SALAD DAYS
SWEET POTATO AND CHORIZO SALAD
If you prefer a spicier flavour, opt for the peri-peri chorizo instead of the traditional version.
500 g sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 Tbsp (45 ml) olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 chorizo sausage, sliced into 1 cm-slices
2 Tbsp (30 ml) lemon juice
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
a handful fresh coriander, chopped
Preheat the oven to 190°C and spray a baking tray with non-stick cooking spray.
Arrange the sweet potatoes on the baking tray. Pour over the 3 tablespoons of olive oil and toss until the potato cubes are well covered. Season. Bake for approximately 30 minutes, until tender and lightly browned.
While the potatoes are baking, heat a frying pan and fry the chorizo slices until crispy on both sides. Remove from the pan and reserve the oil.
Combine the sweet potatoes and chorizo in a bowl. Mix together the chorizo oil, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons olive oil and coriander, then pour over the sweet potatoes and chorizo and toss well. Arrange on a serving platter and season to taste. Serves 4
As delicious as guacamole is, it isn’t the most appetising in appearance. I have deconstructed the salad to give this perennial favourite an overhaul. Ring the changes further by serving on individual serving plates, or presenting on a platter.
3 avocados
juice of 1 lemon
4–6 plum tomatoes (depending on size), sliced
1–2 green peppers, deseeded and sliced into rings
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 large red onion, finely sliced
a bunch coriander leaves
DRESSING
1 cup (250 ml) French salad dressing
a dash Tabasco sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Slice the avocados in half, stone and peel. Cut small slices off the bases and arrange the avocados on a serving plate. Sprinkle with lemon juice.
In a bowl, combine the tomatoes, green peppers, spring and red onions and coriander leaves. For the dressing, mix together the French dressing, Tabasco sauce and seasoning. Pour over the tomato mixture, mix through, then spoon over the avocado halves. Adjust the seasoning if necessary and serve. Serves 6
BEETROOT, APPLE AND SMOKED TROUT SALAD
Beetroot has made a comeback and graces the finest restaurant menus. I love beetroot, but not the pre-prepared bottles of it doused in loads of cheap vinegar. The good news is that ready-cooked fresh beetroot is now available in stores. Buy the type without vinegar for this salad. If you choose to use a ready-made dressing, use a creamy French or even honey and mustard one.
The trout may be replaced with smoked salmon, smoked mackerel or even pickled herring.
300 g ready-cooked beetroot, quartered
2 Pink Lady apples, cored and sliced
1 Tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
2–3 fillets smoked trout
1 small cucumber
1 bulb fennel, sliced
DRESSING
1/2 cup (125 ml) crème fraîche or sour cream or yoghurt
1 Tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice
1 Tbsp (15 ml) chives, finely chopped
1 tsp (5 ml) wholegrain mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Rinse the beetroot in water. Toss the apples in lemon juice. Cut the trout into pieces. Using a vegetable peeler, cut the cucumber into ribbons.
Mix all the ingredients together and arrange on a serving platter or 4 individual plates. Combine all the dressing ingredients and drizzle over the salad just before serving. Serves 4
Bulgur wheat, a Middle Eastern grain, is an oft-neglected salad ingredient. It has a nutty flavour that marries well with other ingredients. Find it in health stores or the health section of the supermarket.
Harissa paste is a North African chilli paste available ready-made. To save time, buy ready-sliced fruit.
125 g bulgur wheat
boiling water for soaking wheat
1 large pineapple or mango or 2 nectarines
50 g pistachios or whole almonds, chopped
1 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 bunch mint, chopped
juice of 1 lemon or orange
2 tsp–1 Tbsp (10–15 ml) harissa paste
6 Tbsp (90 ml) olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste
In a large bowl, cover the bulgur wheat with boiling water and soak for 30 minutes. Leave to cool.
Peel the pineapple or mango or nectarines, then cut into slices. Mix the fruit, nuts and cooled bulgur together. Add the herbs and mix through.
In a screw-top jar, combine the lemon juice, harissa paste, oil and seasoning. Shake well, pour over the bulgur wheat and mix through. Serves 4
A TWIST ON GREEK SALAD with watermelon salsa
If you’ve been to Greece you will realise that our South African interpretation of Greek salad is a far cry from the original: there’s no lettuce, and feta comes in a generous chunk rather than blocks. Closer to the original, this recipe has a refreshing twist: the addition of watermelon. Speed up the process by buying ready-cubed watermelon and pitted olives, but don’t compromise on the real Greek olives, Calamata. A cherry pitter makes light work of pitting olives. If watermelon is out of season, replace with firm, red tomatoes, cubed.
1/4 watermelon, seeded
1 small red onion, finely sliced
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) Calamata olives, pitted
2 Tbsp (30 ml) roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
150 ml Greek salad dressing
4 rounds of feta cheese
freshly ground black pepper to season
Cut the watermelon into small cubes and mix together with the onion, green pepper, olives and parsley in a bowl. Shake the dressing well and pour over the watermelon mixture.
