Who wants to spend hours slaving away ina the kitchen when friends are round for lunch, the garden is in bloom and the wine is chilled and ready to pour. But before you start to cook you can save a lot of energy by buying the right ingredients.

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Easy summer salads are the way to go, now that the winter blues are fading into the distance and salad days are here. The best types of
salads are light, bright and easy to prepare.
Who wants to spend hours slaving away ina the kitchen when friends are round for lunch, the garden is in bloom and the wine is chilled and
ready to pour. But before you start to cook you can save a lot of energy by buying the right ingredients. That way you don't need the heavy
bottled sauces and dressings to make a great flavor. After all you don't want to take a beautiful crisp summer salad and soak it in a mixture
of fat, sugar, salt and chemicals do you?
Easy poached chicken salad
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (skinless), 1 finely sliced red onion, 1 whole half onion
4 good ripe tomatoes sliced thickly, 250 grams/4ozs salad leaves mixed, 4ozs raisins soaked in hot water for ten minutes
1 half lemon, 2 fresh or dry bay leaves, 1 teaspoon peppercorns black
1 small French, stick loaf or similar sliced at an angle into 1/2 inch slices
For the dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil, 1clove garlic crushed, 1/2 dessert spoon Dijon or other mild mustar, ,2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Whisk the vinegar and mustard together with the garlic, slowly add the olive oil while whisking and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To make the salad:
Bring a pan of water to the boil with the bay leaves, 1/2 white onion, lemon and peppercorns.
Carefully add the chicken and simmer gently until cooked, if you are unsure it is worth investing a few dollars in a meat thermometer. The
temperature should be at least 75 celcius/167 Fahrenheit, put the sliced bread on a baking tray and drizzle with the olive oil and season with
salt. Bake in a medium oven until crisp but soft in the middle.
Mix the leaves together with the onions and raisins. Turn in the salad dressing and put into 4 good-sized bowls. Place slices of tomato and
bread alternatly around the edge. Slice the warm chicken at an angle and put attractively on top of the salad. Sit back, enjoy and get
someone else to do the washing up.