Pumpkin Salad with Avocado, Pecans, and Pomegranate Vinaigrette

New Year's resolution-making already for 2015: more blogging! It's been over a month since I've posted, but since then: my job in Sydney finished, my Australian visa ran out, we've packed up and shipped all of our possessions, and I've moved back to Texas temporarily while I wait on the state department to approve the hubs to join me in the USofA. Needless to say, it's been busy.

But we're still cooking, and this is my first post from the Southern homeland I still call home. Have done a swift transfer from summer-weather salads to winter-themed dishes here in Texas, even though the weather is not quite frosty yet. The beautiful, delicious salad recipe shared below is just perfect for the holiday season, weather you're in the northern or the southern hemisphere. I made it in Sydney on Thanksgiving last month with my wonderful in-laws and will be making it again in Texas on Christmas for my family here.

This salad makes a beautiful addition to your holiday spread.

The sweet pumpkin, savory rocket (arugula) and crunchy pomegranate seeds and pecans make a mouthwatering combination, and the flavors are holiday season appropriate without adding another heavy, starchy side to your dinner table. I've used both kent pumpkin and acorn squash in this recipe with success, and butternut or any other slightly sweet squash would also work well. If you can't source avocados where you are (they're plentiful in Australia this time of year, and thankfully in Texas we have access to avos from Mexico and Cali), just leave them out-- the salad will still look and taste divine. This festive dish is also gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo-friendly. Win.

pumpkin, avocado & acorn squash over greens, topped with toasted pecans,
pomegranate arils, and pomegranate vinaigrette

Hope to be back before the month and year are over, but all best to you for December. And especially warm wishes to my family and friends back in Sydney, where the past week has been a tense and difficult one. May peace abound as we move forward into the New Year.

Pumpkin Salad with Avocado, Pecans, and Pomegranate Vinaigrette
Serves 6-8
Adapted from How Sweet it Is

1 acorn squash, or half of a kent pumpkin or butternut squash (no need to remove the skin!)
4-5 cups rocket (arugula; can substitute shredded romaine or another lettuce)

1 avocado, sliced into long, 1/4 inch-wide slices

1/2 of a medium sized pomegranate (for about 1/2 cup pomegranate arils)
1/2 cup pecans, chopped into large chunks

Pomegranate Vinaigrette
makes 1/2 cup

3 tablespoons pomegranate juice
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

pinch each of freshly ground salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 395F/ 200C. Slice the squash or pumpkin into 1/4-inch slices (if using acorn squash, cut in half from bottom to top, then slice horizontally from bottom to top so you end up with scalloped slices of squash).

Place squash slices on a lightly greased or baking paper-lined baking tray, and place into a pre-heated oven. Roast at 395F/ 200C for 20-25 minutes, turning the slices over halfway through cooking, until the slices are cooked through and beginning to brown slightly. In the last 5-6 minutes of baking, place the pecans on another baking tray and place them in the oven to toast. Remove squash and pecans from oven and set aside to cool.

While the squash is roasting, remove the arils (seeds) from your pomegranate and set a 1/2 cup aside (refrigerate the remaining arils for another use). Then make the pomegranate vinaigrette by whisking all ingredients together thoroughly.

On your serving platter or bowl, arrange the rocket leaves, and pour half of the vinaigrette evenly over the leaves. Arrange the squash slices over the rocket, then arrange the avocado slices in between the squash slices. Pour the remaining vinaigrette evenly over the salad, and sprinkle the pomegranate arils and pecans on top. Serve immediately.

Salad will keep, covered in the fridge, for 24 hours.

* Prep tip: The squash can be roasted up to a day ahead and placed in the fridge, ready to be used when you are ready to assemble the salad. The vinaigrette can be mixed up and stored in the fridge up to two days before serving.

Bok choy salad with sticky grilled eggplant, baby corn & miso garlic chicken

We spent last weekend in the Blue Mountains with friends (see pic at the end of this post), and had a great time going on long bushwalks through the gum trees then coming back to our Airbnb house to cook up a big meal over beers and old fashioneds. My friend Kate made the most amazing seared kangaroo salad on our first night-- check out her blog The Katechen for more delicious food outta Melbourne. We'll definitely be trying *roo salad* at home soon, but tonight we stuck to our favorite version of summer salad (marinated, grilled chicken thighs over an Asian-inspired base), topping it with sticky grilled eggplant slices inspired by Laura over at The First Mess.

baby bok choy salad topped with grilled sticky eggplant and baby corn

The basil and mint keep things tasting light, while the grilled eggplant and chicken make this dish go a long way to satisfy big appetites. If you can't easily source baby bok choy, any lettuce (romaine, oak leaf, etc) will do, or try a combo of thinly sliced Napa (Chinese) cabbage and purple cabbage. If you're cooking for vegetarians, just serve the grilled chicken separately, alongside the salad.

salad topped with miso garlic grilled chicken

These eggplant slices would also be delicious as a side on their own, or added to a burger/wrap situation. File this one away for the summer months, northern hemisphere mates. And a shout out to my little brother, whose birthday is today! Can't wait to toast the last year of your twenties with an old fashioned when we're back in the same country, bro. 

full of flavor: salad with grilled veg & chicken

Bok choy salad with sticky grilled eggplant, baby corn & miso garlic chicken

Serves 3-4

Bok choy salad

3 bunches baby bok choy, separated, washed, and thinly sliced

1/2 of a red bell pepper (capsicum), thinly sliced

4-5 button mushrooms, thinly sliced

small handful of fresh mint, roughly chopped

large handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon mirin

1 tablespoon reserved eggplant marinade (recipe below)

Toss the baby bok choy, bell pepper, mushrooms, mint, and basil together in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the reserved eggplant marinade with olive oil and mirin. Pour the marinade dressing over the salad, and toss to coat. Set aside to serve straight from the bowl, or transfer the salad to a flat serving plate to serve. 

