Crispy Ham and Pear Salad

I was halfway through eating this side salad when I thought I had better snap a photo as it was delicious!!  Though the photo doesn't quite show this...

...you'll just have to trust me on this.

The recipe called for 1 small cos lettuce and 1 50g bag of watercress or rocket, and since I had trouble collecting those items on my recent grocery shop, I opted for a simple bag of mixed Italian lettuce leaves.  I also choose to use balsamic vinegar over lemon juice.  Because I like balsamic vinegar.  ;)  I served mine alongside BBQ steaks. 

Taken from GoodFood magazine's '101 Seasonal Salads', page32, published 2005

Ingredients

1 small cos lettuce

50g bag watercress or rocket

2 ripe avocados, peeled, stoned and sliced

handful of herbs, such as dill or chives

90g pack prosciutto (I had about 6 slices)

4 tbs olive oil

2 ripe pears, cored and sliced

2 tsp wholegrain mustard

juice of 1/2 lemon

Method

1. Tear the lettuce into bite-sized pieces, then arrange with the watercress or rocket, avocados and herbs on four large serving plates.  Heat a large frying pan and fry the prosciutto until crisp.  Lift out and set aside.

2. heat the olive oil in the same pan.  Add the pears, mustard and lemon juice and heat through briefly.

3.  Return the prosciutto to the pan, season, then immediately spoon everything over the salad.  Serve at once.

Serves 4

Chilli Chicken and Bacon Salad

This was really tasty, and no wonder!  Chicken, sweet chilli sauce, oven chips, bacon, avocado!  *nom nom*  Very easy, very tasty, will definitely be making again.  The recipe called for specific items like watercress and chicory which I just substituted with a bag of Italian lettuce.  I laid off the lime juice too - I usually do, so I used about half of the required amount.

Taken from GoodFood Magazine's '101 Seasonal Salads', pg 116, published 2005

Ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breast fillets
2 1/2 tbs sweet chilli dipping sauce
2 tbs lime juice
175g oven chips
5 rashes streaky bacon
1/2 x 75g bag watercress
2 heads chicory, thickly sliced
4 spring onions, trimmed and sliced at an angle
2 small avocados, peeled, stoned and cut into wedges.

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220C.  Brush both sides of the chicken with 1/2 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce, season well and put on a large baking tray.  Mix 2 tablespoon chilli sauce with the lime juice and 1 tablespoon water to make a dressing.

2.  Dice the oven chips and scatter around the chicken on the baking tray, then add the bacon rashes.  Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the potatoes and bacon are crispy and the chicken is cooked, but still nice and juicy.

3.  Toss the watercress, chicory, spring onions and avocados in half the dressing and pile on to a platter.  Slice the chicken and scatter on top of the salad with the bacon and potato.  Spoon over the remaining dressing and eat while it's still warm.

Serves 2

Beef Skewers with Asian Salad

So, the recipe called for rump steak, and my closest and local supermarket was out at the time, so I used chicken breast fillets instead.  I imagine the result was very similar - it was a delicious meal!  Easy, very tasty and quite authentic.  I do plan on making it with the specified Rump steak one day....

I like to marinate my flavours, especially chicken over here in the UAE.  Sometimes the chicken here is hit and miss in terms of 'tough-ness' so marinating always helps tenderise the meat here.  I marinated the chicken strips for about 3 hours.

Taken from Olive Magazine's '101 Quick Fix Dishes', page 88, published 2007

Ingredients
Chinese five-spice powder, 1 teaspoon
vegetable oil
sweet chilli sauce
rump steak, 250g, cut into strips
clear honey, 1 teaspoon
White wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon
Thai Fish Sauce
garlic, 1 clove, crushed
salad leaves, small bag
cucumber, 1/2 halved, seeds scooped out out and sliced
spring onions, 3, finely sliced
dry roasted peanuts 50g, chopped
mint leaves, a handful

Method
Heat a ridged griddle pan or grill to very hot.  Mix the five-spice, 1 tbs vegetable oil and a few drops of the chilli sauce in a bowl.  Add the meat and stir until coated.  Thread the strips on to metal or bamboo skewers (soak bamboo skewers in cold water for 20 minutes first) and griddle or grill for 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked through.
Meanwhile, mix the honey, vinegar, 1 1/4 tbs fish sauce, garlic, a few drops of chilli sauce and 2 tbs oil in a small bowl.  Mix the salad leaves, cucumber, spring onions and peanuts and toss with the dressing.  Rip the mint leaves and add to the salad.  Divide the skewers between two plates and serve with the salad and a little bowl of fish sauce mixed with chilli sauce for dipping.


