Broccoli Salad with Anchovies and a Hen’s Egg

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (November 2017) and taken from Grow, Cook, Nourish by Darina Allen.

Any type of broccoli can be used in this salad, which is particularly delicious with Caesar dressing.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
350g sprouting broccoli florets; 600ml water; 3tsp salt; 2 organic eggs; 12 anchovy fillets

For the Caesar Dressing:
1 x 50g can anchovy fillets, drained; 2 organic egg yolks; 1 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice; Generous pinch of English mustard powder; ½ tsp salt; ½ – 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; ½ – 1 tbsp Tabasco sauce; 175ml sunflower oil; 50ml extra virgin olive oil; 50ml cold water; Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

First make the Caesar dressing. It can be made in a food processor but it can also be made quickly by hand. Drain the anchovies and crush them lightly with a fork. Put the fist into a bowl with the egg yolks and add the garlic, lemon juice, mustard powder, salt and Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce.
Whisk together all the ingredients. As you whisk, add the oils – slowly at first, then faster as the emulsion forms. Finally, whisk in the water to make a spreadable consistency. Season to taste. The dressing should be highly flavoured.
Trim the broccoli florets if necessary. Bring the water to the boil and add salt. In another saucepan of boiling water, hard-boil the eggs for 8 minutes. Remove from the water and dip into cold water.
The yolks should still be soft in the centre but firmly set. Peel the eggs when are cool enough to handle. Plunge the broccoli florets into the boiling, well-salted water. Bring back to the boil and cook for 3-4 minutes or until just cooked but still slightly al dente. Drain and refresh under cold water.
To serve, divide the florets between 4 plates making a little stack interleaved with anchovy strips. Drizzle with the dressing and pop half an egg on top. Sprinkle with a little freshly cracked pepper and a few flakes of sea salt.

Seared Salmon on Chargrilled Nicoise Salad

Recipe courtesy of Hello Magazine many years ago.

This dish is served with sugar snap peas and sun-blush tomatoes, this is an elegant and colourful way to serve salmon.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
225g (8oz) new potatoes
225g (8oz) sugar snap peas
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
225g (8oz) sunblush tomatoes
100gg (4oz) black olives
100g (4oz) anchovy fillets
50g (2oz) roasted peppers, chopped
4 tbsp lemon flavoured oil
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
4 x 75g (3oz) Scottish Salmon fillets
Small bunch of fresh basil

Method:

Boil the potatoes in a pan of salted water until just cooked. Drain, cool and cut each potato into six wedges.
Blanch the sugar snap peas in a pan of salted water for 30 seconds. Drain, cool under cold water and slice into fine strips.
Heat a ridged grill pan until smoking. Brush the potato wedges with 2 tablespoons olive oil and cook on the grill for 20 seconds on each side. Transfer to a bowl and add the tomatoes, olives, anchovies, peppers and sliced sugar snaps. Add the lemon, oil, salt and pepper and toss lightly.
When ready to serve, reheat the grill pan, brush the salmon fillets with 2 tablespoons olive oil and cook for 1 minute, skin side down. Turn the fillets over, turn off the heat and leave to cook for 2 more minutes. Blend the basil with the remaining olive oil.
Arrange the salad on serving plates with the salmon on top, skin side up. Spoon the basil oil around.

Black Garlic and Lime Tomatoes

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine and taken from Honey: Recipes From a Beekeeper’s Kitchen by Amy Newsome (Quadrille).

‘This salad is sweet and bright, but with deep umami flavours from the tomatoes and black garlic paste,’ says Amy Newsome, horticulturist, garden designer, beekeeper and author of new book, Honey, which allows us to look inside the hive, learn how to create a bee-friendly garden, and try delicious recipes with honey as the hero ingredient.

Serves 2 as a starter

Ingredients:
2 Iberico tomatoes or similar
½ tsp black garlic paste
2 tbsp good olive oil
¼ tsp smoked salt
Juice of ½ lime
Dash of rice vinegar
½ tsp honey
Pinch of black lime powder
1 tsp black sesame seeds
Small handful of basil leaves, torn
1 sweet white onion, finely sliced, soaked in cold water
1 large mozzarella ball (optional)

Method:

Roughly chop the tomatoes, discarding the watery seeds as you go.
Add the black garlic paste, olive oil, smoked salt, lime juice, vinegar, honey and lime powder to a bowl.
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan and whilst still hot, pour half the seeds into the dressing bowl and set the other aside. Whisk the sizzling sesame seeds into the dressing until emulsified.
Combine the tomatoes, basil and dressing, tossing to coat, and set aside for an hour to develop the flavours.
Drain the sliced onion and stir through the tomatoes, then arrange on a plate. Tear over the mozzarella, if using, and scatter with the remaining sesame seeds.

