Tag Archives: salad

Persimmon, Pomegranate and Farro Salad

Posted in Lunch, Recipes, Salads by

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This salad came about because I was recently at Kitchen by Mike’s in Rosebery and I tried something similar. Regretfully, I didn’t take a photo on the day, so this salad is my recreation of what I can remember. Persimmon are the main feature in this salad and they are so delicious. I don’t eat them often, nor are they featured in menu items often but they should be. They have a delicate, sweet flavour which pairs beautifully with the tang of the pomegranate. The crunch from the nutty farro and walnuts rounds out the salad nicely. For people who are skeptical of eating salad as a main dish, make this for them. It’s packed with flavour, fills you up and there’s not a lettuce leaf in sight. Enjoy :)

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Persimmon, Pomegranate and Farro Salad

Serves 4 as a main or 6-8 as a side

 Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups farro, cooked according to packet instructions
  • 1 persimmon, finely sliced (mandolin is perfect)
  • Seeds of ½ pomegranate, juice reserved
  • 6 sprigs mint, leaves torn
  • 1 ½ tbs chopped chervil
  • 1 ¼ cups walnuts
  • 1 tbs maple syrup, plus 2 teaspoons
  • Zest and juice of half a lemon
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • Sea salt to season

Method:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Scatter walnuts on tray and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the maple syrup. Bake in the oven for about 4 minutes or until just golden. Set aside to cool.
  2. To make the dressing, use the reserved juice from the pomegranates and mix it in a small bowl with the olive oil, remaining maple syrup, lemon juice and zest and season with salt.
  3. Combine all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl with the walnuts and pour over the dressing. Taste for seasoning and serve.

*To get the seeds out of a pomegranate, cut the pomegranate in half. Over a bowl, hold the pomegranate in your hand with the cut side facing your palm and using the back of a spoon bang it against the pomegranate. The seeds will fall out and with it some juice. Your hand should act as a barrier so that the white pith doesn’t go in the bowl.

Prawn, Coconut, Finger Lime and Vermicelli Salad

Posted in Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Salads by

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I spotted finger limes in the grocer the other day and I knew I had to make something with them. I tried them recently for the first time and they are the most amazing little citrus delights. They’re a native Australian fruit with a hard shell and once you open it up it reveals these gorgeous little shiny balls, often referred to as lime caviar. Once you bite into the balls they burst into a tangy, limey explosion. You probably won’t find them at your local supermarket but they are getting more and more popular. I found them at my local Norton St Grocer but I’m sure if you asked your local grocer they might have them or would be able to source them for you.

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I decided to pair them with a Thai inspired salad with lots of fresh zingy flavours. The flavour base for the dressing comes from grinding down the ginger, garlic and chilli into a paste, which gives the dressing a really good flavour hit. Don’t worry though, I’ve added some coconut milk as well, which tones it down it bit and makes sure the raw ginger and garlic aren’t too much. The addition of the lime juice, vermicelli and fresh herbs really brings the salad to life and while your eating, and bursting through one of the finger limes it really is a taste sensation. And how can you forget the sweet, succulent prawns! This is a perfect summer lunch or light dinner and you can whip it up in under 30 minutes. Enjoy!

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Prawn, Coconut, Finger Lime and Vermicelli Salad

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

  • 1.5 kg cooked prawns, peeled and de-veined
  • 1 small clove garlic
  • 1cm piece ginger, roughly chopped
  • ½ long green chilli
  • 1 small red Birdseye chilli
  • 2tbs lime juice
  • 2tbs fish sauce
  • 1tbs soy sauce
  • ½ tsp sesame oil
  • 2 ½ tbs grated palm sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 2 cucumbers, halved lengthways and chopped
  • ½ cup coconut milk
  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin strips, you can use a vegetable spiraliser
  • Seeds of two finger limes
  • 200g vermicelli rice noodles
  • 1 cup mint leaves
  • 1 cup coriander leaves

METHOD

  1. Place the garlic, ginger, and both chillies in a mortar and pestle and grind the ingredients down into a paste. Add the lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar and mix until the sugar dissolves. Add the cucumber to the sauce mix and let it marinate for about 15 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, place the noodles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water and then cover the bowl for 5 minutes. Drain the noodles into a colander and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together the cucumber sauce mix and coconut milk with the noodles, carrots, finger limes and herbs. Divide the noodle salad into bowls, top with the prawns and garnish with some more mint coriander and chilli and serve.

Freekah and Haloumi Salad

Posted in Lunch, Recipes, Salads by

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I think making this salad was wishful thinking. Sydney is still rather chilly and dreary at the moment. Getting up in the morning requires well thought-out layering of coats and scarves. Work lunches normally consist of soup, and numerous cups of hot tea are consumed throughout the day. But I am off to Europe in a month for my first holiday in two years and I think the thought of sunshine, warm water and balmy nights got me confused about which hemisphere I was on. I had urges for something light and fresh – something that I might order while I drink cocktails and relax by the pool in Santorini. This salad seemed to hit the mark rather well though. I may be slightly premature in my food choices but this salad is rather tasty. It’s zingy from the lemon, slightly textural with the crunch of the freekah, salty with the haloumi and with just the right amount of sweetness from the tomatoes. So if you’re dreaming of being on a different continent, do like I did and give this a go!

