Iceberg fabulousness

You may not think it possible, but this salad gets it's glory from iceberg lettuce's watery loveliness. 

Dress iceberg lettuce, chopped apple, and walnuts with: 

Olive oil

Grain mustard

Salt

White ground pepper

Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

Crushed garlic

salad of rubies

a stunning salad! beautiful for a substantial summer meal, or to impress friends as a gorgeous starter (or work lunch :) )

1 large tomato
1 cucumber

3-4 sprigs of fresh mint, finely sliced (substitute fresh parsley and dried mint if not available)

0.5tsp salt
2tsp lemon juice

1 tin kidney beans
1 pomegranate

0.3c pepitas (pumpkin seeds, shelled)
0.25tsp ground black pepper
3Tbs pomegranate molasses (available from delis and nut/spice provedores)
2Tbs olive oil

100g baby spinach or baby leaf mix

 
chop tomato into 2-3cm chunks, and slice cucumber; add to salad bowl with salt, lemon juice and mint; toss gently to combine. 

drain and rinse kidney beans; remove pomegranate jewels from the main fruit; add both to bowl. add all the other ingredients except greens; toss gently. add greens and toss before serving.

this can be made 6 hours or so ahead of time and refrigerated if greens are added right before serving.

summer tacos

 

everybody needs tacos. much like vietnamese rice paper rolls, these are a party-in-your-mouth, nutritious, joy of a meal, and are pretty flexible as long as you have the outside wrapping and a couple of other bits. coming into summer, i'm not really into the idea of standing over the stove, and with the exception of heating the taco shells in the oven for 10-12 minutes (don't waste time and add heat to your kitchen by preheating- just whack them in and turn it on), this is a no heat recipe! i'm going to try to post a few more of these- as much as salad rocks, i will want more variety over the next few months without resorting to eating frozen mango cubes out of desperation (mmm, frozen mango...)

anyhoo, the tacos: the secret to this recipe is to not cook the beans. just mix in a medium-large bowl

a 400g tin of beans (black, kidney, or even canellini)

juice of a lime (or lemon)

good dash of olive oil

 

what will really kick this over the edge is a teaspoon of a spice mix which can be made ahead- either blend pre-ground spices, but if you can, grind them up fresh (with a mortar and pestle if you've got some issues to work out, or an electric spice/coffee grinder- best investment of $30, i promise!).

1Tbs coriander seeds

1Tbs cumin seeds

1tsp anise seeds

1tsp celery seeds

half a cinnamon stick (1tsp ground)

1Tbs marjoram

1tsp black peppercorns

 

grind to a fine powder, and store in an airtight container.

 

if nothing else, add just a teaspoon of ground cumin to the salad. then it's up to you and your cupboards- add any or all of these:

chopped jalapeños

fresh chopped coriander 

grated carrot 

sliced red onion 

roasted garlic, mashed 

finely chopped semi dried tomato 

toasted pepitas

baby spinach leaves

serve this bowl of salad with your taco shells, plus shredded lettuce, sliced tomato and cucumber, avocado, vegan cheese or sour cream, and salsa (or the cheat's combo- sriracha chilli sauce and tomato sauce).

knock off vietnamese noodle salad

i miss working in footscray. the waves of alternating smells in each street- mouth watering one second, quickly followed by some unspeakably and overwhelmingly revolting stench; feuding derelicts; the insane drivers; the banh mi (vietnamese baguettes. the only place to go is nhu lan bakery, at 116 hopkins st footscray - behind the market. it's always packed, but the rolls are to die for). *sigh*  

so i make do at home. you can even prep all the ingredients into a really big salad bowl, and make the dressing in a small jar: mix the salad ingredients without dressing, put half the salad undressed in a container and refrigerate for later- then dress what you'll eat in the salad bowl immediately. this helps the salad keep longer (great when it's hot and you can't be bothered making any more delicious food :)

asian grocers have the best, freshest and cheapest ingredients, but most supermarkets will have enough of these ingredients to approximate the flavours if that's easier for you.

the quantity below feeds at least 4, if not 6, for a substantial lunch or dinner (or breakfast, if you're as keen as i am :D ).

you will need:

a large salad or mixing bowl 

a small jar or bowl

500g firm tofu

pinch each of salt and ground pepper

1tsp garlic powder (optional, but makes the tofu yummier!)

500g packet of dry rice or bean thread vermicelli and boiling water to soak

2 large carrots, grated

3c green or savoy cabbage, finely shredded or sliced

2c bean shoots

1 bunch mint, remove coarse stems, chopped

1 bunch coriander, chopped

0.3c roasted unsalted peanuts or cashews

optional: 1-2 sliced tomatoes; 1 finely sliced cucumber; 1c lightly steamed (ie still crunchy) green beans; 1c raw snow peas, cut into 2cm lengths 

for the dressing

4Tbs sesame oil

1Tbs rice vinegar (or white vinegar if not available)

6Tbs lime juice (or lemon)

zest of 2 limes (or lemons)

3Tbs palm or brown sugar

4Tbs soy sauce

1 small fresh chilli, finely chopped or 1 tsp hot chilli sauce (or sweet, if you prefer)

2Tbs fresh ginger, finely grated

1Tbs fresh garlic, finely grated or crushed

toasted sesame seeds and/or fried shallots for garnish (optional)

slice tofu into 1cm cubes and gently pan fry on medium heat with a little oil for 2 minutes before adding the salt, pepper and garlic powder. continue cooking for another 5 minutes until lightly golden- turn the heat off.

in the large bowl, soak the noodles in boiling water for about 5 minutes. stir once gently then drain; rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, drain well and place noodles in bowl. 

add carrot, cabbage, bean shoots, and any other veggies on top of the noodles; top with nuts, herbs, and tofu.