Heritage tomato, fennel and dukkah salad

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine and taken from Imad’s Syrian Kitchen by Imad Alarnab.

Pimp up your salad with Middle Eastern flavours. The better the tomatoes, the better this will taste, so splash out and get the good ones!

Serves: 2 as a main or 4 as a side

Ingredients:
1 fennel bulb
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp za’atar
Salt, to taste
300g assorted heritage tomatoes, cut into chunks
2 tbsp good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
Grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp dukkah
150g soft goats’ cheese
Small handful of fresh tarragon leaves

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200oC / 180oF / Gas Mark 6. Cut the fennel bulb into 6-8 wedges, depending on how large your fennel is. Toss in the olive oil, za’atar and salt to taste, place on an oven tray, and roast for 25-30 minutes until soft, slightly crisp and golden. Set aside to cool slightly.
Toss the tomatoes in a little salt and the extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest and juice, and dukkah. Roughly crumble the cheese and place on a large serving plate, followed by the roasted fennel and then the tomatoes. Finish with the tarragon leaves.

Courgette, Feta and Mint Salad

Recipe taken from Balance Magazine, published by Diabetes.org

4-Ingredient Lunches – simple, delicious meals you can throw together in minutes …

Serves: 2 Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 12 mins

Per Serving 146g:

Carbs: 1.7g Cals: 69 Sugars: 1.1g Fat: 4.5g Sat Fat: 2g Salt: 0.49g
Protein: 4.7g Fibre: 1.3g

1 portion of fruit and veg

Ingredients:
1 small courgette
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tsp sunflower oil
2 large handfuls rocket
25g feta cheese, cubed
Mint leaves, chopped (25g)

Method:

Preheat grill to medium-high
Cut the courgette into 0.5cm slices, toss in a bowl with the lemon juice and oil
Grill for 4-6 mins each side, until lightly browned.
Mix the courgette through the rocket, add the feta, season with black pepper and serve.

Crunchy Carrot and Apple Salad

Recipe taken from Balance Magazine published by diabetes.org

4-Ingredient Lunches – Simple, delicious meals you can throw together in minutes …

Per Serving 138g
(without sesame)

Carbs: 12.7g Cals: 89 Sugars: 11.1g Fat: 3.2g Sat Fat: 0.5g
Salt: 0.05g Protein: 0.6g Fibre: 3.2g

1 portion of fruit and veg

Serves: 2 Prep time: 5 mins

Ingredients:
1 carrot
1 green apple
2 medium radishes
Juice from 1/2 lemon
2 teaspoons olive oil

Method:
1. Peel and coarsely grate the carrot and apple. Put in a serving bowl.

2. Finely chop the rashes and add to the bowl with some lemon juice and oil.

3. Season well with black pepper and toss until thoroughly mixed.

4. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds (optional) and serve.

Beautiful Raw Root Salad

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (September 2016).

‘When we look at beautiful foods, our digestive system starts to wake up, so we might argue that we start eating with our eyes – and this salad is definitely a feast for the eyes.’ Raw chef, Solla Eiriksdottir.

Serves : 4-6

Ingredients :
300g red cabbage, cut into thin strips
2 carrots, cut into thin round slices
1 courgette, cut into thin, round slices
1 yellow beetroot, cut into thin, round slices
1 striped or red beetroot, cut into thin, round slices
5 radishes, cut into slices
1 pear, cut in half, cored and cut into thin slices
Seeds of 1 pomegranate
50g pistachios
10 dried Incan golden berries
4 tblsp green herbs, such as coriander, mint, basil and parsley finely chopped

For the dressing :
50ml walnut or olive oil
3 tblsp lemon juice
3 tblsp mandarin or orange juice
1 tblsp rice vinegar (or your favourite vinegar)
1 tsp ras el hanout spice
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp sea salt

Step One : To make the dressing, put all the ingredients into a clean jar, put on the lid and shake to mix. Set aside.

Step Two : Put the prepared vegetables into a bowl, and pour over the dressing, then, using your fingers, massage the dressing into the vegetables.

Step Three : Let the vegetables marinate for 15-20 minutes. When ready to eat, put the vegetables into a serving bowl, add the remaining ingredients, toss together, and enjoy.

Citrus Prawn Ceviche Tostadas with Charred Sweetcorn and mashed avocado

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (October 2018) and taken from “Salad Feasts: How to assemble the perfect meal” by Jessica Elliott Dennison.

