You are here: Home > salad
Archive | salad RSS feed for this section

Two Christmas salads

On December 19, 2011 in Christmas, gluten-free, healthy recipes, salad, wheat-free

Christmas in Australia can be quite disconcerting for people who grew up in the Northern Hemisphere. Despite the complete lack of snow, sleet and sub-zero temperatures, the typical Aussie Christmas menu would be right at home in the depths of a freezing English winter. As the temps hit the high 20s, many Aussies will be tucking into a hot roast lunch or dinner comprising of ham, turkey or pork and all the trimmings.

Given this style of cooking is completely at odds with our hot climate, the smart ones among us are turning their backs on traditional fare in favour of food that’s more in keeping with the stinking heat. I’m talking alfresco eating – barbies, seafood and salads and the like. Smart move, I say. Sadly, my family hasn’t quite got with the program as yet, so instead of forgoing a hot lunch that would make the Queen Mother proud, we end up having both a hot and cold lunch. Ridiculous? Yes. Common practice Down Under? Absolutely.

But alas, to help get into the spirit of cooking for our climate, today I am sharing two amazing salad recipes that will pump some colour and style into your Christmas menu. They are vibrant, fresh and a refreshing change from salads containing lettuce, tomato and cucumber. Both are from the wonderful English chef, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. If you don’t have at least one of his cookbooks on your bookcase, you should ask Santa to pop one into your Christmas stocking!

Salad of baby peas, ricotta and spring onions

Salad of baby peas, ricotta and spring onions

Salad of baby peas, ricotta and spring onions

Carrot, orange and chervil salad

Carrot, orange and chervil salad

Carrot, orange and chervil salad

Stay tuned later this week for my gluten-free Christmas cake recipe!

Merry Christmas!

Read full story · Comments { 2 }

Simple seasonal salads

On April 4, 2011 in allergy-free, dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, healthy recipes, recipes, salad, vegetarian, wheat-free

In case you hadn’t heard, quinoa is the new star in my kitchen. And I only recently worked out that it’s not pronounced like it’s spelt. It’s “keen-wa”. Go figure.

According to the fabulous Gluten-free Goddess (whose blog you must check out if you haven’t already), quinoa is the easiest no-fuss grain you’ll ever cook. She describes it as a healthy fast food. Think of it as couscous for Ceoliacs. That’s right, it’s gluten-free. My only complaint is it’s expensive, so I’m going to look into buying it online to see if it’s any cheaper.

The easiest way to cook it is in a rice cooker. For those of you who don’t own one, drop everything you’re doing right now (including reading this blog) and go and buy one. Apart from my Soda Stream, salad spinner and hand blender, it is the best kitchen appliance I have ever bought. In fact, I could devote an entire blog post to spouting the virtues of the humble rice cooker. But anyway, back to the quinoa recipes.

In my quinoa travels, I’ve come across two seasonal salad recipes that I really must share. Both contain seasonal ingredients and make great lunchtime dishes for the working week.

1. Quinoa salad with pears, baby spinach and chickpeas in a maple vinaigrette

Quinoa salad with pears and baby spinach

This recipe hails from the Gluten-free Goddess. I love this salad as much as I love my Ugg boots (and that’s a lot). Pears and pecans are a winning duo – like the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers of the food world. And the dressing makes my taste buds sing (not literally) thanks to the addition of maple syrup (which you could substitue for agave syrup which is another one of my new favourite ingredients). If you don’t fancy pears, you can use apples instead. How cool is that? Thank you, Gluten-free Goddess. I think I love you.

2. Quinoa salad with roasted beets, chickpeas and orange

Quinoa salad with roasted beets, chickpeas and orange

Quinoa salad with roasted beets, chickpeas and orange

Valencia oranges and beetroot are in season right now (for those of you live Down Under), so it’s the perfect time at give this salad a whirl. I’ve been making it on a Sunday night and taking it to work for lunch. Just keep the dressing separate and pour it on when you’re ready to eat it.

My top tip for buying beetroot is to ask the grocer to remove the stalks (unless, of course, you have a compost heap that you’re wanting to feed). When it comes to cooking beetroot, I recommend chopping it up into relatively small pieces to speed things up a notch as mine too eons to cook. The recipe calls for three cups of quinoa, but I think 1.5 cups is more than enough. Bon appetit!

 

Read full story · Comments { 0 }

Chicken salad

On March 27, 2011 in celiac, chicken, dairy-free, egg-free, food, gluten-free, healthy recipes, Israeli food, salad, Sydney

Too much of a good thing is never a good thing. Take Thai food, for example. Sydney is positively saturated with it. There’s more Pad Thai’s in this city than you can poke a stick at. Just close your eyes and a new local Thai takeaway joint is likely to appear before your eyes. What I would give for a good local Vietnamese, Turkish or Moroccan restaurant, but no, we have about 20 Thai restaurants instead.

