Salad Archives - Page 3 of 4

A Crunchier and Filling Nicoise Salad

2|01|2014

Happy New Year Everyone! A great beginning….I can feel the vibe! Really! It does amaze me though that we all look at the New Year as a fresh start though we are constantly a part of beginnings and endings all throughout the year. But why not! With a beginning comes hope and.. belief. In yourself..in the world around you…in good. Hope is good, isn’t it?

Life just got insanely exciting and relaxed for me at the same time. Moving houses at the end of December is not exactly the perfect time to pack away bakeware and dinnerware in boxes. Though I managed to put up a decent number of cookie and other posts, it almost hurt not being able to carry it through to the end. Cooking and Photography are an integral part of my being today and I cannot imagine a day without doing it. Somehow life makes a lot more sense when I am whisking, stirring, chopping, mixing or piping.

Our move was seamless though hectic as expected. But we’ve been anything but tired….lazy but not tired. Living on the waterfront does have its advantages. We’ve been getting into a crazy habit of packing our meals and eating them outside. I’ve been getting some pretend haircuts and therapies from soft little hands while listening to a different version of ‘Poky Little Puppy’. each time. Lucky me also got to eat some ‘masterpiece’ cookies made with care. All in all I love the exciting little changes that have come about with a change in surroundings.
Talking about food, I don’t have any New Year resolutions and not even the slightest intention of swaying away from Sugar recipes. But I love salads, soups or any other food and they will continue to appear on the blog. It’s more of a creative outlet for me. As with this one. I wanted to give the classic Nicoise a little makeover and make it filling enough to substitute a meal for the health conscious resolution-makers.

Instead of boiled potatoes, I have grilled them. To do that quickly, I cooked the potatoes in the microwave and finished them on the chargrill. The Tuna steaks or flakes in a typical Nicoise Salad have been replaced by Tuna meatballs that are pretty quick to put together. The tuna meatball recipe will yield about 25 meatballs. If you don’t want to use up all of them in the salad, you can serve some with a pasta or wrap. With the meatballs, hard-boiled eggs, beans, olives, tomatoes, lettuce you can imagine how nutritious, tasty and filling this will be.

I hope you all are off to a great start after spending ‘quality’ time with family, friends and food. Isn’t that what matters, whatever the day or whichever the year!

A Crunchier and Filling Nicoise Salad
Serves 4

For the Salad
Tuna Meatballs (recipe below)
2 grilled potatoes (recipe below)
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
300 g green beans, cooked (to do this, cook in boiling water for 2-3 minutes until bright green and tender crisp. Refresh under cold running water and drain)
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1 tomato, seeded and sliced
Cos lettuce and salad leaves of your choice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, mustard and sugar until combined. Season with salt and pepper. Divide the salad leaves, meatballs, eggs, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes and olives evenly among serving bowls. Drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle salt and pepper if required. Serve

For the Tuna Meatballs
450 g canned Tuna (in spring water or Brine), drained
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs, from a day old whole grain bread (to make, just run a slice of bread through the food processor)
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1/2 tsp dried mixed herbs
2 tbsp. grated parmesan
1 tbsp. grated lemon zest
1 egg lightly beaten
Salt and pepper to season

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C. Brush a baking tray with olive oil
Place the canned tuna, breadcrumbs, herbs, parmesan, lemon zest, salt and pepper and mix with your hand until well combined. Add egg and mix well. Roll into medium meatballs between your palms.
Place on the oiled baking tray and brush with oil. Bake for 15 minutes or until form and slightly golden brown. Once cooked, set aside to cool.

For the Grilled Potatoes
2 large Russet potatoes
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt to taste

Pierce each potato all over with a fork. Cook them on high in a microwave for 5 mins. Turn over and cook for another 5 mins. (Take care while doing this as the potatoes are extremely hot). Let cool for 10 minutes. Slice into wedges. Drizzle with oil and season. Heat a chargrill pan on high heat and place the wedges. Cook for 5 minutes on each side until cooked through and charred. Set aside

Lamb Seekh Kebabs- Indian Lamb Skewers

10|10|2013

As our festival of Durgotsava kicks off from today, I cannot help but feel very nostalgic. Though we do take part in quite a few celebrations that take place around Sydney, it is nothing compared to the ones that happen back home in India.

During this time, the Eastern part of India shuts up shop for 5 continuous days and is in a celebratory mode. Makeshift structures (pandals) are constructed all around the state of West Bengal to house the warrior Goddess Durga and every nook and corner of the state is adorned with beautiful lighting and floral decorations. Mother Durga as she is referred to is an embodiment of feminine power in the Hindu culture and the 5 main days of the festival are celebrated as the time she returns to stay (along with her children) at her father’s place. Therefore married women also look at it as an occasion to reunite with family. The idols that also showcase the unique craftmanship of their creators depict the Mother riding a lion and carrying different weapons in her ten arms as the festival celebrates her victory over the mythological demon Mahishasura. The Durga Puja festival essentially epitomizes the victory of good over evil. Needless to say, food is an integral part of this celebration.