Sticky grilled eggplant and baby corn (inspired by this recipe at The First Mess)

1 large eggplant, sliced into 1cm-wide slices

fat pinch of ground sea salt

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1/4 of a brown or purple onion, thinly sliced 

big pinch of freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon miso

1 tablespoon mirin

handful of baby corn, sliced in half lengthwise

Lay the eggplant slices in a single layer on a sheet of aluminum foil or a baking tray, and sprinkle with with sea salt on both sides. Leave the eggplant to sit while you make the marinade.

In a small saucepan, combine the balsamic vinegar, honey, ginger, onion, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat to medium and simmer for 6-8 minutes, until the mixture has reduced by about half and is thickened. Remove from heat, and stir in the miso and mirin. Set aside one tablespoon of the marinade mixture to use in the bok choy salad dressing (see above). 

Generously brush the eggplant slices on one side with the marinade (you won't use all of it, save the remainder to use while you're grilling). Leave the eggplant to marinate while you prepare the chicken (eggplant needs only about 10 minutes to soak up the flavors of the marinade).

When you're ready to grill, heat an outdoor barbeque or an indoor stovetop grill to high heat. Brush the grill with oil. Place the eggplant slices, marinated side down, onto the grill, and immediately brush the tops with the remaining marinade mixture. Place the sliced baby corn on the grill, too. 

Grill the eggplant slices for about 3-5 minutes on each side, until char marks appear and eggplant softens. Toss the baby corn around on the grill every couple of minutes, removing after the corn begins to develop a little char, about 6-8 minutes total. Remove the eggplant and corn and set aside to cool for a few minutes before arranging them on top of the bok choy salad.  

Miso garlic chicken

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil (or toasted sesame oil if you have it)

1 tablespoon mirin
1 teaspoon miso

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

In a large glass or ceramic dish, mix the fish, sauce, oil, mirin, miso, and garlic. Place the chicken thighs into the mixture and turn them over a few times to coat evenly. Place the dish in the fridge for 15 minutes as you grill the eggplant (or, alternatively, marinate chicken, covered in the fridge, for up to 8 hours or overnight). 

Heat the grill (outdoor barbeque or indoor stovetop grill) to high heat. Add the chicken thighs, and grill for about 5-8 minutes on each side, until chicken is no longer pink in the middle and juices run clear. 

Remove chicken from heat and allow to rest for a couple of minutes before slicing against the grain into thin slices. Arrange the chicken on top of the salad and grilled eggplant and baby corn, or serve the chicken on a separate platter alongside the salad. Enjoy!

view from one of the lookout points near Leura on our Blue Mountains bushwalk last weekend

Rocket Salad with Steak, Roasted Eggplant & Dukkah-Crusted Pumpkin

Apologies for the lull here at Southern Spoon recently. We hosted my awesome sister in Sydney for a couple of weeks, after which I few straight to Iceland for work (fabulous fish, meat, soups, berries, etc-- see proof on my instagram feed @SouthernSpoon), then we moved house-- always an exhausting exercise, but our new kitchen makes up for it. It's big by inner-city standards, equipped with new appliances, and just around the corner from a great grocery store and Newtown, a central Sydney suburb known for its great cafes and restaurants. So goodbye to our tiny, 1970s vintage kitchen, and hello to white granite countertops and a new neighborhood of food and drinks to explore.

This simple salad is inspired by one over at Sydney-based blog Eat Drink Paleo (a beautiful blog of delicious, doable, whole food recipes-- highly recommended). Aussie salads are delicious: focused on seasonal produce without tons of dressing weighing them down, and this one is the perfect balance of textures and flavors. The slight sweetness of the dukkah-crusted pumpkin goes well with the savory steak and peppery rocket (aka arugula), and a simple olive oil and apple cider vinegar dressing is all the salad needs to bring the flavors together. Rather than eggplant, you could easily substitute bell pepper or tomatoes, cutting them into slices before roasting for 15-20 minutes.

paleo-friendly salad of rocket, steak, dukkah-crusted pumpkin, and roasted eggplant

This is delicious for lunch or dinner, and would make a great salad to transport to a barbeque or pot luck event, as the hardier rocket leaf holds up very well in a dressing, staying crisp for hours after it is made. The steak packs a protein punch, so this salad will fill you up and keep you satisfied till your next meal. It's paleo, gluten-free, and dairy-free, and allergy friendly for serving to a crowd (though careful about what nuts/seeds you use in the Dukkah if cooking for nut-sensitive eaters). Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Rocket Salad with Steak, Roasted Peppers & Dukkah-Crusted Pumpkin
Serves 3-4 as a main course, 6-8 as a side
Inspired by Eat Drink Paleo

1.5 lbs (680 g) flank beef steak or other thin-cut of beef
pinch of freshly ground salt and pepper
3 teaspoons cooking oil (such as rice bran oil), divided use
2 cups rocket (arugula), rinsed and spun dry
2 cups diced pumpkin (kent, grey, butternut), about 1-inch squares
2 tablespoons dukkah (see my easy, homemade dukkah recipe here)
1 cup diced eggplant, about 1-inch squares

Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 small clove garlic, minced
freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 215C / 420F, and line a baking sheet with baking paper.