Serves 2.

Bacon and Camembert Salad

I'm always looking to make side salads rather than the regular potato salad or coleslaw.  And since it is now summer here in the Middle East, our BBQ is beginning to get more of a work out than usual.  (Until the temp hits 50 degrees in the late afternoon anyway!)  This side salad was really tasty and very simple. I think it may come a regular menu item in our household.   I served this with lovely Rib Eye Steaks.

In terms of camembert, choose a soft, ripe one and let it rest at room temperature before using.

Taken from GoodFood Magazine's '101 Simple Suppers', page 34, published 2003

Ingredients
8 rashes smoked streaky bacon
125g pack camembert
2 thick slices bread, crust removed
7 tbs olive oil
140g crisp green salad
2 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tbs wholegrain mustard
1 garlic clove, finely chopped

Method
1. Preheat the grill and cook the bacon for 5-8 minutes until crisp, turning halfway through.  Set aside to cool.  Cut the camembert into bite-sized wedges

2. Grate the bread into course crumbs.  Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a frying pan and cook the crumbs, stirring, until crisp and golden.  Season and set aside.

3.  Tip the salad into a bowl.  Break the bacon into bite-sized pieces and mix into the salad with the cheese.  Mix together the vinegar, mustard, garlic and remaining olive oil.  Pour over the salad and toss well.  Sprinkle with the crisp crumbs and serve.

Hot Thai Beef Salad

A nice, quick recipe for a warm day.  Mind you, I found it quite spicy with the use of one chilli; I could only get my hands on the bird's eye ones so that might explain it!

*Taken from Margaret Fulton's 'Margaret Fulton's Kitchen' pg 158, published 2007*

Ingredients

500g rump or sirloin steak

freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup torn mint leaves

1 large red onion or 2 large spring onions, thinly sliced

2 red chillies, sliced (I used 1)

juice of 1 large lime or 1/2 lemon

2 tbs fish sauce

1 tsp sugar

a handful of mixed salad greens

1 cup cherry tomatoes

a handful of rice vermicelli

vegetable oil, for frying

2 tbs roughly chopped roasted peanuts (omitted)

1 red chilli, halved (omitted)

lime wedges for serving

Method

Season the steak with the pepper and cook on a hot ribbed griller or under a preheated grill for 5 minutes on each side or until done to taste.  Remove and leave to stand for 10 minutes.  Cut steak into very thin slices and place in a bowl with any meat juices.

Meanwhile, combine the mint leaves with the onions, chillies, lime or lemon juice, fish sauce and suger.  Stir well and add to the beef slices, tossing.  Combine with the mixed salad greens and cherry tomatoes and set aside.

Heat some vegetable oil in a wok, testing the heat with a few strands of vermicelli.  It should swell immediately of the oil is hot enough.  Fry the vermicelli, scooping out with a wire strainer as soon as they puff and turn pale golden.  Drain well on paper towels and cool, then arrange in a bowl.  

Pile the beef salad on top of the crispy noodles.  Scatter with peanuts and chilli and serve with lime wedges.

Serves 4-6

Risoni Salad

A lovely, light tasting side salad. Try it for something a little different.

*Taken from Murdoch Books, 'Australian Family Favourites', pg 152, published 2007*

Ingredients
200g (1 cup) risoni
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp lemon juice
40g baby rocket leaves
1 1/2 tbs shredded basil leaves
1/2 small red onion, finely sliced

Method
Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the risoni and cook for about 12 minutes, or until tender. Drain, rinse under cold water, then drain again. Put the risoni in a large bowl with the oil, vinegar, lemon zest, lemon juice, rocket, basil and onion. Mix well, season to taste and refridgerate until ready to serve.