Very few at this time cook at home and prefer to eat either at the community get together or the various food stalls that sell the traditional Indian dishes. Mainly the street food. I have told you earlier how much I love the street food in India. Among the popular food are the chats, chicken rolls, kebabs and Biriyani. Indians love their biriyani and each state has their own way of cooking it. I will post my biriyani recipe one of these days too but today I am sharing a recipe that we generally make during pre or post festival gatherings.

These kebabs are really easy to put together and are just perfect when you are entertaining a big group of people. The mince mixture can be prepared ahead in time and skewered to be grilled when your guests arrive. The last part of the recipe is my own addition. Lamb and cumin are a classic combination and coating the kebabs in roasted cumin powder brings out the flavour like an explosion. The kebabs can be served with a cucumber ribbon salad or a mint chutney. You can eat them on the skewer like an appetizer or wrapped in a flatbread or tortilla for lunch or dinner.

Lamb Seekh Kebabs -Indian lamb Skewers
Serves 6

500g lamb mince
1 medium-sized onion chopped very fine
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
1/4 cup breadcrumbs (more if mixture does not come together)
1/2 cup fresh chopped coriander leaves
1/4 cup freshly chopped mint leaves
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp garam masala powder (available in most supermarkets or Indian stores)
1 tsp cumin powder
2-3 green chillies very finely chopped (optional)
Salt to taste
Vegetable Oil for cooking

Roasted Cumin Powder
1 tbsp cumin seed

Combine all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Using hands or with a wooden spoon mix the ingredients thoroughly till they are well blended. Cover the bowl and put into the refrigerator for 1 hour.
If you are using bamboo skewers, soak the skewers in water for 15-20 minutes.

Remove the mixture from fridge and divide into equal portions. Take each portion and form it into a long sausage-like kebab while pressing on to a skewer. Do this till the mix has firmly adhered to the skewer. Put some oil on your hands to prevent meat from sticking to them. Repeat till all the kebab mix is used up.

Heat a chargrill pan or a large frying pan with oil till smoking hot. Brown the kebabs on one side, then flip over and brown on the other side. Take care not to overcook the kebabs or they will lose their juicyness. It generally takes 7-8 minutes to cook them overall.

Remove from the pan and coat the kebabs in the roasted cumin powder. Serve with lime wedges and salad.

To make the roasted Cumin Powder, roast the cumin seeds in a frying pan over heat till fragrant. Process to a powder in a food processor.

Smoked Salmon Scotch Eggs with Orange Radicchio Salad

11|09|2013

If you love entertaining and look for recipes that are simple yet impressive, I’ve got just that for you today. Scotch eggs are great as a starter or a snack or even a side dish. Typically, a Scotch egg is a hard boiled egg encased in sausage meat mixture, crumbed and deep fried. Of course there are many variations that exist mainly in the type of casing that is used. Any kind of mince would work and the type of seasoning largely determines the flavours.

Tweaking the classic ingredients, I used Smoked Salmon to coat the egg and that gave the dish a delicate appeal. It barely took any time to get this ready but the reactions of the people at the table were worth noting. I served it with a orange radicchio salad to have some sweet, bitter tangy flavours on the plate. You can serve it with with any salad of your choice or a simple lemon aioli (lemon infused mayonnaise). I enjoyed plating up this dish as the colours look lovely together. However, I just managed a few photographs with guests waiting at the table.

I have been very busy lately. And I apologise for being a bit late in visiting my blogger friends. Most of the times I click through the links but unable to complete reading the full post and make a mental note to go back. And then the backlog just builds up. Along with the number of incomplete drafts in my folders. At times I wish there were more hours to a day. No..not really…then I might have not made it to the bed at all and slept off at my desk.
The good news is that its Spring at last and it’s showing. Everywhere.! I love Spring and what it does to the world!