In a large bowl, add 1 teaspoon of cooking oil and diced pumpkin, tossing to coat. Add the dukkah, and toss to coat the pumpkin evenly with the dukkah. Arrange the pumpkin and diced eggplant on the baking sheet lined with baking paper or greased well with oil, spreading out the vegetables so that the pieces aren't touching. (You may need to spread everything out over two baking trays). Place in pre-heated oven and cook at 215C / 420F for 18-25 minutes, turning over the pieces halfway through, until pumpkin is cooked through. (If the eggplant pieces are done earlier and beginning to brown, just remove them and set aside while the pumpkin continues to cook).

While the pumpkin and eggplant are cooking: season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet to medium heat. When the skillet is hot, swirl 2 teaspoons cooking oil around to coat the skillet evenly. Add the steak, and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, till seared on the outside but still pink in the middle (medium), or to your desired level of doneness. Remove steak and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes before thinly slicing across the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Make a vinaigrette by whisking together the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and the minced garlic.

To assemble the salad: on a large serving platter or wide bowl, spread out the rocket leaves. Scatter the dukkah-crusted pumpkin and the roasted eggplant evenly over the leaves. Arrange the steak slices along the top of the salad, and drizzle the vinaigrette over the entire salad. Top with freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve immediately, or chill for up to 6 hours, and bring to room temperature before serving.

Leftover salad will keep for two days in the fridge in a sealed container.

Spicy Watermelon Cucumber Salad with Basil

Lately I've been buying fresh basil and putting it in everything. I should grow it on our balcony, but even small balcony herb pots seem to falter under my not-green thumb : ( Luckily the local fruit and veg shop stocks a great array of well-priced fresh herbs, and I find a couple of dollars a good investment for the flavor and nutrition boost they bring to any dish.

baked oven fried chicken, smashed garlic potatoes,
and spicy watermelon cucumber salad with basil

It's still warm here in Sydney even though we've moved into autumn, so we're taking advantage of the heat to eat up the end of summer produce and barbeque inspired dinners. A few weeks ago we made up some baked oven fried chicken, which turned out crisp and tender, some smashed roasted garlic potatoes, and this refreshing watermelon cucumber salad. I added a good handful of chopped basil along with some rocket (arugula) for extra bite, and tossed the salad with a spicy vinaigrette made with Cholula hot sauce. AMAZING. The spicy dressing (no salt necessary) went perfectly with the cool watermelon and cucumber, and before I noticed the hubs was helping himself to thirds of the salad, without any thought of the extra chicken and potatoes sitting in the oven. Win.

watermelon, cucumber, arugula, and basil salad with a Cholula-lime vinaigrette

A tip on chopping the cucumbers: I sliced sections off of the cucumber lengthwise, leaving the seed-y core, and discarded the core before cubing the cucumber. This allows the salad to keep for a little longer before losing its crispness. The salad was still nice and crisp on day two after being stored in the fridge overnight. This is obviously a warm-weather recipe, but I hope you'll file it away to make when the temperatures rise in your corner of the world. Warm wishes to all of you in the northern hemisphere as the first day of Spring arrives.

Spicy Watermelon Cucumber Salad with Basil
serves 4-5 as a side dish
inspired by this recipe at The First Mess

1 cup seedless watermelon cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup cucumber cut into 1/2-inch cubes (discard the seed-y core)
handful of fresh basil, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup rocket (arugula), rough chopped

Spicy Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 to 2 teaspoons Cholula or other mild hot sauce, to taste
juice of half a lime
little splash of apple cider vinegar, to taste (about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon honey
big pinch of freshly ground pepper

In a large non-metal bowl, carefully toss together the watermelon, cucumber, basil, and rocket.

In a small bowl, whisk together all the vinaigrette ingredients with a whisk or fork, stirring vigorously until the mixture is emulsified (blended together). Add more Cholula and/or vinegar as necessary. Pour the dressing over the salad, and carefully toss to distribute evenly. Serve immediately.

Salad will keep, covered in the fridge, for about 2 days.

