Lunch:: Chicken, Pepper and Olive Salad with Balsamic Vinegar and Honey Dressing

This is a great Monday lunch salad, using up any of your roast chicken and new potatoes from a summer Sunday dinner. The dressing that accompanies this salad is first class and is worth making in its own right. I think that this would also work well with some hot smoked salmon flaked in, in place of the chicken. I have had this recipe in my book for a long time, but I think it was originally adapted from the Sainsbury's Magazine.

Chicken, Pepper and Olive Salad with Balsamic Vinegar and Honey Dressing

Prep time: 30 mins. Serves 4 as a lunch

It is easy enough to adapt this recipe for just one or two people by adjusting the salad quantities. I would still advise making all the dressing - you can keep it in the fridge if you don't use it all at once.

Ingredients

Cooked leftover chicken, shredded (or use 2 large chicken breasts, cooked)

Olive oil

2 Peppers (red, orange or yellow)

New potatoes 

Sunflower seeds, handful

Pine nuts, handful

Black olives

Salad leaves

Dressing

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp grainy mustard (I sometimes use a smooth Dijon)

2 tbsp runny honey

100ml olive oil

Method

1. Boil the new potatoes, if not using leftovers. This will take 25-30 minutes. Drain and leave aside.

2. Slice the peppers, add a little oil and cook in the oven for 15 minutes at 190C.

3. Toast the sunflower seeds and pine nuts in a dry frying pan. Keep moving them until they have turned a golden brown. This will take just a couple of minutes.

4. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jug and whisk until emulsified.

5. Put the salad leaves and olives in a serving bowl, add in the potatoes, chicken and peppers. 

6. Pour over the dressing and add the toasted seeds.

Love Mrs Jones x