Broad bean, asparagus and soba noodle salad
Cold noodles, crispy rice paper wrappers – toss these textures on their heads with a bit of kitchen science. Shocking the noodles in boiling water keeps their texture toit, not slimy, while frying the rice paper wrappers sizzles the starch, curling and crisping them into puffy crackers. I usually fry a batch of these whenever […]
Grape and pearl cous cous salad
Grapes -particularly those with a good tang, make for a terrific addition to savoury salads – think of them like autumn’s cherry tomatoes. Pearl cous cous, otherwise known as Israeli cous cous, is actually more akin to pasta in the way that it’s made and cooked, and provides the perfect texture and toothsomeness to play […]
Nectarine & rocket salad with cheat’s caramelised balsamic
Rocket, stone fruit, parmesan – it’s such a classic combination, particularly when it’s paired with a drizzle of syrupy sweet dark vinegar. But shelling out a pretty penny for aged or caramelised balsamic can feel like money down the drain, considering how quickly it gets used up. This cheat’s method, which speeds up the process […]
Plum and cherry caprese with basil oil
Stone fruit is a sensational stand-in, or dance partner, in any salad where tomato is usually the hero. Team it with some verdant basil oil and creamy buffalo mozzarella, and you’ve got a twist on a classic caprese, where every bite is a surprise and delight.
Salat Olivie
This classic creamy potato salad is a staple of the Russian feast table (especially on new year’s eve), and a great way of using up what’s left of your Christmas lunch. Indeed, its popularity in households throughout the Soviet Union was the versatility of its ingredients: stuff in tins, leftover meat or seafood, boiled carrots […]
Cucumber & watermelon ginaigrette salad from The Joy of Better Cooking
This recipe is a study in how to build a salad, using a variety of shapes to create texture (see Skills spotlight), a tonal palette of complementary pinks, greens and deep purples to please the eye, and salty–sweet flavours that make every bite a blast. It’s also easily doubled if feeding a crowd; the only […]
Broccoli steaks with tkemali from In Praise of Veg
Broccoli is meaty by nature, particularly when chargrilled like this. If you can find smaller heads with leaves attached, they’ll make an especially dramatic addition to the table – like an edible centrepiece. I love the depth of colour of the plum sauce known as tkemali, a Georgian barbecue mainstay; be sure to use the […]
BLT salad with Avo-li from In Praise of Veg
Let’s call this one a ‘Sandwich Salad’, where the bread is, let’s face it, entirely optional. Even though it may seem like the avocado – or even the tomatoes – are the hero here, it’s the lettuce that I think bring it all together. Bacon is definitely an optional extra, if you’re that way disinclined […]
Ajo Blanco Fruit Salad from In Praise of Veg
I’m sure the photo is doing enough to capture your attention and push you past the ‘huh?’ factor, but stay with me. My favourite part of the traditional soupy version of ajo blanco is the garnish – some people use cucumber, others prefer fruit, be it melon or grapes. I’ve combined the two, upped the […]
Prawn, Avo and Mango wreath with Thousand Island dressing from Highpoint Christmas
Talk about Summer in Australia! This is such a great collection of some of the country’s best – firm Aussie prawns, creamy avocado, and sharp sweet mango. I like the extra hit of heat from the hot sauce, which takes this sauce to the next level too. Speaking of “next level” how’s the Christmas Wreath […]