The only tuna salad recipe you'll ever need

The Times (of London) runs a regular food column titled The only five [insert food] recipes you'll ever need, with consistently good recipes for fish, chicken, Indian, biscuits, etc. I like the idea of having some go-to staple recipes that you can whip up quickly to suit particular occasions (weeknight dinner, snack, dessert, lazy weekend breakfast).

fresh and bright tuna salad, anything but soggy and lackluster

My mom has this theory down like a pro, unsurprising given her training as a middle school home-ec teacher and decades of preparing wholesome, homecooked meals for our family of five. So incredibly grateful for her teaching us healthy eating and food-prep habits. I remember setting the table for weeknight dinners while she sped around the kitchen throwing together our regular favorites from memory, without a recipe card in sight: chicken and rice casserole, spaghetti bolognese, Mexican rice, savory oatmeal muffins, brownies, vanilla bundt cake. I'm working on developing this skill, the problem is I like to experiment with dishes and rarely make the exact same thing twice.

tuna salad sandwich on wholegrain bread

But there are a few recipes and techniques that I stick to without much variation. This tuna fish salad recipe is one of them-- it's so simple and yields a wholesome, protein- and omega-3-filled dish that is perfect for a satisfying lunch or a quick weeknight dinner. A few chopped olives, some dried herbs, and a little squeeze of lemon mixed with low-fat yogurt and mustard bring a fresh taste that takes this far, far away from any mayonnaise-dense canteen tuna salad you've experienced in your past. Serve atop a bed of greens, garnishing with slices of avocado, or in between two slices of wholegrain bread lined with crisp lettuce leaves to keep the tuna from making the bread soggy.

tuna salad sandwich for an easy, fresh, protein-rich meal

Hope you enjoy this simple, tasty, filling (and inexpensive!) tuna salad, and find it a recipe that you keep turning back to when you need a quick and satisfying meal.

Tuna Salad (with olives and lemon, no mayo)
serves 4

1/4 to 1/2 cup low-fat plain or greek yogurt, to taste
1 tablespoon dijon mustard (or regular yellow mustard works fine)
small handful of pitted ripe olives, coursely chopped
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
big pinch of freshly ground black pepper
dash of red chili flakes
squeeze of fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 teaspoon)
small stalk of celery, finely chopped to make about 1/4 cup (optional)
425g (15oz) can of tuna (preferably in water with no salt), drained
(to serve: lettuce and wholegrain bread)

In a medium sized non-metal bowl, mix together with a fork all ingredients except the tuna. (Start with 1/4 cup of yogurt, and add more after adding the tuna if you'd like).

Add the tuna to the yogurt mixture, and mix well, breaking up the tuna chunks as you stir. At this point, add a little more yogurt if you'd like to achieve desired consistency.

Serve immediately on a bed of lettuce leaves (and sliced avocado is nice), or sandwiched between slices of wholegrain bread lined with lettuce to keep the tuna from making the bread soggy. 

Will keep, covered in the fridge, for 2-3 days.

Toasted Buckwheat Lebanese Salad with Lamb Koftas

A couple of weeks ago I came home to the hubs making up lamb koftas-- Lebanese meatballs-- for dinner, which were delicious wrapped in naan bread with a homemade cucumber-yogurt tzatziki. Ever since I've been scheming about how I can pair them with a salad to bring in more plant-based goodness to the dish, and was delighted to run across this Middle Eastern Salad from nutritionist Danielle Levy's blog. This week we made the koftas again and served them over a similar toasted buckwheat salad, dressed with hummus, and the dish was perfect. The fresh, crunchy combination of salad and grains worked wonderfully with the lamb meatballs, and the hummus dressing brought everything together for a Lebanese-style feast.

grilled zucchini, toasted buckwheat, chickpeas, radishes, celery, and fresh parsley

This salad is packed with sources of plant-based protein from the buckwheat and chickpeas (Danielle also sprinkles hemp seeds on top for added protein and omega-3 fats, though we left these out because the local grocer doesn't carry them), and it could easily serve as a meal on its own with the hummus dressing. We'd worked in our three vegetarian dinners already this week (a new goal for 2014), so the lamb koftas as another protein hit took this salad into into the filled and totally satisfied category.

salad ingredients mixed together for a crunchy, filling dish

If you have other fresh herbs on hand in addition to parsley, such as mint or basil, a chopped handful of those would also be welcome here. Keeping in mind our heart-healthy focus, we didn't add any salt to the salad components, relying on the hummus, lemon juice, and touch of balsamic to bring in a salty-tart profile. I felt that this really allowed the crisp and distinct flavors of the vegetables-- radish, celery, grilled zucchini, parsley-- to show through. But if you feel it needs a little something extra, toss the salad with a pinch of freshly ground sea salt.

Lebanese-style salad ready to serve, hummus dressing not shown

Hope you enjoy this fresh and satisfying salad as spring begins to gradually poke its head up in the northern hemisphere, or file it away for warmer weather. Happy beginning of March to you!

Toasted Buckwheat Lebanese Salad
serves 4

1/2 cup dry toasted buckwheat*
2 zucchinis, thinly sliced lengthwise (1/8 - 1/4 inch slices)
4-5 radishes, thinly sliced
2 long celery stalks, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (no salt added)
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil (divided use)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
juice from half a lemon (zest the lemon half first if you're making the lamb koftas)
lamb koftas (optional, recipe below)

Hummus Dressing
1/2 cup hummus (homemade recipe here)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
splash (2 teaspoons) of balsamic vinegar
up to 2 teaspoons water

(*If your buckwheat is not toasted when you buy it, just rinse it with cold water in a fine mesh sieve, then toss it into a wide pan heated to medium heat and sprayed lightly with oil. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the buckwheat begins to turn golden brown and toasty. Remove from heat, and boil in a saucepan of water as detailed below.)