mix all dressing ingredients in small jar or bowl. adjust to taste. if you're saving some salad for later, separate some out now and dress the rest. serve with tongs, and garnish.

suggested beverage: thai young coconut juice

Mamasita's Mexican quinoa salad

oh mamasita, you are a doll. a treasure, a pleasure! your quinoa salad makes me go kaboom in my mouth. so i cracked open your secret and made a facsimile.

cook 2 cobs of corn in 2.5c water with 1tsp salt for 3 minutes: remove corn with tongs and proceed with cooking quinoa in the remaining water:

1c white quinoa

1Tbs olive oil

pinch of salt

simmer quinoa in water in small pan on low for about 20-30 minutes with lid ajar or until all the water is absorbed. stir gently once or twice to ensure even cooking. once cooked, stir through oil and salt, and leave lid off for quinoa to cool.

in a large serving bowl, add:

2c baby spinach leaves, maybe a bit of rocket

1 flame grilled and sliced red capsicum (or 1c from a jar)

10 halved cherry tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes in quarters

2-3Tbs each coarsely chopped fresh dill and coriander

0.25c pepitas (toasted is even nicer)

zest of 1 lime

1 finely sliced medium-hot chilli

1 finely sliced spring onion

using flameproof tongs, grill the corn over the gas flame until lightly charred (about 30 seconds on each side). slice kernels off with a sharp knife. add the corn and cooled quinoa to the serving bowl, toss everything with a little extra olive oil and a small squeeze of lime juice. savour.

weeknight simple: something with roasted veggies

when it's not too hot and you want an easy but classy meal, preheat your oven to 250C and get

a baking tray
1 big zucchini
1 small aubergine
1 large red capsicum
2 medium tomatoes
olive oil
salt and pepper
oregano, thyme and/or rosemary

slice the veggies into 2cm thick chunks; cover with a drizzle of oil and seasoning. bake for 15 minutes, then jiggle the tray to turn the veg around, and bump the heat up to 280C for another 10 minutes or just til you start to get small spots of charring. when the veg is tender, splash a little balsamic vinegar over, and serve hot on pasta, brown rice or at room temperature on a bed of rocket or mesclun. great as a wrap filling for a quick but snazzy work lunch, too!

new obsession: rice salad

i am loving rice salad right now. 2c of brown rice cooked with 4c water and a pinch of salt makes enough for 6-8 hungry people, and it's a great outdoorsy day lunch.

cook the rice, allow to cool for an hour if possible and mix in a large bowl with any combination of finely chopped or cubed yummies such as: apple, almonds, dill pickles, red cabbage, sultanas, red capsicum, parsley, toasted sesame seeds, raw onion, fresh mushrooms. add lemon juice and olive oil (plenty, as it will be absorbed by the rice), herbs and ground spices to taste. this is even better the next day, and shared with friends!

falafel wraps

i haven't made falafel from scratch yet, but the packet mixes i buy are great: mix with water and add spices and shredded carrot to taste; shallow fry and crunch away! i eat them on fried corn tortillas with babaganoush, salad and ribbons of moroccan preserved lemons. wonderful!

moroccan orange and fennel salad

a gorgeous, fragrant salad that is a great accompaniment to a spicy moroccan curry and couscous

slice each ingredient to your personal preference (thin or medium or chunky)

per person:

one generous handful each of:

fennel

orange 

2tbs each of lightly chopped:

mint

parsley

1tsp each of:

lemon juice

olive oil

finely chopped preserved lemons

pomegranate molasses

top with olives and serve as a side to curry or warm pitta bread.

weekend simple: curly endive, pear and walnut salad

this is a great salad that can be eaten as a main course; lovely on warm summer evenings!

per person, use approximately:

6-7 leaves curly endive

1 ripe pear 

large handful of raw walnut halves

vinaigrette (2 parts apple cider vinegar + 1 part olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, 1 clove crushed garlic, small handful finely chopped parsley)

marinate the walnuts and thickly sliced pear in vinaigrette for 20 minutes before topping with curly endive; toss well before serving.

what makes this salad so delicious is the bitterness of the greens, with the sweetness of the pear and creaminess of the nuts.

awesome salad

based on my favourite vietnamese flavours, this salad is a serious meal and can be eaten over two sittings. all ingredients can be increased/decreased/omitted according to taste, diet and seasonality. make the dressing first, then pour over the veggies. can be served with rice.

dressing

120ml tamari/soy sauce (or vegetarian fish sauce, which i've heard of but not yet seen)

50g/3tbs palm or brown sugar

30ml sesame oil

juice and finely grated zest of two limes (lemon can be used for up to half of this)

2cm piece of ginger, finely grated

3 cloves garlic, crushed

finely chopped fresh chillis/hot chilli sauce to taste

splash of water

mix all ingredients in a bowl: adjust seasoning to taste.

500g firm tofu/cold roasted chicken/other

garlic powder/seasoning

.25 small cabbage (chinese cabbage is best)

4 medium carrots

200g bean shoots (2-3 big handfuls)

1 tomato/10 cherry tomatoes

1 bunch mint

1 bunch coriander

100g roasted unsalted nuts (peanuts and cashews are the best)

100g package mung bean vermicelli (glass noodles)

if using, cut the tofu into 1-2cm cubes. sprinkle with garlic powder or other dry seasoning, shallow fry in oil until crunchy, and set aside.

soak the vermicelli in a bowl of recently boiled water for about 2 minutes. stir, then drain.

grate cabbage and carrots into small-medium pieces. coarsely chop the mint and coriander. arrange these, the bean shoots, sliced tomato, nuts and vermicelli on a large serving platter (a large, shallow bowl of at least 30cm diametre is good). put the tofu/other on top, and pour dressing over.

serve sprinkled with these: