Edamame Summer Salad

This edamame summer salad boasts pan-roasted edamame and sweet corn tossed together with tomatoes, cucumber, onion and feta, dressed with a garlic lemon vinaigrette. So fresh and tasty! 

 

It’s been a while since Food Network was one of the channels I could watch on my cable tv list but when I was searching online for recipes with edamame, I came across one by Alton Brown on their website.

It sounded simple enough with edamame, corn and tomatoes but, weirdly for a summery salad, it wanted me to turn the oven on to roast the edamame and corn. Really, Alton? I don’t know where he lives but in the southern United States no one, and I mean no one, would turn their oven on to make a summer salad. 

Because we aren’t crazy. And, yes, I know it’s March right now but it was already 80°F (26.6°C) yesterday so I’m still not turning my oven for this. Most unnecessary! 

I did like the idea of roasting the edamame and corn for a little extra flavor and crunch though so a hot skillet seemed the way to go. And I decided to add even more summer vegetable freshness with cucumber. And carrots and jalapeño and feta. 

This is the best kind of salad, the kind you can eat for days and it just gets better. Nothing that wilts! I've had it for lunch the last few days and I'm going to be sad when it's gone. 

Edamame Summer Salad

I give my amounts for the salad ingredients but know that you can add more or less according to your tastes. Love tomatoes, up the amount. Not such a fan of cucumber, put less. Want to add some basil like Alton does? Knock yourself out. It’ll still be good. 

Ingredients

For the vinaigrette dressing:

1/3 cup or 80ml olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced

2 spring onions, chopped (white part only, save green for salad)

1/2 teaspoon fine salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the salad:

2 cups or 280g shelled edamame 

1 cup or 140g fresh or frozen corn kernels

1/2 cucumber

1/4 purple onion, thinly sliced

1 ½ cups or 210g cherry or grape tomatoes

1 ½ cups or 110g shredded carrots

1 fresh jalapeño - optional

3 ½ oz or 100g feta cheese

Reserved green part of 2 spring onions

Method

Combine the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small jar or container with a lid. Close the lid and shake well.

In a nonstick skillet over medium high heat, sauté the edamame, stirring very frequently, until the edamame is scorched a little in spots. 

Transfer it to a plate to cool. 

Repeat with the corn.

Thinly slice the purple onion. 

Put the onion in a large bowl and pour over three-quarters of the vinaigrette. Finely mince the jalapeño, if using, and add it to the dressing bowl. Press the onion and jalapeño down into the dressing to cover. 

Cut the little tomatoes in half.

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out the watery seeds with a small spoon. Chop the rest. 

Crumble the feta with the tines of a fork and slice the green part of the spring onion into small pieces. 

Add the edamame and corn to the dressing bowl and toss well. 

Add in the tomatoes, cucumber and carrots. 

Taste and see if you need to add the rest of the vinaigrette. If not, store any unused dressing in the refrigerator for another salad. Garlic lemon vinaigrette is lovely on leafy greens. 

Finally, add in the crumbled feta and toss gently to combine. 

You can add the spring onion greens directly to the top in the bowl and serve or transfer the salad to a serving plate and sprinkle them on. 

Refrigerate any leftovers and enjoy them for several days, if they last that long. 

Enjoy! 

Welcome to the 4th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter E. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the E recipes below:

• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Corn and Edamame Salad
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Dim Posto - Bengali Egg Curry
• Blogghetti: Easter Candy Charcuterie Board
• Food Lust People Love: Edamame Summer Salad
• Sneha’s Recipe: Eggless Banana Chocolate Cake
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Baked Beef Empanadas
• A Messy Kitchen: Golden Egg Bread
• Culinary Cam: Mayak Gyeran: A Riff on Korean Marinated Eggs
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Souper Easy Quiche
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Whipped Feta Lemon Zest & Basil Deviled Eggs

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin this Edamame Summer Salad! 

.

Coconut Cream Date Caramel

Thick, rich and naturally sweet, this coconut cream date caramel is made with Medjool dates. This no-cook recipe is fast, easy and accidentally vegan! 

A couple of years back, I bought some dates to make a recipe that only called for a few. I don’t even remember what that was but it must have been worth it or I wouldn’t have bought the whole pack.

The dilemma: What to do with the rest of the dates? This coconut cream date caramel was perfect. Creamy, smooth and not too sickly sweet. Even better, it is vegan so I was able to share it with a friend who can’t eat dairy. 

Coconut Cream Date Caramel

This recipe makes just a little less than 1 pint jar will hold, 1.9 cups or 450ml. The finished caramel weighs 1.23lbs or 560g. Assuming the coconut cream can has been sitting on the shelf for a while without being shaken, the thickest part of the cream will have risen to the top. That’s what you want to measure and use.