Rinse the buckwheat with water in a fine mesh sieve. Place buckwheat and 1 1/2 cups water into a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cover. Simmer for 10-12 minutes, until buckwheat is tender. (Watch carefully towards the end to make sure the water doesn't evaporate too quickly and you burn the buckwheat!) Rinse the cooked buckwheat again through the fine mesh sieve with cold water to cool. Set aside.

Heat an outdoor grill or stovetop griddle to medium-high heat. Carefully coat the griddle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and arrange the zucchini slices on the griddle in a single layer. Cook for 4-6 minutes per side, until grill marks appear and zucchini is tender. Remove zucchini from grill and set aside.

In a large non-metal bowl, toss the radishes, celery, parsley, onion, garlic, chickpeas, and half of the grilled zucchini slices. Add the pepper, 1 tablespoon olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice, and carefully toss to coat the salad.

To make the hummus dressing: Mix all ingredients together, thinning out with a couple of teaspoons of water to achieve a slightly runny consistency.

To serve: Arrange the salad on a serving plate, and garnish with the remaining grilled zucchini slices, twisting them around the edge of the salad. (Alternatively, to save dirtying another plate, add the rest of the zucchini to the salad and serve in the salad bowl). Drizzle the hummus dressing evenly over the salad. If desired, top the salad with lamb koftas, and serve.

Toasted Buckwheat Lebanese Salad with Lamb Koftas

Lamb Koftas

serves 3-4

400g (14 oz) ground lean lamb (mince)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
lemon zest from half a lemon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes (or 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley)

1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

pinch of freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon flour (I used wholemeal wheat flour)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vegetable oil (I used rice brain oil)

In a large non-metal bowl, mix together the ground lamb and the next eight ingredients (through ground pepper). Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, add the egg, and mix thoroughly to combine.

Using clean hands, form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls, packing the mixture together slightly so that it will stay together when it cooks. This should make 9-10 meatballs.

Heat a wide skillet over medium heat, and coat the skillet with the oil. Add the meatballs to the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes, until the bottoms are browned, then turn over and cook for another 4-5 minutes. At this point, begin turning the meatballs over on all of the sides that are not browned, cooking for a few minutes on each side, until the meatballs are browned all over and cooked through. Cut a meatball in half to to make sure they are done.

Remove the lamb koftas from the heat, and serve atop Toasted Buckwheat Lebanese salad as above. Alternatively, serve the koftas in pita bread halves or wrapped in naan bread with sliced cucumbers, sliced red onions, and plain yogurt or hummus. 

Mediterranean Salad with Balsamic Roasted Eggplant, Couscous, & Sardines

After a three-week trip to the USA for work, I've returned to Sydney craving the abundant, fresh produce and seafood that is featured so well in this city's grocers, cafés, and restaurants. It was strange going back for the first time in my 8-year ex-pat furlough and not craving tasty food. I enjoyed our time in the UK, and certainly developed a taste for some English specialties (marmite on toast, a good curry, tea with milk but no sugar, those huge scones at The Orchard in Grantchester with clotted cream and strawberry jam). But every time I was back in the States during those years I crammed in as many American, southern, dishes as I could, from Tex-Mex and mom's homemade recipes to salads big enough to feed a small army.

Here in Sydney, however, my palate is sated. There is such an accessible and never-ending range of ethnic food eateries (from food trucks and holes-in-the-wall to expansive sit-down restaurants crammed with diners) that I hardly notice my underlying constant desire for Tex-Mex.  If I do, there are quite a few places in town that make a mean carnita taco and margarita (and stock those Mexican beers, served ice-cold), but I might just choose Argentinian instead because it's so damn good. The salads here are creative and satisfying, they showcase the best of seasonal produce. Brunch in Australia is an unparalleled experience. The Italian-influenced café culture has perfected the panini (not to mention the coffee), and there seems to be a gelato shop within a few blocks of wherever you're standing. And the seafood. Oysters of all description, mussels, salt and pepper squid, whole fish fresh off the boats at the fishing docks, prawns as big as your hand. And the wine is a treat.  

gorgeous heirloom tomato salad at the Sydney Theatre Company's Bar at the End of the Wharf,
a favorite locale for the seasonal food, live music, great vibe

So while I enjoyed a late night taco run with my siblings, mom's home cooking, fried chicken tenders, kolaches from the incredible Czech Stop Bakery in West (thinking of that sweet community now as they start a long recovery from the fertilizer plant explosion), beef BBQ in Texas and pork BBQ in Tennessee, and drank my fill of southern brews, I didn't feel like I was topping up on something I'd been missing out on for the last 23 months. 

Shiner Bock beer at the Monument Cafe, Georgetown, TX
and delicious kolaches at Czech Stop Bakery, West, TX.  Bless the people of West.

And when I got back home here by the ocean and that beautiful harbour bridge and opera house, walked into the door and saw that the hubs had filled the fruit bowl to capacity with beautiful, seasonal produce, I felt very blessed to live in a country of such abundance. 

I've been making lots of salads recently, even though the days are shorter and the evenings are getting cooler as we move into fall. This recipe is a keeper: very filling with couscous and sardines (they're fantastic-- don't question it, just try it). And full of flavor with the marinated, roasted red peppers, artichokes, kalamata olives, and homemade balsamic roasted eggplant. Plus lots of heart-healthy good fats and omega-3s from the olive oil and sardines.

mediterranean salad with couscous, marinated vegetables,
homemade balsamic roasted eggplant,  and sardines

To make it meatless, you could substitute a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas for the sardines. I used sardines in spring water without added salt, and they were a perfect, mild accompaniment to the other salad components. Chopped feta or haloumi would be good, though the salad is salty enough already with the various marinated vegetables. And the roasted eggplant slices are great, I've also made them for pita wraps and sandwiches.