On each of 4 serving plates, place a round of feta and top with the watermelon mixture. Sprinkle with pepper and serve. Serves 4
SICHUAN PEPPER, MOZZARELLA and fig salad
From the Sichuan region of China, Sichuan pepper is russet in colour and adds a pungent flavour to food. It’s available from Oriental stores and selected supermarkets.
3 heads gem lettuce (or 1 head oak leaf lettuce), washed and leaves separated
8 preserved or fresh figs, halved
1/2 cup (125 ml) ready-made croutons
150 g buffalo mozzarella cheeseballs, halved, or 150 g quality mozzarella, cubed
DRESSING
11/2 tsp (8 ml) Sichuan peppercorns, crushed
3 Tbsp (45 ml) runny honey
4 Tbsp (60 ml) sherry vinegar
4 Tbsp (60 ml) olive oil
a pinch salt
For the dressing, mix together the peppercorns, honey, vinegar, olive oil and salt. Arrange the lettuce on a serving platter. Scatter over the figs, croutons and cheese. Shake the dressing and pour over the salad. Serves 4–6
Although courgettes (baby marrows) are generally enjoyed cooked, they are neglected as a tasty raw option. They also look good in a salad, especially the striped green and yellow variety. If those aren’t available, replace some of the green courgettes with yellow patty pans. For additional colour, add a small punnet of cocktail tomatoes to the salad. If you are in a real rush, use140 ml ready-made French salad dressing.
6 courgettes
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
DRESSING
4 Tbsp (60 ml) lemon juice
80 ml olive oil
85 ml French salad dressing
1–2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp (5 ml) castor sugar
1 Tbsp (15 ml) thyme leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Using a vegetable peeler, shave thin slices from the courgettes, lengthwise. Arrange them in a serving dish and sprinkle over the zest.
Mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, salad dressing, garlic, sugar, thyme and seasoning in a screwtop jar. Shake well, pour over the courgettes and toss well. Serves 6
MOROCCAN DATE, ORANGE and carrot salad
4 oranges
salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup (250 ml) julienne carrot sticks (ready cut)
1/2 cup (125 ml) fresh dates, pitted and sliced
4 Tbsp (60 ml) olive oil
1 tsp (5 ml) dried chilli flakes (or more if you prefer it spicier)
50 g roasted and salted almonds
Peel 3 oranges with a sharp knife, and remove all the white pith. Cut them into circular slices, approximately 0.5 cm thick. Season the slices with salt and pepper, then mix with the carrots and dates. Arrange on a serving platter.
Squeeze the juice from the remaining orange into a small bowl. Combine with the oil and chilli flakes. Season to taste and pour over the oranges, carrots and dates. Sprinkle over the nuts and serve. Serves 4–6
1 large cucumber
3 spring onions, finely chopped
grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
1 Tbsp (15 ml) light soy sauce
1 Tbsp (15 ml) rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
1 tsp (5 ml) chilli flakes or chilli sauce
1 tsp (5 ml) sugar
1 Tbsp (15 ml) white sesame seeds, lightly toasted
Peel the cucumber with a vegetable peeler, then cut in half and halve it again, diagonally. Using a teaspoon, scrape down the centre of the cucumber to remove the seeds. Cut it into chunks.
In a serving bowl, mix the cucumber with the spring onions. Stir in the lemon rind and juice, soy sauce, vinegar, oil, chilli and sugar. Pour over the cucumber and toss to mix. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Serves 6
ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD with feta cheese
Pre-prepared vegetables for roasting are such a bonus; they cut down loads of preparation time and are worth the extra price when you are pressed for time.
If you don’t want to use a ready-made Greek dressing, make your own by mixing half a cup (125 ml) each of olive oil and vinegar, then add 2–3 cloves of crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon (5 ml) each of dried origanum and rosemary, as well as salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) sugar.
1 × 750 g pack ready-prepared vegetables for roasting (any mixture of your choice)
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup (125 ml) Greek salad dressing
125 g feta cheese, cubed
fresh thyme or rosemary to garnish
Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Place the vegetables in an oven-proof dish, drizzle oil over them and season. Bake for 1 hour or until tender and browned. Remove from the oven and pour over the salad dressing while the vegetables are still warm.
Toss the feta into the still-warm vegetables. Leave to cool to room temperature, then serve garnished with thyme or rosemary. Serves 4
CHICKPEA, CORIANDER AND BRINJAL SALAD
Whip up this salad quickly with canned chickpeas. To speed it up even further, look for brinjals that are already sliced and fried (available from various delicatessens). I purchase mine from Mi Vami, a Middle Eastern shwarma restaurant/take-out venue that has been an institution of fine food for many years in Johannesburg.
1 large brinjal, sliced and fried in olive oil or 1 large punnet ready-prepared brinjal slices
2 × 400 g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
DRESSING
150 ml olive oil
grated rind and juice of 1 large lemon
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 ml) dried chilli flakes, optional
1 bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped
Arrange the slices of brinjal on the outer edge of a serving platter.