Serves : 4

Preparation time : 35 mins

Ingredients :
8 small shop-bought corn tortillas
1 tblsp vegetable oil
60g tinned sweetcorn in water (drained weight)
250g peeled raw king prawns
Juice of 3 limes
2 baby shallots or 1 banana shallot, peeled
3/4 tsp chilli flakes
1 grapefruit
4 radishes, finely sliced
2 avocados, halved and stones removed

Step One : First, preheat the oven to 180oC / Gas Mark 4. Divide the tortillas between a few baking trays, brush with the oil, then bake for 5-8 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Set aside to cool.

Step Two : Meanwhile, heat a medium frying pan, until smoking. Rinse the sweetcorn, drain completely, then add to the pan (you don’t need any oil). Cook for 3-5 minutes or until nicely charred with little black marks. Transfer to a place to cool.

Step Three : Next, if not already deveined, make a small incision along the back of the prawns and remove the dark black line (the digestive tract). Place the prawns in a medium dish or bowl, then squeeze in the limes. Slice the shallots into rounds as finely as you can and add to the bowl along with the chilli flakes. Leave for 7 minutes, then turn the prawns over and leave for another 7 minutes. By this point, they should be pink and ‘cooked’.

Step Four : Next, cut away the top and bottom of the grapefruit, then carefully slice away the peel and white pith. Slice out each segment, then finely chop the flesh (discard the membranes). Add to the prawns along with any grapefruit juice. Gently stir in the radishes.

Step Five : Scoop out the avocado flesh and roughly mash with a fork.

Step Six : Take the crispy tortillas, ceviche mixture charred sweetcorn and mashed avocado to the table in attractive serving dishes. Allow everyone to build their own tostadas.

Step Seven : You can also shallow fry the tortillas in a pan of hot vegetable oil until golden. Be sure to drain on kitchen paper, seasoned with salt.

Tuna, red onion, potato and rocket salad

Recipe courtesy of Co-op Food Magazine.

Serves : 6 (as a side dish)

Ready in 30 minutes

Ingredients :
300g fresh tuna steak
1 tsp olive oil
650g baby new potatoes
1 medium red onion (chopped)
1 tblsp capers (optional)
1 bag rocket leaves

Dressing :
1 dessertspoon balsamic vinegar
1 tblsp olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)

Step One : Heat a griddle or frying pan until hot. Add a tsp of oil to the pan and then cook the tuna on both sides until done. Cool a little, then chop into chunks.

Step Two : Boil the potatoes in a separate pan of water, drain and mix in the tuna.

Step Three : Add the chopped onion and capers (if using). Put all the dressing ingredients into a clean jar and shake until emulsified the add to salad mix.

Step Four : Store in fridge or cool bag until needed. When ready to eat, toss the rocket leaves into the salad and serve.

Salute the Salad : Farro, Herb-baked Tomatoes, Roast Carrots and Parmesan

Recipe courtesy of Psychologies Magazine (May 2016) and taken from “Savour : Salads for all seasons” by Peter Gordon.

Farro is a grain that has had a lot of attention in recent years. I enjoy its texture and often use it in salads such as this. Roast tomatoes are great in summer, when cooking makes them even sweeter. In cooler months, roasting improves the flavour of hothouse-raised ones.

Serves 6 as a starter or side dish

Serve at room temperature

Ingredients :
300g farro, rinsed and drained
1/2 onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
3 tblsp baby capers
2 tblsp red wine vinegar
3 carrots (use orange and purple ones), peeled and tops cut off, halved lengthways
4 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
6 plum tomatoes, halved lengthways
1 tsp roughly chopped oregano
1/2 tsp chopped rosemary
2 handfuls rocket
50g parmesan, shaved with a sharp knife

Step One : Preheat the oven to 170oC / 350oF / Gas mark 4. Put the farro into a medium pan, cover with 3 cm of cold water and add the onion and bay leaf. Bring to the boil and put a lid on the pan. Reduce the heat to a rapid simmer and cook until the grains are tender, about 40 minutes. Add 1 tsp of flaky salt after 20 minutes. Drain in a colander, then transfer to a large bowl. Taste for seasoning and mix in the capers and vinegar. Leave to cool.

Step Two : While the farro is cooking, lay the carrots in a roasting dish, drizzle on 2 tblsp of the oil and half the thyme, season with salt and pepper and add 2 tblsp of water. Roast for about 30 minutes; until you can easily insert a sharp knife through them. Cut each into 5 or 6 pieces.

Step Three : Lay the tomato halves, cut side up, on a baking sheet lined with baking parchment (to make it easier to clean). Mix the oregano, rosemary and the remaining thyme and 2 tblsp of oil and drizzle this on the tomatoes. Sprinkle with a little salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake for 40-50 minutes until the tomatoes have shrunk a little and coloured slightly.

Step Four : To serve, toss the rocket loosely through the farro and divide among your plates. Sit the carrots and tomatoes on top, pour on any roasting juices and then scatter with parmesan shavings.