the chicken for at least 2 hours. The key to marinating your grilled chicken longer is that the citric acid of the lemon juice will break down the fibres of the meat, tenderise it and at the same time enhance the flavour of the meat! Who doesn’t love a juicy grilled chicken breast?! 

Keep the grilled chicken marinade refrigerated, unless you want some bacteria to accompany your grilled chicken!

How to make the Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Salad

Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe 
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Lemon Herb Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe 

Recipe by Ishana PassiCourse: Non-Vegetarian, SaladDifficulty: Easy
Servings

4

servings
Prep time

20

minutes
Cooking time

15

minutes
Total time

35

minutes

Ingredients Dressing/marinade

  • 1 tbsp olive oil

  • 2 tbsp vinegar or apple cider vinegar

  • 1 tsp mustard

  • 2 tbsp water

  • juice of 1 lemon

  • zest of 1 lemon

  • 1 tsp freshly chopped coriander

  • 2 tsp honey

  • Rock salt to taste

  • Pepper to taste

  • 2 tsp finely chopped garlic

  • 500 gm boneless, skinless chicken breast

  • SALAD

  • 2 cups arugula leaves – washed and dried ( roughly chopped)

  • 1 large cucumber diced

  • 1 large tomato diced

  • 1 onion finely sliced

  • Rock salt to taste

Directions

  • Whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing in a large bowl. Keep aside half and refrigerate for later to use as the dressing. Pour out the remaining in a shallow dish.
  • Marinade the chicken in the dish for at least 15 minutes (if time allows up to 2 hours in the refrigerator). While the chicken is being marinated, prepare all the salad ingredients and toss together in a large bowl.
  • Let the chicken rest for 3-5 mins, slice and mix with the salad. Drizzle the remaining untouched dressing over the salad and serve!
  • Add a handful of mixed seeds of your choice to add extra crunch!

Notes

  • Keep the marinated chicken refrigerated.

Hi! If you have any questions related to the recipe please leave a comment below. Don’t keep this recipe to yourself and spread the word! Make sure to try the Asian Kale Salad Recipe for some Asian flavours.