To help salvage my jaded taste buds from Thai overkill, I treated them to something different this weekend – Israeli food. There’s this charming little cafe up at Bondi Junction that makes my heart swell with happiness. It’s called Savta and it dishes up the most delicious Israeli food you can imagine. Not that I’m an expert on Israeli food, but believe me, if this cafe is anything to go by, then it’s worth ditching your green chicken curry for.

Savta is one of those blink-and-you-miss-it cafes as it’s hidden at the back of a mall. What it lacks in location, it more than compensates with food and service. The owner is one of the friendliest and warmest guys around and always has a big smile on his face. And did I mention value for money? The servings at this place are huge and you’ll pay half of what you cough up on Campbell Parade.

The only issue you’ll have is deciding what to order. The brekky menu is equally as good as the lunch menu. They do a great mezze plate. Paul swears by the kefta sandwich with gherkins. Then there’s the awesome Israeli breakfast that is guaranteed to fix the worst hangovers – chopped tomato and cucumber salad, dark olives, labneh (a soft cheese made from yoghurt), omelette and pitta.

They also do the best Shakshuka in town (eggs cooked in tomatoes and spices). On this occasion, I went for the za’atar chicken and roasted pumpkin salad which I have crowned as Sydney’s best chicken salad. It was brimming with flavour and generous chunks of chicken mixed with diced avocado, red capsicum and red onion. My only disappointment was not being able to polish off the whole lot.

As for the za’atar, well it was amazing and I’m keen to try it at home. Za’atar is a Middle Eastern spice blend of thyme leaves, sumac, sesame seeds and salt. You can use it to season meat or eat it with bread and olive oil. Yum! All up, the bill came to $32. Not bad for two meals and two really good coffees.

To experience Savta for yourself, you’ll need to go either during the week or on Saturday (not open on Sundays). Just be sure to order by around 2pm on Saturday as the kitchen closes around then.

Savta
Shop 5/ 4-12 Waverley St
Bondi Junction 2022
(02) 9369 4222

Meanwhile, here’s my version of their Za’atar chicken salad

Chicken salad

Chicken salad

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
2 tbs za’atar
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 pkt English spinach leaves
1 avocado, diced
400g butternut pumpkin, peeled, deseeded, cut into 3cm pieces
½ red onion, sliced
½ cup chickpeas
1 red capsicum, chopped

Za’atar (compliments of Mid East Food)
1/4 cup sumac
2 tablespoons thyme
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons marjoram
2 tablespoons oregano
1 teaspoon coarse salt

Method:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Place the chopped pumpkin in a roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the pumpkin for about 30 minutes or until cooked through.

To make the za’atar, grind the roasted sesame seeds in food processor or with mortar and pestle. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Place in a glass or ceramic bowl.

Add chicken breasts to the za’atar mix, drizzle with olive oil and toss until combined. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

Cook chicken on a hot grill, turning occasionally. Set chicken aside and allow it to cool before slicing it into bite-sized pieces.

Make the salad by mixing the baby spinach leaves, avocado, capsicum, red onion, pumpkin and chickpeas in a big bowl. Top with chicken, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with cracked pepper.

In the mood for more salad recipes, check out my pumpkin, date and macadamia salad.

 

Read full story · Comments { 0 }

Pumpkin, date and macadamia salad

On March 25, 2011 in dairy-free, dinner, egg-free, gluten-free, healthy recipes, recipes, salad, vegetarian, wheat-free

What’s your favourite vegetable? Mine is pumpkin. When I was living in Scotland, I remember getting strange looks when I bought it from the grocer. It’s known as butternut squash in the UK and apparently they use it as pig food. Shock horror, it’s not winning popularity contests as a result. Thankfully, pumpkin doesn’t suffer from such bad PR here in Australia. Unfortunate for pigs, lucky for me.

Pumpkin, date and macadamia salad

Pumpkin, date and macadamia salad

I would describe pumpkin as one of the most versatile vegetables around. You can puree it into soup, mash it into a pie, whip it into a cake (or scones if you’re like Lady Florence Bjelke-Petersen), chuck it into a stir-fry, carve it for Halloween or throw it into a salad. And did I mention it goes down a treat roasted with a pinch of nutmeg? According to our friends at Wikipedia, most parts of the pumpkin are edible, including the fleshy shell, the seeds, the leaves, and even the flowers. Who knew?

With autumn upon us here in the southern hemisphere, I’m starting to cook more soups and less salads. But in the interests of keeping the warmer months alive for just a little bit longer, I’ve invented a rock-star salad recipe. Since a friend of mine introduced me to adding dates to salads, I’ve become quite obsessed by the idea, so you’ll notice the appearance of a handful of pitted dates in this recipe. The addition of macadamias also goes down a treat, but lightly toasted pine nuts are just as tasty. This dish can be served on its own or as an accompaniment to meat. And, if there’s any leftovers, you can take a leaf out of my book and take them to work. Be warned, your workmates will be jealous.