Serves 4 as a Side Salad

Coleslaw

Coleslaw is a pretty basic salad to make and there is probably got a zillion recipes out there to make it, but this one tasty. I don't always add the red cabbage (a bit pricey at times) and when I took this photo I didn't have the parsley added, nor the red cabbage. I have to say, the Food Processor gets a good work out in this recipe...
*Taken from Murdoch Books, 'Australian Family Favourites', pg 143, published 2007*

Ingredients
1/2 green cabbage
1/4 red cabbage
3 carrots, coarsley grated
6 radishes, coarsley grated
1 red capsicum (pepepr), chopped
4 spring onions, sliced
15g chopped flat-leaf (italian) parsley
250g (1 cup) whole-egg mayonnaise

Method
Remove the hard core from the cabbages and shred the leaves with a sharp knife. Place in a large bowl and add the grated carrot, radishes, red capsicum, spring onion and parsley.

Add the mayonnaise just before serving, season to taste and toss ntil well combined.

Serves 8-10 as a Side Salad

Sausage and Egg Salad with Anchovy Dressing

A bit of a bizarre salad, but really tasty, great flavours and easy too. What a combination hey? Kind of like a 'throw-it-together' meal... I used Beef and Cracked Pepper flavoured sausages.

*Taken from Murdoch Books, 'Tossed', published 2006*

Ingredients
4 eggs
250g green beans, trimmed and halved
2 tbs olive oil
4 good-quality sausages, cut into 1cm slices
2 thick slices crusty white bread, crusts removed, cut into 1cm cubes
200g mixed salad leaves
150g roasted red capsicum, sliced

Anchovy Dressing Ingredients
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 tbs olive oil
2 tbs lemon juice
3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
2 tbs shredded basil leaves

Method
Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil, add the eggs and cook for 5 minutes. Add the beans and cook for a further 2 minutes. Drain and rinse the eggs and beans under cold water, draining the beans well. Crack the egg shells slightly and leave to cool in cold water.

Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a frying pan. Add the sausage slices and fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until golden and cooked, turning once. Remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside.

put the frying pan back over medium heat and add the remaining oil. When the oil is hot, add the bread cubes and fry, turning now and then, for about 2 minutes, or until golden on all sides.

Put all the anchovy dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Mash the anchovies well, mix thoroughly, then season with black pepper and set aside.

Once the eggs have cooled, peel them and then cut them into quarters. Put the sausages, beans, salad leaves and capsicum in a serving bowl. Add the dressing and toss gently. Top with the eggs and croutons and serve.

Serves 4

Baked Potatoes filled with Salad

These were delicious and made very 'light' eating. Felt rather healthy too believe it or not. I added just a little grated cheese to the baked potato after cutting it and instead of prosciutto I used bacon. I didn't make the dressing due to a lack of red wine vinegar in my cupboard (I forgot I had run out!) so instead I made a dressing of balsamic vinegar, mixed with a little olive oil.

*Taken from the Murdoch Book 'Australian Family Favourites' and 'Tossed'*

Ingredients
4 large baking potatoes
4 prosciutto slices
310g tinned corn kernels, drained
2 celery stalks, sliced
100g baby English spinach leaves

-for dressing-
2 1/2 tbs tomato juice
1 1/2 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs olive oil

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C. Thoroughly scrub the skins of the potatoes and prick them several times. Transfer to a roasting tin and bake, uncovered, for at least an hour, or until tender when pierced with a sharp knife.

Meanwhile, whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl. Season and set aside.

Put a frying pan over high heat. Add the prosciutto and dry-fry for a few minutes on both sides, or until crispy. Break the prosciutto into small pieces and set aside.

Sit the potatoes on a chopping board and make two deep incisions crossways over the top so they open out into quarters - be careful not to cut all the way through.

