Radish & Cucumber Salad

(Serves one)

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 medium cucumber - peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch julienne strips
• 1 radishes, julienned
• 1 tablespoon chopped red onion
• 1-1/2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
• 3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/8 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

DIRECTIONS

1. In a serving bowl, combine the cucumber, radishes and onion. In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Pour over vegetables and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of All Recipes.

Crab Salad

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced
1/6 cup fresh mint, chopped
6 ounces crab meat
2 cups mixed salad greens (mesclun) or romaine lettuce
2 lime wedges

Directions

In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, vinegar, sugar, cucumber and mint. Add the crab and toss to coat well.

Divide the lettuce among individual plates. Top with the crab mixture. Spoon any remaining dressing over the crab. Garnish with lime wedges and serve immediately.

Recipe courtesy of mayoclinic.com.

Asparagus and Leek Salad on Puff Pastry Rounds

Not sure if Stu likes leeks, but the picture makes this look so yummy that I had to include it!!



(Serves 2)

Ingredients

250g chilled puff pastry
2 large eggs
50g half fat crème fraîche
2 tsp red pesto
1/2 medium leek
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
100g asparagus tips, halved
100g runner beans, trimmed and sliced
1 tbsp Capers, drained and rinsed
1 tsp white wine vinegar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220°C, gas mark 7. Grease a large baking sheet and sprinkle it with water.
2. Thinly roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and cut out 4 circles, using a saucer or small bowl as a guide. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and prick the rounds all over with a fork. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is well risen and golden.
3. Meanwhile, place the eggs in a small pan and just cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and boil for 4 minutes. Drain, cool slightly under cold running water, then peel and discard the shells.
4. Mix together the crème fraîche and pesto and place in a small serving dish.
5. Cut the leek lengthways just through to the centre and rinse under cold running water. Cut diagonally into 1cm-thick slices. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan and stir fry the leek, asparagus, salad onions and runner beans for 5 minutes, or until tender but retaining their texture. Season generously and stir in the capers, the remaining oil and the vinegar.
6. Quarter the eggs. Transfer the pastries to serving plates. Pile the vegetables onto each pastry round and add the quartered eggs. Serve topped with some pesto crème fraîche.

Ensalada de Repollo

Fresh, quick and easy!

Ensalada de Repllo a.k.a. Cabbage Salad



(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 3 1/2cups shredded cabbage
• 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 1/2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 1/2 plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 medium cucumber, chopped
• 1/8 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the lime juice, oil, salt, and black pepper, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle lime mixture over cabbage mixture; toss gently to coat. Let salad stand 30 minutes before serving.

Recipe courtesy of Find.myrecipes.com.

Caryl's Strawberry Salad

Thanks Caryl!!

Ingredients:

Lettuce mix (spring, romaine, any lettuce of your choosing)
6, lg strawberries, sliced, per plate
1/4 cup honey roasted cashews
Crumbled chevre or baby bocconcini balls
Raspberry Vinaigrette

Method:

Toss it all together and serve!

(Serves One.)

Greek Pasta Salad

Thanks Caryl for pointing me in the direction of this yummy recipe!

Ingredients

• 6 oz. dried mostaccioli or penne (about 2 cups uncooked)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 medium cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. snipped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried basil, crushed
• 1 Tbsp. snipped fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
• 1/2 Tbsp. anchovy paste (optional)
• 2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
• Fresh oregano leaves

(Serves 6)

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander. Rinse with cold water; drain again.

2. In a large bowl toss together the cooked pasta, tomatoes and cucumber.

3. In a screw-top jar combine the olive oil, lemon juice, basil, the 1 tablespoon oregano, anchovy paste (if using), garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and shake well. Drizzle over past mixture; toss to coat.

4. Cover and chill in refrigerator for as least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. To serve, add feta cheese (if using); toss. Sprinkle fresh oregano leaves.

Recipe courtesy of BHG.com

Chicken, Corn and Tomato Pasta Salad

Mmmm...filling and yummy!



(Serves 6)

Ingredients

• 8 ounces orzo pasta
• 1 1/2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1 cup light sour cream
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• About 1 tsp. salt
• About 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup fresh corn kernels (sliced from 2 ears of corn)
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken (light and dark meat)
• 1 1/2 cups halved grape tomatoes
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced basil leaves

Preparation

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender to the bite, 9 to 12 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and rinse thoroughly under cold water until completely cool (see Notes).

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together ricotta, sour cream, lemon zest and juice, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper.

