Rocket, Chickpea and Pancetta Salad

This is one of my favourite salads in recent times – it goes beautifully with grilled white fish, a barbecue and is delicious on its own as well.  The cannellini beans add balance to the peppery rocket and hint of chilli whilst the pancetta adds crunch. The feta rounds it all off.  The salad keeps overnight and the leftovers make a delicious lunch the next day.

Note: This salad is a little salty from the feta and pancetta so be careful not to add salt – if the salad is too salty for you replace the feta with ricotta.  You can replace the pancetta with very thinly sliced bacon in times when the flat pancetta is difficult to find.

Serves 6-8.

1 long red chilli, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon sambal oelek
200g flat pancetta, thinly sliced into strips
2x340g cans of cannellini beans, drained
200g rocket leaves
200g Danish feta or ricotta
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons olive oil

1. Layer rocket in a large flat salad bowl or plate.
2. Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, Dijon mustard and lemon juice in a cup and mix well with a fork or teaspoon to combine.
3. Cook chilli or sambal oelek in 1 tablespoon olive oil in medium sized frying pan over medium heat.  Add pancetta slices in a single layer and fry till crisp. Remove and drain on paper towel when done.
4. Add drained chick peas to frying pan, reduce heat and cook stirring frequently until chick peas are heated through.
5. Sprinkle warm chick peas over rocket. Drizzle with mustard dressing. Top with crumbled pancetta and top with crumbled feta or ricotta.
6. Serve. Yum!!!

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Cannellini Bean and Beetroot Salad – Ideal for a Barbecue

Low GI beetroot and cannellini beans are freshened up with crunchy snow peas and spicy rocket. The smooth avocado, tasty feta and crunch walnuts add textural elements. Easy to make with pantry ingredients and different from the usual green salad, this is an excellent accompaniment to any barbecued meat. The salad keeps well with leftovers delicious the next day.

Serves 4-6.

Large handful baby rocket leaves
50g(2oz) snowpeas, topped and finely shredded
1x1lb can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1x1lb can baby beetroot, drained, cut into wedges
1 avocado, peeled and cut into generous chunks
100g (4oz) Danish Feta
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 Tablespoons olive oil whisked with 1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

1. Place rocket, snow peas and cannellini beans in the bottom of a large shallow salad bowl.
2. Top with beetroot and avocado.
3. Drizzle over olive oil/balsamic dressing.
4. Dot with crumbled feta and walnuts.
5. Serve.

Tuna Salad – Quick and Easy for a Light Lunch or Supper

Use a quality canned tuna like Sirena and, with the simple ingredients and fresh flavours, you can’t go wrong. This version of a Tuna salad takes minutes to put together, is really healthy and will be loved by the whole family.

Serves 4

125g baby English spinach leaves
1x375g tin cannellini beans
1x384g tin Sirena tuna in brine, drained
1 lebanese cucumber, sliced into wedges
3 tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1. Layer baby spinach in a shallow salad dish
2. Add remaining salad ingredients
3. Combine oil and lemon and spoon over the top of the salad
4. Grind over some black pepper and serve with crusty bread