Put the corn, celery and spinach in a large bowl, pour over two-thirds of the dressing and toss well. Sit the potatoes on four serving plates and spoon a little dressing into each potato. Spoon the salad mixture into each potato, letting it spill over a little. Top with prosciutto and serve at once.

Serves 4

Warm Mediterranean Lamb Salad

Oh my. Now, this salad was delicious! Very restaurant quality indeed. Nice, fresh ingredients and the use of the BBQ helped make this dish into Lyndon's Top 10 Melody-cooked dishes. Loads of flavour, very lovely. Mmmm...

*Taken from Murdoch Books publication 'Australian Family Favourites'*

Ingredients

500g lamb backstraps or loin fillets

125ml olive oil

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tsp thyme leaves

1 tsp ground black pepper

2 small red capsicums

5 slender eggplants, thickly sliced on the diagonal

2 tbs olive tapanade

100g semi-dried (sun-blushed) tomatoes, sliced

1 Lebanese cucumber, seeded and chopped

150g green beans, trimmed and blanched

150g Nicoise or Ligurian olives

100g baby rocket leaves

dressing ingredients

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 tbs lemon juice

Method

Put the lamb in a non-metallic bowl. Combine half the oil with the garlic, thyme and pepper, then pour over the lamb and toss to coat. Set aside

Heat the grill to high. Cut the capsicums into large flat pieces, discarding the seeds and membrane. Arrange skin side up on the grill tray and grill until the skin blackens and blisters. Leave to cool in a plastic bag, then peel away the skin and cut the flesh into thirds/

Meanwhile, preheat a barbecue chargrill to high. Toss the eggplant in the remaining oil to coat, then grill for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden.

Cook the lamb on the hot chargrill plate for about 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare, or until done to your liking. Remove from the heat, cover with foil and leave for 5 minutes.

Thinly slice the lamb across the grain and toss in a bowl with the capsicum, eggplant, tapanade, tomato, cucumber, beans and olives. Add the rocket. Put the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well. Pour over the lamb salad, season and toss to combine.

Serves 4

Roast Beef and Spinach Salad with Horseradish Cream

This was very nice indeed. I cooked the beef and onion on the BBQ. It was tasty and filling and made a perfect warm spring Sunday dinner for Lyndon and I. The leftovers have gone to work with Lyndon...

*Taken from the Murdoch publication 'Tossed'*

Ingredients
Horseradish cream
125g (1/2 cup) thick plain yoghurt
1 tbs creamed horseradish

2 tbs lemon juice

2 tbs cream

2 garlic cloves, crushed

a few drops Tabasco sauce, or to taste

for the salad

200g green beans, trimmed

500g rump steak

1 red onion, halved

1 tbs olive oil

100g baby English spinach leaves

50g picked watercress leaves
200g semi-dried (sun-blushed) tomatoes

Method

To make the horseradish cream, whisk all the ingredients in a small bowl, with a little black pepper to taste. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to the boil, add the beans and blanch for 4 minutes, or until tender. Drain, refresh under cold water and drain again.

Meanwhile, preheat a griller or barbecue hotplate to high. Brush the steak and onion halves with the oil. Cook the steak for 2 minutes on each side, or until seared but still rare, then remove from the heat, cover with foil and leave for 5 minutes. (Cook the beef a little longer if you prefer it medium or well done.) While the steak is resting, cook the onion 2-3 minutes on each side, or until charred.

Toss the spinach, watercress, tomato and beans in a large salad bowl. Slice the beef thinly across the grain, then layer over the salad. Thinly slice the grilled onion, add to the salad and drizzle with the dressing. Season well with sea salt and freshly ground pepper and serve.

Serves 4

Moroccan Eggplant with Couscous

This salad made an excellent side dish for a BBQ we had and by all accounts, everyone enjoyed this flavoursome salad. Will definitely be making it again in the not too distant future...