3. In a large bowl, toss together pasta, corn, chicken, tomatoes, and basil. Add ricotta-lemon dressing to pasta mixture and stir to evenly coat pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe courtesy of Find.myrecipes.com.

Olive Garden Copycat Salad

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients

Salad Dressing:

1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1/6 cup White Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Vegetable Oil
1 Tbsp. Corn Syrup
1 Tbsp. Parmesan Cheese
1 Tbsp. Romano Cheese
1/8 tsp. Garlic Salt - or one clove garlic minced
1/4 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1/4 tsp. Parsley Flakes
1/2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

Salad Ingredients:

1/2 bag Dole American Salad Mix
2-3 slices red onion
1/2 can Black Olives chopped or sliced
1-2 Pepperoncini peppers
1/4 cup or more Croutons
1/2 Tomato, chopped
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

(Just leave out the onions/olives and whatever else you don't like :-) )

Method:

1. Combine salad ingredients and toss.

2. Whirl all dressing ingredients in the blender and pour over salad, coating well. Toss if desired. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over top and serve.

California CousCous

More CousCous!



Recipe serves six (yikes!)

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups (14 oz.) chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups (12 oz.) couscous
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
• 1 medium red pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted and chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• Cilantro sprigs and lemon slices (optional)

Preparation

1. In a small pot over high heat, bring chicken broth and 1/4 cup water to a boil. Add couscous, cover, and remove from heat. Let sit 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil and lemon juice. Pour over couscous and toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Stir in red pepper, almonds, and chopped cilantro. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and lemon slices if you like. Serve at room temperature.

Recipe courtesy of Suzanne Calderon.

CousCous 101

Okay so I just asked Stu if she likes couscous and her response was....well three letters which indicated she had no idea what I was talking about. ;)

Anywhooooo, allow me to introduce Stu to couscous. On it's own, it's boring - no real flavour. With the right mixture of ingredients, it's very filling.

This is how couscous looks before cooking:



And it will look something like this after cooking and mixing with ingredients:



So, let's try a little recipe shall we? Let me know what you think!

Ingredients

• 190g Couscous
• 325ml Chicken or vegetable stock (hot)
• 200ml Roasted peppers, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 150g Sun dried tomatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks
• 1/2 Cucumber, diced
• 150g Mixed salad leaves
• 2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp Lemon juice
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Add the couscous to the hot stock and stir well. Cover and leave to cool.
2. Mix the vegetables together.
3. Place the vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil and seasonings into a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake well to mix.

Beetroot and Orange Salad

I know this one is a little weird, but I couldn't resist including it because...well...it intrigued me!

(Serves 4 as a side dish or starter)

Ingredients

8 small beetroot, raw or cooked
1 orange
1 tbsp olive oil
Handful fresh coriander

Optional: slice of pineapple

Method

1. Wash the beetroot, to remove any mud
   
   
2. Slice finely - beware the purple staining power of beetroot!
   Note: slice raw beetroot very fine.
   If you want to cook it, just scrub and boil for 15 - 20 minutes, then slice. Cooked beetroot keeps in the fridge for about 3 days, if in a sealed container.
   
   
3. Peel the orange. Cut it in half. Separate the segments, removing the pips. Or, slice into rounds.
   
   
4. Chop the coriander.
   
   
5. Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl or layer them on a plate.
   
   
6. Optional: if you have any pineapple spare, finish with a slice of pineapple.

Recipe courtesy of Vegbox.

French Roast Vegetable Salad

Something warming as the weather cools down...

(Serves Four)

Ingredients

2 red peppers
2 courgettes
2 bulbs Florence fennel
2 Aubergines
2 whole heads Garlic, cloves separated
3 Lemons, thickly sliced
8 tbsp Olive oil
200g green beans, lightly cooked
large bunch Basil
2 tbsp lemon juice
salt and fresh ground black pepper

Method

1. Set the oven to 200°C/ gas 6. Chop up the peppers, courgette and aubergines into evenly sized pieces and place them into a large roasting pan. Scatter the garlic cloves and lemon slices evenly over the vegetables and drizzle with a little olive oil.

2. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and roast them for 30 minutes or so, until softened and caramelised.

3. Remove the cooked vegetables from the oven, take out the garlic and set aside, then transfer the remaining vegetables to a large serving bowl or platter. Allow the salad to cool a little and then stir in the cooked beans and the basil.

4. To make the dressing, squeeze the softened garlic pulp into a mortar, discarding the skins. Add a little sea salt and pound with a pestle until the mixture forms a paste.