As you move into spring in the northern hemisphere, enjoy the blooming flora (I relished the opportunity to see bluebonnets on the Texas country roads for the first time in eight years!), and try out this salad as a quick and delicious dinner or weekend lunch.

bluebonnets in bloom near Brenham, TX

Mediterranean Salad with Balsamic Roasted Eggplant, Couscous, & Sardines

Serves 3 or 4 as a main dish

for the roasted eggplant:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh)

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1 tablespoon fresh)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 medium-sized eggplant 

2 cloves garlic, unpeeled

for the salad:

1/2 cup dried couscous

1/2 cup boiling water

3 cups salad greens sliced into thin strips (I used romaine lettuce and spinach)

1/2 cup coursely chopped roasted, marinated red peppers (I used store-bought for this recipe, or you can just roast your own bell peppers as described in this post)

1/2 cup coursely chopped marinated artichoke hearts

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced

3 or 4 sardines, drained and sliced in half lengthwise (try to find sardines without salt added)

for the dressing:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh)

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley (or 1 tablespoon fresh)

pinch of freshly ground pepper

Preheat oven to 205C / 400 F. 

First prepare the roasted eggplant. Discard the top stem of the eggplant. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise, then cut each of those halves lengthwise again. Holding two long halves together at a time, slice cross-ways down the eggplant to make 1-cm wide slices. Repeat with the other two long halves of eggplant. 

In a large glass bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, parsley, and ground pepper. Toss the eggplant slices into the bowl and stir to coat evenly with the olive oil and vinegar mixture. Spread the coated slices out in a single layer on a baking pan. (Save the bowl to make the couscous!). Place the two whole, unpeeled garlic gloves on the pan with the eggplant slices. Bake at 205C / 400F for 15 minutes, then remove from oven to cool.

While the eggplant is roasting, prepare the salad. In the same bowl in which you tossed the eggplant slices (so it should still have a nice residue of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and dried herbs), place the dried couscous. Pour the 1/2 cup of boiling water over the dried couscous, and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes.

To prepare the dressing, whisk together in a small bowl the extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, oregano, parsley, and pepper. Set aside.

When the couscous has soaked up all the water (about 5 minutes), remove cover and separate grains with a fork. At this point the eggplant should be finished roasting. Remove the two roasted garlic cloves from the eggplant pan, squeeze the garlic out of the papery skin, and chop the garlic finely. Stir the roasted, chopped garlic into the couscous. Add the thinly sliced salad greens to the couscous in the glass bowl, and toss carefully so that the couscous is evenly distributed throughout.  

On a large serving platter, arrange the couscous-salad greens mixture. Over the couscous-salad greens sprinkle the chopped roasted peppers, artichokes, roasted eggplant, and olives, and top with the sardine halves. Drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad. 

Serve immediately, or refrigerate and serve within 12 hours.

Green Bean & Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Lime Vinaigrette (and how to roast bell peppers)

There's a take-away restaurant around the corner from us that has the most tantalizing spread of hearty salads, marinated and roasted chickens, and freshly-prepared meals. It's difficult to resist going there on a busy weeknight or lazy weekend to grab a pre-made meal. Our favorite salad they serve-- green beans and avocados with a tangy poppyseed dressing-- comes with tomatoes, which we have to remove due to allergies. There are probably other hidden ingredients (like preservatives) lurking in their dressings that we should be more attentive to, even in what looks like a fresh, homestyle meal. Preservatives in this country crop up in everything, so unless we've made it ourselves it's likely that it will contain something we shouldn't be eating due to allergies.

crisp green beans, creamy avocado and tangy poppyseed lime dressing

On Friday I experimented making a copycat recipe of that favorite salad of ours, and quickly nailed the dressing with a bit of tweaking. This recipe is a game-changer: it's amazing how such simple ingredients can be so perfect together. Instead of tomatoes, I threw in some roasted red bell peppers for a little color. The resulting salad tasted even better than the restaurant version, and it was a delicious side dish with our roasted chicken.

incredible, easy-to-make green bean avocado salad

A good extra virgin olive oil is key to making a flavorful vinaigrette, and feel free to adjust the acidity by adding more or less lime juice or apple cider vinegar.  Toasted, slivered or chopped almonds would be a great addition, as would any fresh herbs you have on hand like basil or parsley. For dinner or lunch, picnic or potluck, this is an incredibly easy, tasty, and different salad to have in your repertoire. Hope you love it as much as we do.

Green Bean & Avocado Salad with Poppyseed Lime Vinaigrette
serves 4

Salad

2 cups green beans, washed, ends removed
1 avocado
1/4 cup coursely chopped roasted red bell peppers (capsicum) (see roasting tip below)
2 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced

Poppyseed Lime Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of half a lime
1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (to taste)
1 teaspoon poppyseeds
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
pinch of freshly ground sea salt
pinch of dried chili flakes (optional)

Steam the green beans for just 3-4 minutes so that they are still on the crisp side of crisp-tender. Immediately remove beans from the pot and quickly run under cold water, then place the beans in a bowl of cold water.