*Taken from the Murdoch publication 'Tossed'*

Ingredients
185g (1 cup) instant couscous
200 ml olive oil
1 onion, halved and sliced
1 eggplant (aubergine)
3 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground cloves
50g butter
2 1/2 large handfuls parsley, finely chopped
zest of 1 lemon
2 tbs capers, rinsed and drained

Method
Put the couscous in a large bowl and add 375ml (1 1/2 cups) boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes, then fluff up with a fork.

Heat 2 tbs of the oil in a large frying pan and gently cook the onion for 8-10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the oil in the pan.

Cut the eggplant into 1cm thick slices, then into quarters and place in a large bowl. (I cut my eggplant into about 1cm cubes)
Mix the cumin, garlic salt, cinnamon, paprika and cloves in a small bowl with 1/2 tsp of salt, then sprinkle over the eggplant, tossing to coat well.

Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan over medium heat. Add the eggplant and cook, turning once, for 20-25 minutes, or until browned. Removed from the pan and allow to cool.

In the same pan, melt the butter, then add the couscous and gently cook for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the onion, eggplant, parsley, lemon zest and capers and take off the heat. Cool to room temperature before serving.

Serves 4 as a side salad.

Spaghetti Nicoise

Surprisingly, this was rather delicious! And very, very tasty...

*Taken from Murdoch Book's 'Fast Food'*

Ingredients

350 g spaghetti (I used angel hair spaghetti)

4 eggs

3 x 185 g cans tuna in oil

1/3 cup (50g) pitted and halved Kalamata olives

100g semi-sundried tomatoes, halved lengthways

4 anchovy fillets, chopped into small pieces

1 tsp finely grated lemon rind

2 tbs lemon juice

3 tbs baby capers, drained

3 tbs chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Method

Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Meanwhile, place the eggs in a saucepan of cold water, bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes. Drain, then cool under cold water then peel. Cut the eggs into quarters.

Empty the tuna and its oil into a large bowl. Add the olives, tomato halves, anchovies, lemon rind and juice, capers and 2 tbs of the parsley. Drain the pasta and rinse in a little cold water, then toss gently through the tuna mixture. Divide among serving bowls, garnish with egg and the remaining chopped fresh parsley and serve.

Serves 4-6

Chargrilled Chicken and Sprout Salad

The book states this is for 4 people but this served both only Lyndon and I. I guess if you had extra guests you could serve it up with something else to make it go further. It was pretty easy to prepare and was tasty too.

*Taken from 'Tossed. A Murdock Book'*

Ingredients
600g chicken breast fillets
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbs lemon juice
1 cos lettuce, leaves roughly torn
50g snowpea sprouts, white ends trimmed

yoghurt and caper dressing
200g low-fat, thick plain yoghurt
2 tbs capers, rinsed, drained and chopped
4 tbs lemon juice

Method
Put the chicken breasts in a shallow, non-metallic dish. In a small bowl, mix together the oil, cumin, coriander and lemon juice. Pour the mixture all over the chicken, rubbing it in thoroughly to coat all sides. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 1 hour, or up to 8 hours.

Nearer to serving time, make the yoghurt and caper dressing. Put all the ingredients om a s,a;; bowl and add a few grinds of black pepper and 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin it slightly. Whisk well and set aside.

Heat a BBQ grill or chargrill pan to medium. Add the chicken and cook for 6-8 minutes on one side, then turn over and cook for a further 4 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly, then slice into strips.

Put the lettuce and snowpea sprouts in a serving dish and add the sliced chicken. Pour over the dressing, mix gently and serve.

Indian Marinated Chicken Salad

This was a tasty salad to make, even though it was a little fiddly to make. It was refreshing to eat though and a little different! I served it as a main meal for 3 adults, but is more suited for 2...

*Taken from 'Tossed. A Murdock Book'*

Ingredients
1 1/2 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
325g chicken breast fillets (I used tenderloins)
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, thinly sliced on the diagonal
60g picked watercress leaves (I used baby spinach)
80g (1/2 cup) freshly podded peas (I used frozen)
1 tomato, finely chopped
1 small handful coriander leaves

yoghurt dressing
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp coriander seeds
2 tbs thick plain yoghurt
1 tbs chopped mint
1 tbs lemon juice

Method
Combine the lemon juice, garam masala, turmeric, ginger, garlic and 1 tsp of the oil in a large bowl. Add chicken and onion, toss well to coat all over, then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Remove the onion from the chicken marinate, then heat 1 tbs of the oil in a large frying pan. Cook the chicken over medium heat for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Cut each breast across the grain into 1 cm slices.

