Bean salad

Salads have a reputation for being a slimmer's choice and are often considered to be a poor substitute for a filling meal. But they don't have to be boring, bland, or leave you hungry. Salads can be filling, adventurous , and highly nutritious. All it takes is a little imagination! Add potatoes, beans or pasta to make a salad more filling. Add fruit for a kick of sweetness, or herbs and spices for a savoury lift. Make your own dressings without all the additives present in supermarket sauces. A sprinkling of nuts and seeds provide interest, variety, and add extra protein. Hard boiled eggs, a chunk of cheese, or cold meat, can provide a filling and tasty center-piece.
At this time of year, salads enjoy a surge in popularity, often as and accompaniment to barbecues, garden parties and for picnics with friends. Why not try some of these seasonal recipes when you're preparing a meal for yourself or your guests?

Bean salad
Beans provide both complex carbohydrate and protein. They are low fat and very healthy. A mixed salad is unbeatable for vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, which promote good health and support your immune system.

Ingredients
2-3 heaped tablespoons of kidney beans, cooked and left to cool
A handful of wholegrain pasta, cooked and left to cool
Half a carrot, sliced
A stick of celery, sliced
A portion of cucumber, sliced
8-10 cherry tomatoes
Half a pepper, sliced
Hard boiled eggs sliced into halves (optional)

Sauce:
3 tablespoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon of mustart seed
1 tablespoon of chopped fresh basil
A splah of olive oil
60 grams / 2 ounces goats' or sheep cheese, grated.

Toss all the ingredients, except for the egg, together. Add the hard boiled egg as an accompaniment on the side. You can take this for lunch when you spend the day on your allotment. It is surprisingly filling!