Mediterranean Salad

There are days when I don't feel like stepping into the kitchen - all thanks to the terribly hot summer we've been experiencing here - and yet feel like having delicious dinners...at home.

This Mediterranean salad is perfect for such days - served with wholemeal bread and a cold soup or some grilled chicken, it is makes for a very tasty and colourful dinner without too much of effort! What's more, this is one healthy and balanced meal - combining veggies, dairy and nuts.

Mediterranean Salad

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 2 medium sized
Sweet potato - 1
Bell pepper - 2 (I used a mix of red, yellow and green)
Shallots - 10
Garlic - 8 cloves
Tomato - 1 large
Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Dried basil - 1 1/2 tsp
Chilli flakes - 1/2 tsp
Feta cheese
black olives - a handful
walnuts - a handful

for the dressing:

white wine vinegar - 2 tbsp
honey - 1 tsp
mustard - 1 tsp
olive oil - 1 1/2 tsp
dried basil - 1 tsp

salt, pepper, chilli flakes

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 200 deg C

Parboil the potatoes and the sweet potatoes in salted water. Cut into cubes.

Cut the bell peppers into cubes. De-seed the tomatoes and cut into cubes. Peel the shallots, but don't cut them. Crush the garlic - just enough to loosen the skin.

Toss all the veggies together (including the potatoes, onion and the garlic) in the olive oil, chilli flakes, some dried basil leaves and salt. Cook in the pre-heated oven for about 25-30 minutes or until the veggies are tender.

Whisk together the mustard, olive oil, honey and the vinegar, season with dried basil, salt and pepper as per your taste and pour over the roasted veggies.

Top with the feta cheese, olives and walnuts and toss gently.
(So, you don't see these in my picture? Hmm...that's because I forgot - yes, forgot - to add them in my hurry to take the pictures. Realised when we ate the first spoonful - by which time, I didn't want to take pictures again).

Enjoy!!

Off to Priya's for AFAM : Bell Peppers, event started by Maheshwari.