Summer Salads with a Twist!

If your regular pasta salad and potato salad are making you 

yawn, these twists are sure to awaken your senses! Make them ahead for best flavour and serve them up with some grilled kabobs, burgers or any other of your favourite summer grilling fare.

Pasta Lemon Berry Salad

Prep: 15 min Cook: 8 min Serves: 8 

Half a 500 g bag of rotini or curly type short pasta

3/4 cup plain Balkan style or Greek yogurt

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil with lemon

1/2 tsp grated lemon zest

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or fresh mint

1 pint (6 oz/170 g) fresh blueberries

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Boil pasta in a pot of boiling salted water for about 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water; drain well.

Whisk together yogurt, oil, lemon zest and juice and salt in a large bowl. Add pasta to coat. Stir in basil and parsley. 

Add blueberries to stir through and sprinkle with almonds to serve.

Tip: For a bigger hit of lemon flavour be sure to add another 1/4 tsp of lemon zest to the dressing.

Cauliflower "Potato" Salad

Prep: 15 min Cook: 8 min Serves: 8

1 large head cauliflower, leaves removed

1 cup light mayonnaise

2 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp salt 

1/4 tsp pepper

2 stalks celery, diced

3 green onions, thinly sliced

3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 hard cooked eggs, chopped

2 baby dill pickles, chopped

Cut cauliflower into large pieces and cook in pot of boiling water for about 8 minutes or until tender. Drain well and rinse with cold water; let drain and break into bite size pieces.

In a large bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, celery seed, salt and pepper. Stir in celery, onions and parsley. Gently add cauliflower and stir to coat. Add eggs and pickles and stir to distribute. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours before serving.