VILLAGE GREEK SALAD WITH CHICKEN
	Preparation time: 20 minutes. Serves: 6.
	1 English cucumber, medium, unpeeled 2 cups (500 mL) cherry tomatoes, halved 1 red onion, medium, sliced 1 red pepper, medium, cut into chunks 1 green pepper, medium, cut into chunks 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 cups (750 mL) chicken breasts, cooked, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks ¼ cup (60 mL) black olives, pitted, sliced 6 oz (150 g) feta cheese 1 Tbsp (15 mL) oregano, dried 1 tsp (5 mL) thyme, dried 2 Tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice 2 Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil ½ tsp (2.5 mL) black pepper
	1. Cut the cucumber in half length-wise and then slice each half into 2 or 3 long strips. Cut across into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks and add to a large salad bowl. Add cherry tomatoes, red onion, red and green pepper and garlic to bowl. 2. Add chopped cooked chicken and sliced olives to salad bowl. 3. Crumble feta and add to bowl. Sprinkle with dried oregano, dried thyme, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss it all together and put in the refrigerator for at least a half-hour for flavours to mingle. Taste and adjust seasonings. Add more lemon juice if you like your salad more tart. 4. To serve, toss again and garnish with a generous grind of fresh ground black pepper. Notes: Bottle lemon juice is more tart and stronger than fresh. If you use the bottled lemon juice, add a bit less, and then taste and adjust to your preference.
	Calories, 270. Protein, 29 g. Total fat, 13 g. Saturated fat, 5 g. Carbohydrate, 12 g. Fibre, 3 g. Cholesterol, 85 mg. Sodium, 390 mg.

Looking forward to catching up with family or friends this weekend? Salads with chicken can be easy main courses for relaxing lunches or suppers.

Village Greek Salad with Chicken is full of fresh vegetables — cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, red and green peppers, and red onions. This recipe from Chicken Farmers of Canada also includes black olives and feta cheese but no lettuce, following a typical village-style Greek salad.

A village-style Greek salad, known as “horiatiki” in Greece, typically does not use lettuce, and the vegetables are in rough chunks. Adding lean chicken makes it hearty enough to be a light meal with some crusty bread. It is even better in the summer when tomatoes and produce are at their peak of freshness.

Want to fire up the barbecue? Check out Grilled Chicken Salad with Avocado Basil Cream. You use lime juice to marinate the chicken and in the salad dressing, along with avocado, jalapeno pepper, light sour cream, olive oil, vinegar and seasonings.

Cool Spicy Noodle Salad can make entertaining easy at home or the cottage.

If you want, you can make this Asian salad a day ahead and use a cooked rotisserie chicken from a deli or supermarket. The veggies include red and yellow peppers, carrots and green onions.

Planning a picnic? You may want to take Artichoke Heart, Date and Chicken Salad with Mint Yogurt Dressing. This refreshing salad can go well with a cold cucumber soup and crusty bread.

You can find these recipes, more summertime salads and how-to videos at www.chicken.ca.

Developed for Chicken Farmers of Canada by Nancy Guppy, RD, MHSc.

Chicken Farmers of Canada