Ingredients

15 Medjool dates – about 12 1/2 oz or 355g before pitting

1/4 cup or 60ml unsweetened coconut cream from the top of the can

1/3 cup or 80ml date water from soaking

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt or more to taste

Method

Use a sharp knife to cut the dates in half. Remove and discard the pits and any hard bits (adhering fruit stalks) on the stem ends. 

Put the pitted dates in a heatproof bowl and cover them with hot water. Leave to soak for about 10 minutes.

Open the can of coconut cream from the bottom, if possible, and pour off the liquid and save it. 

Measure out 1/4 cup or 60ml of the thick cream. Make up the correct amount, if necessary, by adding a little of the thin cream. You can use the rest in another recipe, like a saucy curry.

Drain the dates, reserving 1/4 cup or 60ml of the soaking water. 

Add the pitted dates to a food processor along with the coconut cream, soaking liquid, vanilla and salt. 

Process until super smooth, scraping down the food processor occasionally. 

Spoon into a clean jar or covered vessel and store in your refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or longer. Let your nose guide you. 

This is lovely spread on toast, spooned into yogurt or warmed and drizzled over ice cream. 

Enjoy!

Welcome to the 3rd edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter D. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the D recipes below:

• Chocolate Covered Sandwich Cookies with Dulce de Leche from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Coconut Cream Date Caramel from Food Lust People Love
• Dalithoy, Konkani Style Dal from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Deviled Egg Charcuterie Board from Blogghetti
• Dirty Shirley Cocktails from Jolene’s Recipe Journal 
• Dragon Paneer Roll from Magical Ingredients
• Ricotta Gnudi with Creamy Mushroom Sauce from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Keto Dairy Savory Crepes with Almond Flour from Sneha’s Recipe
• Parmesan & Cheddar Pimento Corn Chip Dip from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice 
• Sesame Dandelion Greens, Siguemchi Namul-Style from Culinary Cam
• Sticky Toffee Swirled Cookies from A Messy Kitchen

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin this Coconut Cream Date Caramel!

.

Popcorn-Crusted Chicken Tenders

The perfect finger food, popcorn-crusted chicken tenders are flavorful and crunchy with a buttered popcorn coating. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

If you have been reading here for a while, you know that I am a huge fan of Costco and shop there regularly when I am in the States but I must confess that, IMO, their microwave popcorn is terrible. So many kernels left unpopped that it’s ridiculous. 

I bought my husband their enormous box of microwave popcorn a few years ago as a surprise treat and we ended up throwing most of it away. Did we have an old batch? The expiry date said otherwise. Truly, I didn't know what to think. If you’ve had a different experience, I’d love to hear about it. Maybe it's improved?

After trying many brands (Act II, Pop-secret, Orville Redenbacher, Jolly Time, etc.) we’ve finally decided that Orville Redenbacher original butter is the best value for money with the number of kernels that actually pop vs price and flavor. (Also no PFAS in the packaging these days.) So that’s what I used in this recipe. If you use a brand that tastes good and pops more reliably, I’d love to hear about that too! 

That said, you can also use stovetop popped corn but then you won't have the buttery flavor in the crust. 

Popcorn-Crusted Chicken Tenders

This recipe was adapted for one on All Recipes that was meant to be cooked in an air fryer but having baked similar dishes in my oven, like my oven-baked butterflied shrimp and salt-and-vinegar-chip crusted cod fingers, I cranked up the temperature and it worked great. Crunchy chicken outside, tender tenders inside.

Ingredients

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

¼ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon mustard powder

Several generous grinds black pepper

2 tablespoons cornstarch

14 oz or 397g chicken tenders (about 8)

1 bag Orville Redenbacher butter microwave popcorn or your favorite brand

1 large egg + pinch sea salt

Method

Use a sharp knife to remove the thick white tendon from the tenders. 

Dry them thoroughly with paper towels then season them with them with the salt, paprika, mustard powder and black pepper. 

Toss them with the cornstarch to make sure they are seasoned all over and completely coated. 

Preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C and line a baking pan with baking parchment or a silicone liner. 

Pop the bag of popcorn according to manufacturer’s instructions. Open and leave to cool then measure out 4 cups or about 35g of popcorn into a plastic bag and crush it into crumbs. 

In a large bowl, beat the egg well with the pinch of salt. 

Dip the seasoned chicken pieces into the beaten egg.

Then add to popcorn crumb bag and shake to coat.