For the dressing, mix together all the ingredients, including three-quarters of the coriander. Combine with the chickpeas, then set aside, to allow the flavours to blend. Just before serving, spoon the chickpeas into the centre of the platter. Garnish with the remaining coriander. Serves 6
BEETROOT WITH ROCKET and goat’s milk cheese
If you don’t have goat’s milk cheese, replace it with feta.
1 large punnet ready-cooked beetroot
1/2 cup (125 ml) olive oil
4 Tbsp (60 ml) balsamic vinegar
1 pillow pack rocket leaves
1 × 100 g log goat’s milk cheese, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Cut the beetroot into quarters and toss with the olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Place the rocket on a serving plate, add the beetroot and mix. Top with slices of cheese. Season and serve. Serves 4
Although it’s not really quick to prepare, this salad is simple and fuss free. Roasting enhances the flavour of the tomatoes.
Roasted Tomato Salad (front), Cheat’s Beef Tonnato (back – page 127)
4 large, firm, ripe red tomatoes
salt to taste
2 tsp (10 ml) castor sugar
olive oil
a few sprigs fresh thyme
1 pillow pack mixed salad leaves
shavings Parmesan cheese
DRESSING
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
2 Tbsp (30 ml) balsamic vinegar
2 tsp (10 ml) castor sugar
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Cut the tomatoes in half and, if necessary, slice off the ends so that they sit easily. Arrange them in a baking dish, then sprinkle with salt and castor sugar, and drizzle over a little olive oil. Place sprigs of thyme over the tomato tops. Roast for 30 minutes until soft and a little charred. Allow to cool.
Combine the ingredients for the dressing. Arrange the salad leaves in a serving dish. Top with the cooled tomatoes and Parmesan shavings, then pour over the dressing and serve. Serves 4
People always ask me the secret to this dish. It’s a delicious cheat. Use a mixture of fresh mushrooms such as button and portabellini.
500 g fresh button and portabellini mushrooms, wiped
1 punnet cocktail tomatoes
1 × 340 ml bottle French, Greek or balsamic salad dressing
3 Tbsp (45 ml) chopped fresh parsley
Place the mushrooms and tomatoes in a non-metallic container and pour over the dressing. Add the parsley, cover and set aside in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, or overnight, before serving. Serves 6–8
CABBAGE SALAD
This is my favourite salad of all. Why? Because I believe cabbage to be under-utilised, you can assemble the salad quickly and the idea comes from my dear friend and great cook, Gilly Ord. Gilly and her husband Sandy are the finest hosts and great entertainers; their guests never leave hungry! Gilly calls this her 1-2-3 Cabbage Salad. Her recipe is speeded up here using convenience items.
NO 1
2 packets ready-sliced coleslaw mix (cabbage and carrot)
6 spring onions, very finely sliced
NO 2
1 packet of 2-minute noodles, broken in pieces
100 g slivered almonds
1 cup (250 ml) toasted, mixed
seeds (available ready toasted)
NO 3
1 cup (250 ml)
Greek salad dressing
1/2 cup (125 ml) castor sugar
1 sachet flavouring from
2-minute noodles
In a large mixing bowl, mix rogether the No 1 ingredients.
In a large, non-stick frying pan, brown (without oil) the noodles and almonds. Leave to cool, then combine with the seeds. Add three-quarters of this mixture to the coleslaw mixture, retaining the rest as garnish.
Mix together the No 3 ingredients, then pour over the salad. Cover the bowl and allow the salad to absorb the dressing awhile – if you can wait that long. Just before serving, transfer to a salad bowl and garnish with the remaining noodle mixture. Serves 8
This is a great recipe to use when asparagus is in season and plentiful. Prosciutto is an Italian smoked style of raw ham, which can be replaced with Parma ham or a good quality smoked ham. If you prefer, use thin slices of smoked beef instead.
16–24 asparagus spears
4 Tbsp (60 ml) water
2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
2 Tbsp (30 ml) pine nuts, toasted in a dry pan and chopped
3 Tbsp (45 ml) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
8 slices prosciutto/Parma ham/smoked ham
DRESSING
1 Tbsp (45 ml) balsamic vinegar
4 Tbsp (60 ml) olive oil
a pinch chilli powder
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp (15 ml) finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Rinse the asparagus and cut off the woody ends. Place half the asparagus in a microwaveable dish and add half the water. Cover with clingfilm, pierce and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove and repeat with the remaining asparagus. Alternatively, place the asparagus in a frying pan, cover with boiling water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and cook until just tender. Do not overcook.
Drain off any water. Toss the asparagus in the oil, nuts and Parmesan cheese. Lay out the prosciutto slices, spooning equal bundles of the asparagus mixture onto the middle of each. Roll up and arrange on a serving platter.
Mix together the dressing ingredients, then pour over the prosciutto bundles and serve. Serves 4