Heat the remaining oil in the pan and saute the zucchini and marinated onion for 2 minutes, or until lightly golden and tender. Toss in a large bowl with the watercress. Cook the peas in boiling water for 5 minutes, or until tender, then drain and rinse under cold water to cool. Add to the salad with the chicken, tomato and coriander.

To make the yoghurt dressing, dry-fry the cumin and coriander seeds in a frying pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant. Put the seeds in a mortar and pestle and pound them to a powder. Mix together with the yoghurt, mint and lemon juice. Gently fold the dressing through the salad and divide into 2 bowls.

Warm Roasted Potato with Spicy Sausage

We have a bit of a 'thing' here for chorizo sausage and when I spied this recipe in my new cookbook I had to make it. It was very delicious and very easy so I will definitely be making it again in the not too distant future.

*Taken from the Murdoch Book 'Tossed'*

Ingredients

800 g small waxy potatoes, unpeeled

2 tbs olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

4 small chorizo sausages (about 500 g), cut into 1 cm slices

100 g rocket, leaves trimmed and roughly torn

100 g semi-sundried tomatoes

crusty bread, to serve

seeded mustard dressing

3 tbs olive oil

1 tbs seeded mustard

2 tbs white wine vinegar

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F). Scrub the potatoes and pat them dry. Put them in a roasting tin without any oil or seasoning and bake for 20 minutes, or until they start to soften. Remove from the oven and gently squash each potato using a potato masher, until the skins burst and they are slightly flattened. Lightly drizzle the oil over each potato, sprinkle with the sea salt and gently toss to coat. Roast for a further 15-20 minutes, or until crispy and golden.

Meanwhile, put a frying pan over high heat. Add the chorizo and dry-fry for about 5 minutes, or until cooked through and golden. Transfer to a serving dish with the rocket and tomatoes.

Put all the seeded mustard dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk well and season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Add the crispy potatoes to the salad, pour the dressing over and toss well. Serve hot or warm, with crusty bread.

Serves 4

Chorizo, Rocket & Red Onion Salad

This salad was delicious!!! I should have made more!!

*Taken from 'Super Food Ideas' magazine*

Ingredients

1/4 cup pine nuts

500g chorizo sausages, sliced

2 red onions, cut into thin wedges

1 tbs thyme leaves

100g baby rocket (I used baby rocket & baby spinach)

1 tbs balsamic vinegar

Method

Place pine nuts in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook, shaking pan, for 5 minutes or until light golden. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside. Cook chorizo, in two batches, for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until light golden. Transfer to a plate. Cover to keep warm.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add onion and thyme to pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 6 minutes or until onion begins to caramelise.

Add onion mixture, chorizo, rocket and vinegar to pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper. Toss until well combined. Spoon salad onto plates and serve.

Serves 4

Caesar Salad

This recipe is so very delicious and very authentic. Trust me when I say that it is actually pretty much restaurant quality. True. And here am I say that about my own cooking! *blush*

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where the Heart Is'*

Ingredients
1 bulb garlic
1 cup (300g) egg mayonnaise
2 tbs sour cream
8 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 clove garlic, finely chopped
splash of vinegar
4 free-range eggs (60g each)
3 baby cos lettuces, very outed leaves removed and each cut into 6 wedges, leaving core intact
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
1/2 bunch chives, finely chopped
1 red onion, finely sliced
3 tbs small capers
10 slices pancetta, roasted at 165C for 5-7 minutes
150g shaved Parmesan
extra lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
4 slices sourdough bread
extra clove garlic and olive oil to serve

Method
To make the dressing, roast the garlic bulb at 150C for 30 minutes, then cut and squeeze flesh out. Combine roasted garlic flesh, mayonnaise, sour cream, anchovies, lemon juice and chopped garlic in a food processor and process until smooth. If the mix is too stiff, add a little lemon juice until dressing is sauce-like. Set aside.

Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil and add a splash of vinegar. Slide in eggs and poach for 3-5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm.

Arrange lettuce on plates and drizzle over dressing. Scatter parsley, chives, onion and capers over lettuce.

Place an egg on each plate, crumble pancetta over eggs and shave over some Parmesan, add a squeeze of extra lemon juice and, if desired, grind over black pepper.

Toast the bread, rub with an extra clove or garlic, then drizzle with olive oil and cut into fingers. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Tuna Nicoise

This recipe was delicious, besides the fact it took some fiddling about. It was worth the trouble. An absolute taste sensation and I will surely be making this again in the very near future. I didn't use the tuna steaks, instead I used Yellowfin Tuna in Oil from a tin (which was recommend if fresh tuna not available to use.) Please make it and you won't be disappointed. And yes, yet another Karen Martini recipe...

*Taken from Karen Martini's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients
4 free-range eggs (60g each)
splash of vinegar
1/2 bunch basil leaves, finely chopped
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
150ml extra virgin olive oil
salt flakes and freshly ground pepper
250g small green beans, trimmed
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 punnet (250g) red cherry tomatoes, quartered (I used grape tomatoes)
100g butter, chopped
6 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2tbs plain yoghurt
4 yellowfin tuna steaks (120g each)
3 large Desiree or kipfler potatoes, peeled and boiled in lightly salted water, then thinly sliced and tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper and kept warm
1tbs small capers
16 black olives
lemon wedges to serve

Method
Bring a saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil and add a splash of vinegar. Slide in the eggs and poach for 3-5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm.

Place herbs in a bowl, add 50ml olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cook beans in lightly salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Drain and add hot beans immediately to herb and oil mix. Add onion and cherry tomatoes and toss to combine.

To make the anchovy sauce, place butter, remaining olive oil, anchovies and garlic in a small saucepan. Use a wooden spoon to stir over low heat until anchovies dissolve, then season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Mix mayonnaise and yoghurt in a separate bowl.

On a hot barbecue or in a hot non-stick pan, sear the lightly oiled tuna or cook to your liking (2-3 minutes for rare, 3-4 minutes for medium, 4-6 minutes for well done).

To serve, spread the mayonnaise on four plates, arrange potato slices over and top with tuna. Spoon on the bean mix and scatter capers and olives. Place egg on top and spoon over hot anchovy sauce. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

Serves 4

Genovese Salad

You can probably see by this blog that I have this 'thing' for potato salad. I was never a big fan of potato salad when growing up, I'm not sure why. I guess I am on a quest to find the perfect potato salad. This one is yummy and pretty different from the 'usual'. It's a good cross between both Potato salad and Pesto Pasta salad - Lyndon thought it was delicious. I did find with this one, that I seemed to use a hell of a lot of dishes. Someone buy me a dishwasher and I'll stop complaining here. Hehe...

*Taken from Karen Maritin's 'Where The Heart Is'*

Ingredients
6 small Desiree potatoes (I used Golden Delight)
50ml extra virgin olive oil
50ml red wine vinegar
200gm green beans, trimmed
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
200gm lasagnette pasta
100ml pesto
1 cup spinach leaves, shredded
30g pine nuts
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Cook potatoes in a medium-sized saucepan of lightly salted boiling water for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving cooking liquid. Slice potatoes thickly and toss with 2tbs of the olive oil and the vinegar.

Cook beans in lightly salted boiling water for about 3 minutes or until just cooked. Drain. Cook peas in reserved cooking liquid for 1 minute. Drain. Cook pasta in lightly salted boiling water until just past al dente. Drain, then transfer to a bowl and stir through the remaining oil and half of the pesto. Add shredded spinach to hot pasta and stir through until wilted. Add potatoes, beans and peas and remaining pesto and pine nuts and stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve at room temperature.

Serves 4-6