Place the coated chicken on your prepared baking pan. 

Bake for 8 minutes in your preheated oven. 

Turn the chicken over and cook for an addition 6-8 minutes or until golden and cooked through. 

Serve hot and crispy with your favorite dipping sauce. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing recipes for and/or with popcorn in celebration of National Popcorn Month! Many thanks to our host Camilla from Culinary Cam. Check out the links below. 

• Beurre Noisette Popcorn Balls, A Bubbly, and Other Popcorn and Wine Pairings by Culinary Cam
• Bourbon Popcorn Trio by Our Good Life
• Caramel Popcorn by Sneha's Recipe
• Nacho Cheese Popcorn Seasoning by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Parmesan Thyme Popcorn with Browned Butter by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Popcorn-Crusted Chicken Tenders by Food Lust People Love
• Popcorn Granola Bars by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sweet and Salty Popcorn Snack Mix by Making Miracles

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin these Popcorn-Crusted Chicken Tenders! 

.

Family Favorite Tuna Salad

Hard-boiled egg yolks mashed into the mayo/mustard mixture mimics the flavor of homemade mayonnaise in this delicious family favorite tuna salad with a hint of onion.

In my family, tuna salad and chicken salad are both made with hard-boiled eggs. That’s just the way we’ve always made them and I didn’t realize that not everybody did until I was fully grown up because in the south, we all add eggs.

The first time it was brought to my attention was when I made tuna party sandwiches to share at a non-profit board meeting of the American Association of Malaysia, scheduled for lunchtime. All the board members brought finger foods so we filled our plates and the meeting was called to order. 

All of a sudden, the president of the board exclaimed, “Who put tuna in their egg salad?” “On the contrary,” I responded, “I put eggs in my tuna salad! You don’t?” She declared that from then on she certainly would, and after a good laugh and a discussion about who did and didn't put eggs and where in the States we were from, we all got back to business.

Not a very scientific poll but it seemed that those from the southern United States always add eggs. Those from the north or midwest mostly don't. Please leave me a comment yay or nay on eggs in tuna salad and where you are from. I'm just curious.

Family Favorite Tuna Salad

I grate my onion so that there aren’t little crunchy bits in my tuna salad, which I abhor. Grating the onion also creates some onion juice, giving the salad a nice onion flavor throughout. If you don’t mind little crunchy bits, feel free to mince the onion instead and, bonus, you won’t have to share your tuna salad with me.  

Ingredients

4 eggs, hard-boiled, cooled and peeled

1/2 cup or 115g mayonnaise

1 tablespoon yellow mustard

1/4 small onion

2 cans (5 oz or 142g) tuna chunks in brine or spring water

1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne, depending on your spice level

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) fine sea salt

Method

Cut the egg whites around the circumference of the yolks. Remove the yolks and put them in a small mixing bowl. Set aside the whites.

Mash the egg yolks with a fork, adding in a few spoons of the mayonnaise.

Once the yolks are relatively smooth, add in the rest of the mayonnaise and mustard. Mix until completely homogeneous. 

Grate the onion, making sure that you catch any juice which should also go into the mixture. You can do this on a saucer with a regular grater or directly into the mayo bowl with a microplane. 

Add the black pepper, cayenne and salt and stir.

Using a sharp knife, cut the egg whites into irregular pieces, adding them to the bowl. Stir well. 

Open your cans of tuna and use the lids to drain the water, squeezing a little. You don’t want the tuna too wet or the tuna salad will be runny. 

Add the tuna to the mayo bowl. 

Stir gently to mix it in. It’s nice to still have some small chunks of tuna so try not to mash it too much. 

Taste the tuna salad. Add a little more salt and pepper, if desired. 

This tuna salad is perfect as a sandwich filling but it can also be served with crackers or used to fill a ripe tomato or an avocado half. 

Enjoy! 

It’s Sunday FunDay and today we are sharing sandwich recipes to celebrate National Sandwich Month. Many thanks to our host, Camilla of Culinary Cam. Check out the links below.

• Caramel Pulled Pork Banh Mi Sandwiches by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Chicken Caesar Wraps by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Family Favorite Tuna Salad by Food Lust People Love
• Grilled Cheese Extra Ordinary by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Hung Curd Veggie Sandwich by Sneha's Recipe
• Pie Iron Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches by Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sunflower Pesto Turkey Sandwich by Our Good Life

 

We are a group of food bloggers who believe that Sunday should be a family fun day, so every Sunday we share recipes that will help you to enjoy your day. If you're a blogger interested in joining us, just visit our Facebook group and request to join.

Pin our Family Favorite Tuna Salad!

 .