Prepare the vinaigrette by whisking all ingredients together in a small bowl. Start with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, and add up to a teaspoon more to adjust the acidity to your liking. If you prefer a slightly spicy dressing, add the pinch of dried chili flakes.

Drain the cooled green beans and place the beans in a large salad bowl.  Add the chopped roasted red bell peppers and green onions.  Pour half of the vinaigrette over the salad and stir to combine. Slice the avocado into long slices that are about 1/4 inch thick, and add the avocado slices to the salad bowl. Pour the remaining vinaigrette over the salad and combine very gently so as not to break up the avocado slices. Serve immediately, or chill for up to 12 hours.

* Roasting bell peppers:

Wash and de-seed a bell pepper (capsicum).  Slice it in half, and place the two halves on a baking tray or cookie sheet with the skin side up.  Place the baking tray approximately 4 inches from the heat source in an oven set to broil (grill) on high. Broil (grill) the peppers, with the oven door propped open a couple of inches, for 4-6 minutes, until the peppers soften and the skin begins to bubble and blacken.

Immediately remove from the oven and place the peppers in a sealed plastic bag. Allow the peppers to cool for at least 5 minutes.

Remove peppers from the bag and peel off the skin of the peppers using your fingers (this should not be too difficult to do after the peppers have cooled in the plastic bag). Discard the skin, and set aside peppers for desired use.  (In the recipe above, I used one half of a roasted bell pepper, coursely chopped, to make about 1/4 cup).

Sesame Turkey Meatballs with Spinach Chickpea Salad

This is another adaptation from Deb Perelman's The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, which has obviously been a success at our house since a few of the recipes posted here over the past couple of months have their origins there. These turkey meatballs are deliciously-spiced with cumin and paprika, and can be made with either ground turkey or ground chicken (I've tried both: yum). I throw a few handfuls of spinach to the original recipe to make it more of a green salad with chickpeas, and add paprika here and in the meatballs themselves, because smoked paprika is always a good idea.

sesame turkey meatballs spiced with cumin, paprika, and a little chili,
served over spinach chickpea salad

A tip to the wise: you'll be tempted to brown as many meatballs as possible in the sauté pan, but trust me on the two-batch method. By browning only half of them at a time, you'll have room to flip the meatballs as they cook without accidentally breaking up others in an over-crowded pan.

Sesame turkey meatballs over spinach chickpea salad

I imagine the meatballs would also be great served over a Moroccan-flavored couscous salad, and the spinach chickpea salad could also serve as a base for chicken baked with paprika and a little cumin. The entire meal is fairly simple to bring together in spite of all the combining, rolling, then browning and baking of the meatballs. It's a lean, protein-rich dinner option, and the leftovers are great for lunch the next day (you could even serve it in pitas, as Deb Perelman suggests in the cookbook). Enjoy!

Sesame Turkey Meatballs
adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
serves 4

2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 pound (455g) ground turkey (or chicken)
2/3 cup breadcrumbs (or 1 cup roughly torn pieces of bread, from 1-2 slices bread: use gluten-free bread if cooking g-f)
1/4 cup water
1 egg
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular paprika is fine, too)
1/4 teaspoon dried chili flakes (or a pinch of cayenne pepper)
pinch of freshly ground sea salt
pinch of freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil for pan

Preheat oven to 400F / 204C.

Warm a large sauté pan to medium-low heat on the stove. Add the sesame seeds and immediately turn the heat down to low.  Cook the sesame seeds for about 1-2 minutes, until they are beginning to brown, stirring around the pan to encourage even browning. (Sesame seeds will burn quickly so keep a close eye on them). Remove toasted sesame seeds from pan and pour into a large bowl; remove pan from heat.

To the large bowl, add the remaining ingredients, except the olive oil. Mix thoroughly with a potato masher or a fork, until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Roll the meat mixture by hand into golfball-sized meatballs, setting meatballs on a large cutting board or plate.

Heat a large sauté pan (preferably one that can go into the oven) on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread it evenly around the pan. Carefully place half of the meatballs in the pan, taking care not to overcrowd. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, carefully turning the meatballs as you go so that they brown on multiple sides. Remove browned meatballs and place on a large baking tray or cookie sheet. Repeat browning with the remaining meatballs.

If your sauté pan can go into the oven, return all of the meatballs to the pan and place in the oven. If you don't have an oven-proof sauté pan, simply place all of the meatballs on the large baking tray or cookie sheet, and place the baking tray in the oven.

Bake at 400F / 204C for about 12-18 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through and a meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of at least 160F / 71C. Serve warm with the spinach chickpea salad (recipe below).


Spinach Chickpea Salad
adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
serves 4

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas)
Handful of pitted green olives, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried parsley (or 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley)
Juice from half a lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
1 garlic clove, minced
pinch of dried chili flakes (or a dash of cayenne pepper)
pinch of freshly ground sea salt
2 cups washed baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Place the chickpeas in a medium-sized bowl, and mash with the back of the fork for a minute to rough them up a little.  Add remaining ingredients except the spinach leaves and olive oil (through sea salt).  Stir to combine thoroughly, then add the chopped spinach leaves and olive oil.  Toss carefully to evenly distribute the spinach.  Serve with sesame turkey meatballs.