5. Add the lemon juice and remaining olive oil and work everything together. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

6. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well. Serve warm, or at room temperature.

Toooona Nicoise (Hold the Olives!)

Stu! Time for another classic...Toooona Nicoise!!

Ingredients
4 free-range eggs, hard boiled and quartered
200g/7¼ oz green beans, trimmed
3 medium tomatoes, cut into quarters
425g/15 oz can tuna in water or brine, drained and flaked
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
440g(14¼ oz) baby new potatoes, rinsed, drained and halved
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice

Method
1. Boil the eggs before preparing the salad. Steam the green beans until tender. Rinse the beans under cold water and drain.
2. Combine the tomato, egg, tuna, parsley and potato in a large bowl.
3. Combine the olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl and add the beans to the large bowl with the other ingredients before drizzling with the dressing and serving.

Recipe courtesy of BBC Food.

OodlesOfNoodles Special

Let's try a recipe that was provided to me a while back by a friend and which has been tweaked to my liking. This is the kind of salad where you don't have to measure anything else - just throw as little or as much of the ingredient as you like in - it will taste great whatever you do!!

Ingredients:

Romaine Lettuce (three or four big leaves, ripped into bitesized shreds)
Parmesan Cheese
Salsa
Ranch Dressing
Grated Carrot (1/2 a carrot will be plenty)
Tortilla Chips (the spicier the flavour, the better. Something like DORITOS Spicy Nacho Flavored Tortilla Chips will work well.)

How to make the salad:

This one is real easy, but super tasty!

Toss together your lettuce & carrot. Place on a plate. Drizzle with ranch dressing & add as many dollops of salsa as you think you can handle (3-4 teaspoons is generally plenty). Sprinkle over the parmesan (again the amount is personal preference). Grab a couple handfuls of tortilla chips & crush them over the salad.

Enjoy. ;)

Caesar Salad

Let's start out with a classic: Caesar Salad. I've cut the recipe down to serve one - the original recipe serves 4 and can be found here.



Ingredients:

1/4 small Cos lettuce
1/4 packet prepared Crispheart lettuce
1 small handful rocket leaves
1/4 x 2 oz tin anchovy fillets, drained (optional)
1/3oz (10 g) Parmesan (Parmigiano Reggiano), finely grated

For the croutons:

1/2 oz (12 g) white bread, crusts removed, cut into 1/3 inch (8 mm) cubes
1/4 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 rounded tablespoon finely grated Parmesan
1/4 clove garlic, crushed

For the dressing:

1/4 large egg
1/4 clove garlic
juice 1/4 lime
1/4 heaped teaspoon mustard powder
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 fl oz (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly milled black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C)

You will also need a baking sheet.

First make the croutons: place the cubes of bread in a bowl together with 1/4 tablespoon of olive oil and 1/4 rounded tablespoon of Parmesan plus the crushed garlic. Stir and toss the bread round to get an even coating of cheese, oil and garlic, then spread the croutons out on the baking sheet and bake them on a high shelf in the oven for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove them from the oven and leave to cool.

Meanwhile make the dressing by putting the egg into the bowl of a food processor and adding the garlic (peeled but not crushed), the lime juice, and half of the anchovy fillets, the mustard powder and Worcestershire sauce. Switch on and blend everything till smooth; then, keeping the motor running, pour the olive oil (and optionally the anchovy oil (which can be combined in a jug first)) through the feeder funnel in a slow, steady stream.

When all the oil is in you should have a slightly thickened, emulsified sauce with the consistency of pouring cream. Taste the dressing and season with freshly milled black pepper and salt if it needs it.

Now arrange the salad leaves (breaking up the larger ones as you go) in a large, roomy salad bowl. After that snip the remaining anchovies and mix to distribute them evenly among the leaves. When you're ready to serve, pour over the dressing and toss very thoroughly to coat all the leaves. Sprinkle in the Parmesan, toss again and finally scatter the croutons over the salad. Then either portion it out or pass the bowl round for everyone to help themselves.

Note: this recipe contains raw egg.

For added taste, grab some leftover roast chicken, broken into pieces, and toss it in with the salad after adding the dressing.

Enjoy!

Recipe Copyright of www.deliaonline.com

Welcome to Salads for Stu!

Welcome to Salads for Stu!

This blog has been created as a way to help my friend, Stu, easily find ideas for great salads. I'll be updating the site as I find new recipes for Stu to try and (hopefully) enjoy, so watch this space for lots of great salad ideas!