Smoked Salmon Scotch Eggs with Orange Radicchio Salad

Smoked Salmon Scotch Eggs

4 hard boiled eggs
100 g smoked salmon, roughly chopped
2 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed
1 clove garlic
1/2 onion roughly chopped
1 tsp mixed dried herbs (or freshly chopped)
1/2 cup plain flour for dredging
1 large egg lightly beaten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I used ordinary breadcrumbs as I ran out of Panko. If available, I prefer using Panko breadcrumbs)
salt and pepper for seasoning
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Place the smoked salmon, garlic, onion and mixed herbs into a food processor and pulse briefly to combine. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and mix with the mashed potatoes. Season with salt and black pepper, mixing well to combine.
Divide the mixture into four, mould one portion around a boiled egg and roll it into a circle. Repeat with the remaining mixture and boiled eggs. Dredge the salmon-wrapped eggs in flour, then dip quickly into the beaten egg to coat. Spread the breadcrumbs out on a plate and roll the wrapped eggs in the breadcrumbs. Repeat the process, dipping each wrapped egg again into the beaten egg and breadcrumbs until thoroughly coated.
Heat vegetable oil in a heavy bottomed pan or wok. Carefully place the eggs into the hot oil, a few at a time, and deep-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown and crisp on the outside. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

Orange Radicchio Salad

2 Navel Oranges peeled and segmented
A few leaves of radicchio, coarsely torn
A handful rocket leaves
2-3 thinly sliced smoked salmon, coarsely chopped
1 tsp honey
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Place the first 4 ingrdients together in a large bowl. Mix the remaining ingredients together to make the dressing. Pour onto the bowl just before serving. Toss to combine.

To plate: Place a scotch egg in the centre of the plate. Arrange the salad around the scotch egg horizontally. Drizzle with a bit of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with cracked pepper.

Grilled Pumpkin, Red Onion, Feta and Pine Nut Salad

6|06|2013

Perhaps its the cold winter air. Perhaps its the beautiful leaves desperately clinging on to half barren trees. Perhaps its the familiar aromas of childhood that greet me on the way. Perhaps its the multitude of women racing past, freshly painted lips & high-heeled shoes that take me back to my days at work. Or perhaps its my new-found happiness, in a vibrant store. I love my long walk home.

After dropping my kids at the Care each time, I choose to walk. The road is a long one and I would be lying if I say that it doesn’t wear me out. But the prospect of building up little experiences on the way are far too exciting to overlook. The magic of this journey lies in its contrasting visuals. Starts on a busy street filled with shops, restaurants & cafes and ends up through winding lanes that are buried under mounds of dry fallen leaves. You can almost hear the universe whispering in your ears ‘Slow down’. Between the two different worlds lies a restaurant. Too early for it to open at that time of the morning but the smell of cardamom & ginger hangs heavy in the air. I am instantly transported to my place of birth.

But the highlight of the walk is a grocery store that specialises in fruits and vegetables. As soon as I step into the store, I am mesmerised by the colourful array of fresh produce. I hop from one to the next filling up my basket, my head brimming with ideas. We are already quite lucky to have access to great local produce anywhere in this country, but this market particularly takes my breath away for its wide selection of local & gourmet fruits & vegetables. The other day, I spotted herb pots and I could have clapped my hands loudly as the thought of growing my own rosemary and thyme struck me. And what do you think…I bought them all! So I have a little herb garden to take care of now. My aromatic little garden!

I am not a huge fan of pumpkin but I am beginning to like it lately. Pumpkin desserts were always welcome. Sugar has the power to transform everything..literally. What do you think? I know you have been missing Sugar on my site for a while now…as much as I have. Someone wrote to me recently. ‘Where are the DESSERTS?’. Do bear with me. Sugar is very much present in my life & coming back on the blog. With a vengeance!

Grilling gives pumpkin a nice flavour & look. This salad has Middle Eastern flavours and is vegetarian. For those unfamiliar with Tahini, it is a paste made out of ground sesame seeds, used extensively in Middle Eastern and Greek cuisine. It is available in most supermarkets these days. Non-vegetarians can add your favourite meat..grilled chicken, shrimps or prosciutto. I love both Feta and Pine nuts so they go into all my Middle Eastern dishes.

So that is my long walk home, shortened by the personal connection I make with the world, sharpened by the all the beauty I take in, enlivened by the little bag I bring back with joyful anticipation of what I might achieve today…on the other side…

Of the long road home..

Grilled Pumpkin, Red Onion and Feta Salad with a Tahini Dressing

1/2 butternut pumpkin, peeled and thinly sliced
2 red onion, cut into thin wedges
A handful of baby spinach and rocket leaves
3 tablespoons of Feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper for seasoning

Tahini Dressing

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Tahini
1 teaspoon castor sugar
salt and pepper.

Brush the pumpkin slices with olive oil, salt and pepper. Heat a grilling pan (or a non sick frying pan) over medium heat. Place the pumpkin on the pan and grill for 1-2 mins on each side (the time will depend on the thickness of the slices) till tender (but not too soft to handle). Transfer to a plate. Grill the red onions in the same way till soft. Remove from heat.

Place the pumpkin, onions and leafy greens in a large serving bowl. Add the crumbled Feta and pine nuts. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and serve.

To make the dressing, mix all the ingredients together except salt and pepper. Season to taste.