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Freekah and Haloumi Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

175g freekah, cooked according to packet instructions

1 bunch flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

1 handful mint, finely chopped

1 small red onion, finely diced

3 spring onions, sliced thinly

3 vine-ripened tomatoes, deseeded and finely diced

125ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra

juice of 2 lemons

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

300g haloumi, cut into 4 slices

 

Method 

Put the freekah in a bowl and add the parsley, mint, red onion, spring onions and vine-ripened tomatoes. Mix well.

Whisk the olive oil and lemon juice together and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the dressing to the freekah and mix through thoroughly.

Place a pan onto the stove on a high heat and add a splash of extra virgin olive oil. When hot, add the haloumi slices and cook on one side for a minute until they turn brown and a crust forms.

Turn over and repeat.

To serve, slice up the haloumi, divide between 4 plates and spoon over the freekah salad.

Farro and Roast Cauliflower Salad

Posted in Recipes, Salads by

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I know I’m a little late to jump the farro bandwagon but I’ve just discovered this delicious little grain and I’m hooked. For those who (like me a few weeks ago) have not cooked with farro, it can best be described as an ancient strain of wheat; an heirloom version of spelt. While it is cooked in water it does not become gluggy like some grains can; instead it achieves a crunchy, chewy texture that is ideal for salads. I’ve become a bit obsessed with this pint-sized, nutty delight and have gone into salad making overdrive. I’ve read that it’s also a great grain to make with risotto with if you are feeling like a change from arborio.

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Out of the numerous salads I’ve made with farro, this recipe is my favourite. I think the combination of roasted vegetables with pesto and crunchy grains is a winner. Dutch carrots or baby carrots are one of my favourite root vegetables simply because there is so much flavour already jam-packed into them that they require little meddling with. They are sweet and crunchy, and once baked with a  little olive oil and salt they take on a slightly caramelized flavour. Paired with roasted cauliflower that has started to brown on top giving it that softly charred flavour makes for a simple and tasty salad. The addition of softened onion, garlic and celery adds a subtle extra dimension to the dish and lifts the flavours, while the basil pesto gives it a nice little punch.

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And this salad is perfect to take to work the next day. Just pop it in a container and you’re good to go. It will taste the same, if not better the next day. No need for sad, soggy bread sandwiches thank you!

Farro and Roast Cauliflower Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 clove chopped garlic
  • 2 tsp coconut oil
  • 2 bunches baby carrots, washed
  • ½ head cauliflower, chopped into medium sized pieces
  • Olive oil
  • 1 cup farro
  • 1 ½ tbs good quality store-bought basil pesto
  • Salt and pepper
  • Basil leaves to garnish

Method:

Preaheat oven to 220ºC. Place some baking paper onto a baking tray and put the carrots and cauliflower into the tray. Drizzle generously with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Use your hands and move the vegetables around the tray so that they are evenly coated in the oil.  Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes, until carrots look crisp and cauliflower looks slightly charred on the edges.

While the vegetables are in the oven, cook 1 cup of farro according to packets instructions. Once cooked drain and place into a large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat a shallow frypan with 2 tsp coconut oil over a meadium heat. Add the onion, celery and garlic and cook until the onion and celery soften and start to appear more translucent in colour. Remove from heat and add to the farro.

Remove vegetables from oven, add to farro and onion mixture and add the pesto. Mix together until the pesto evenly coats everything. Transfer to salad dish, garnish with torn basil leaves and serve.

Watermelon and Feta Salad

Posted in Salads by

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Spring has definitely sprung here in Sydney. Leaving the house early in the morning on the way to work you can already feel the warmth of the sun on your back. If you’re lucky enough to leave the office on your lunch break, it’s the sort of weather where you head to the nearest park and laze barefoot on the grass with a good book and soak up the sunshine. It’s warm enough to spend your weekends lying on the beach, running to the water’s edge when the sun starts to get a little much and then retreating back to your towel to dry off again and repeat. And if there is fruit that screams summer and sunshine it would have to be watermelon. Biting into a juicy slice of watermelon is supremely satisfying. The juice runs down your face; it’s cool, refreshing, but most of all sweet. Watermelon’s are delicious on their own as the perfect summer snack, but there are so many different uses for them. You can make popsicles, sorbet, granita, juice them, fill them with vodka for a summer BBQ or make a savoury salad as I have done.

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This salad is ridiculously simple but oh so satisfying when you’ve come home after a day at the beach and you’re hot and tired and just want to make something easy. The sweet, refreshing taste of the watermelon is balanced with the salty, creamy texture of marinated feta and the freshness of mint. All these flavours are then married together with a basic vinegar dressing that just gives the salad a hint of tang. Sometimes I can overcomplicate things, and this sort of salad makes you remember that sometimes simple is best because it really does let the ingredients shine through.

Watermelon and Feta Salad

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

  • 1 kilo watermelon, chopped into small pieces
  • 100 g marinated fetta
  • 5 sprigs mint, leaves only and torn.
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1/2 tbs red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp seeded mustard

Method:

  1. Arrange the watermelon on a serving dish. Crumble the feta over the top. Sprinkle the mint on top.
  2. To make the dressing: combine oil, vinegar and mustard in a jar and shake. Spoon dressing over salad and serve.