Pumpkin, date and macadamia salad
Serves 4

Ingredients:

800g-1kg butternut pumpkin, peeled and cut into hearty cubes
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbs agave nectar (available from health food stores)
1 tbs salt-reduced soy sauce (or Tamari soy if you’re gluten-intolerant)
400g tin butter beans, rinsed and drained
a few good handfuls of mixed salad leaves (I recommend using a mixture of radicchio and rocket)
2 handfuls of coriander leaves, loosely picked
2 shallots (spring onions), chopped
1/2 cup of pitted dates, roughly chopped
2 handfuls of macadamia nuts or toasted pine nuts

Method:

Heat the oven to around 180 degrees. Chuck the pumpkin in a roasting pan and drizzle with a bit of oil, season well with salt and cracked pepper and give the pan a good shake. Roast the pumpkin in the oven until it’s tender. I find it usually takes about 30 minutes or so. Once it’s done, take it out of the oven and let it cool. It will smell delicious!

Next up, whisk the olive oil, chilli flakes, garlic, agave and soy sauce in a bowl or Pyrex jug. Then, simply throw the washed mixed lettuce leaves in a nice, big salad bowl and throw in all the other ingredients and pour on the dressing. It’s fine to serve the pumpkin while it’s still warm, but I prefer it a room temperature so it doesn’t wilt the lettuce leaves. Gently toss the salad and you’re done.

In the mood for more salad? Check out my chicken salad recipe.

 

Read full story · Comments { 0 }

Tuna-friendly salad Nicoise

On January 31, 2011 in animal rights, celiac, dairy-free, gluten-free, healthy recipes, recipes, salad, seafood, sustainable seafood, tuna, wheat-free

With the mercury rising to 44 degrees in some parts of Australia this week, I thought a salad recipe was in order. Something cold and crunchy that can be cooked in the great Aussie outdoors with a glass of wine in one hand and a pair of tongs in the other.

In the same way you either love or hate country music, you’ll either welcome this recipe with open arms or hope to God that you never see it again. You see, it contains one of those ingredients that polarises people. Tuna. Personally, I love the stuff, but preferably not from a can. Give me fillets any day and I’ll be as happy as Larry (whoever that is).

Apparently Salad Niçoise hails from the city of Nice in southern France, hence the name. I went to Nice once, but I can’t say I liked it. I was backpacking at the time, so I dare say that the backpackers’ hostel where I stayed didn’t really show Nice in all its niceness. I also recall seeing heaps of people with bandages around their heads, arms, wrists, legs. So much so, that my travel buddies and I started a game of who could spot the most people wearing bandages. True story.

Anyway, I digress. This recipe really is worth cooking (if you like tuna). Don’t tell my newly-acquired recipe for green mango salad, but Salad Niçoise is vying for the number one spot on my “Wow, This is Amazing” salad list. And why not, really. It’s healthy, low-fat, gluten-free, dairy-free and bloody delicious!

Salad Nicoise

A great salad for those of you who can't eat gluten or wheat.

Now, for the bad news. Whilst researching this blog post, I went to Greenpeace‘s website to find out about sustainable seafood. I’ve been keen to get the low down on ethical seafood since a trip to Thailand last year where I saw them fleecing fish from the oceans. It got me thinking, what happens when they fish all the fish from the sea?

It turns out that I have loads of work to do on improving my fish eating habits. For one, I shouldn’t be eating so much tuna and salmon as they’re endangered. Check out Greenpeace’s canned tuna guide for more info (or even better, print it out and stick it on your fridge). The Southern Bluefin is critically endangered, and Bigeye and Yellowfin Tuna are both overfished. So, you’re best to ask your fishmonger for Skipjack Tuna from Australia and NZ, or from pole and line fisheries in the Pacific.

Compliments of the wonderful people at Greenpeace, here’s a quick guide to what you should be asking your fishmonger next time you buy fish to help protect our oceans and fisheries.

1. What is it and where was it caught? This is the minimum a supplier should be able to tell you and will help you avoid red list species.
2. How was it caught? A lot of fishing is not selective. This is specially true for bottom trawling, which is highly destructive.
3. Do you have a policy for sourcing only truly sustainable seafood? Retailers have a responsibility to be part of the solution, not the problem.
* If they cannot answer these questions, let them know you’ll be buying your seafood from a retailer that can.

Anyway folks, as long as you cook this recipe with Skipjack tuna, everyone (including the little fishies) will be happy. So, here’s the recipe for Skipjack tuna Nicoise from taste.com.au. Bon appetit!

If you like seafood, why not check out this Thai salmon salad recipe.

Read full story · Comments { 0 }