Salad of White Beans with Tomatoes and Tuna

Serves 3-4/Vegetarian
For the Dressing:
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. lemon juice
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Salad:
one 15-oz. can navy or cannellini beans, drained
one 7-oz. can tuna, drained and broken into chunks
5 oz cherry tomatoes, quartered
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
1-2 tbsp. chopped fresh marjoram or mint
In a small bowl, mix together the olive oil, lemon juice and seasoning. Assemble the remaining ingredients in a bowl and then drizzle with the dressing and toss.

Caponate

Leftover caponata will keep, covered in the refrigerator, for up to a week.
Toss with warm pasta; serve on top of meat, chicken, or fish; or simply serve it with some toasted bread or crostini.

1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes *I peeled the eggplant in stripes and then cut into cubes.
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 (14-1/2-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
3 tablespoons raisins
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
4 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more to taste.
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste.
In a large stainless-steel skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the celery and eggplant and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the bell pepper and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, raisins, and oregano to the pan. Simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens, about 20 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, capers, salt, and pepper. Season with more salt and pepper, if needed.

Provencal Lentil Salad

This is such a tasty salad. You can serve it right away, but it gets better with time. Make it a day before you plan to serve it to let the flavors develop.

1/2 cup lentils, picked over, rinsed and drained
1/2 onion, halved
1 garlic clove, slightly crushed
1 bay leaf
1 red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/2 red onion, chipped
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the lentils with the onion quarters, garlic and bay leaf until the lentils are just tender, 20-30 minutes. Drain, discarding the onion, garlic and bay leaf.
2. Transfer the lentils to a medium bowl and toss withe the bell pepper, red onion, parsley, oil, vinegar, sage, salt and black pepper. Cool to room temperature before serving.

Beet, Carrot, and Cabbage Slaw

Slaw
3 medium red or yellow beets, shredded
3 medium carrots, shredded
1 head cabbage, shredded
1/2 red onion, shredded
Dressing
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. honey
1 small shallot, minced
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped
salt and fresh-ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
Place the beets, carrots, cabbage, and onion in a large bowl. In a small bowl combine the vinegar, mustard, honey, shallot, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk to combine. Slowly add the olive oil in a steam, whisking constantly to emulsify. Pour the dressing over the slaw. Toss to coat. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Asian Cucumber Salad

3 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded, sliced
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar
3 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
1 1/2 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted in a skillet until golden brown
Toss the cucumbers with the salt and place in a colander in the sink to drain for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Whisk the vinegar, sesame oil, sugar, and hot pepper flakes until blended and the sugar is dissolved. Rinse the cucumbers and pat them dry with paper towels. Toss the cucumbers with the dressing. Top with the sesame seeds and serve immediately.

German Potato Salad

German Potato Salad
Heart healthy version!
6 small to medium potatoes, (Yukon gold or whatever)
1/2 cup chopped scallions (white and green parts; about 6 scallions) I use green onions
4 slices of bacon; I used 3 tablespoons of real bacon bits
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and pour over enough water to cover. Set the pan over high heat, bring to a boil, and let boil until the potatoes are fork tend, about 8 minutes. Drain and, wile still warm, transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add the scallions, bacon, vinegar, and oil and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or chilled.