*Serving Tip: Arrange the spinach chickpea salad on a large serving plate, and top with the turkey meatballs.  Place serving plate on the dining table and serve family style.   

Spicy Chicken Thighs with Cucumber Noodle Salad

I've been meaning to make this dish ever since the hubs gave me the Best of Bill cookbook last year for my birthday.  Bill Granger was Australia's first Masterchef winner, and he's built a big name for himself through his Aussie-fresh food with a southeast Asian flair.  This recipe looked like a pretty simple way to pack lots of flavor into a dinner dish-- I loved the idea of creating a vermicelli noodle salad full of vegetables as a base for marinated, grilled meat. I added some grated carrot and chopped Chinese cabbage, and substituted fresh basil for the mint (our mint plant met a wilted death during our time away for Christmas).

spicy marinated chicken thighs with noodle salad and fresh vegetables

We loved the noodle salad/grilled meat combination so much that we've been making variations of it ever since.  We'll prepare a batch of vermicelli noodles, cool them under cold running water, and toss in whatever chopped or shredded vegetables we have on hand. Then we top with grilled chicken thighs, sliced rotisserie chicken breasts, or sautéed shrimp.  Easy.

another version with purple cabbage, bell pepper, and carrot noodle salad,
topped with sliced rotisserie chicken and fresh basil

Fish sauce is a great way to add lots of flavor to a meat marinade, but use it sparingly as it's extremely salty.  I reduced the amount called for in the original recipe to cut down the sodium a bit in this dish.  Bill recommends topping the salad with chopped cashews, and chopped macadamia nuts or toasted sesame seeds also add a nice crunch.

Spicy Chicken Thighs with Cucumber Noodle Salad

adapted from Best of Bill: The Ultimate Collection of Bill Granger's Recipes

4 generous servings

2 tablespoons fish sauce

freshly ground black pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons dried chili flakes (to taste)

1 teaspoon sugar

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I use rice bran oil)

Salad:

3 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon sugar

7 oz vermicelli noodles

1 cucumber, halved and thinly sliced

1 large carrot, peeled and grated

4 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 cup thinly sliced Chinese cabbage (Napa cabbage)

handful of fresh basil, coursely chopped

freshly ground black pepper

optional: 2 tablespoons chopped cashews, macadamia nuts, or toasted sesame seeds

In a small bowl, whisk the fish sauce, black pepper, garlic, chili flakes, and 1 teaspoon sugar.  Rinse the chicken thighs and trim any excess fat (kitchen shears make this an easy task), placing the chicken thighs in a shallow dish. Pour half of the fish sauce mixture over the chicken thighs.  Cover the chicken with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

To the remaining fish sauce mixture add the 3 tablespoons lime juice and 1 tablespoon sugar to make the salad dressing.  Set aside.  

While the chicken is marinating, prepare your salad.  Bring a pot of water to boil, add the vermicelli noodles, and boil for 3 to 4 minutes.  Drain noodles in a colander and run under cold water to cool them down.  Using kitchen shears or a knife, chop the noodles up a bit so that they will be easier to mix into the salad.  

In a large serving dish or bowl, mix the cucumber, carrot, spring onions, chopped cabbage, and basil.  Add the cooked vermicelli noodles and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper.  Toss together so that the noodles are evenly distributed amongst the vegetables.  Drizzle the dressing evenly over the salad, and, if you'd like, toss it again to coat.  

Now cook the chicken thighs.  Heat the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken thighs, in two batches, cooking for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through.  Use the back of a spatula or turner to press the chicken thighs down as they cook so that the outside develops a bit of a crisp coating.  

Transfer the cooked chicken to a cutting board and slice into thin strips. Arrange the strips on top of the prepared salad.  Sprinkle with chopped cashews, macadamia nuts, or toasted sesame seeds if desired.  Serve immediately.

The salad and chicken will keep for 2 days in the fridge in an airtight container. The leftovers make a delicious lunch.

Crispy Cabbage & Sugar Snap Salad with Sesame Dressing

New Year's Resolution: update blog more regularly.  This shouldn't be difficult with the inspiration from the three cookbooks I've been given over the last two months.  Thank you to the hubs and my two wonderful sisters-in-law : )

banked on the birthday/Christmas gifts

I spent a couple of days deciding what to make first out of the Smitten Kitchen cookbook (all of them look mouthwatering, and Deb Perelman offers sage advice for variations on recipes as well as clever introductions on how each was created).  Finally settled on a salad of sugar snap peas, cabbage, and radishes with an incredible miso-sesame dressing.  Oh my.  Hardly needed to clean the blender after making the dressing because I'd licked up every bit using the spatula.  This salad is awesome.  It was the highlight of our dinner, the main attraction, while the seared tender, sashimi-grade salmon I picked up from the fishmonger was an adequate side.  The hubs declared it the best salad he's ever had, and asked if we could have it every night.

crispy salad with tahini-soy-honey dressing: delicious

I couldn't find miso paste that didn't have lots of scary-looking numbers in the ingredient list, so just used soy sauce instead. I also added a grated carrot for more color.  Our grocer didn't have Napa cabbage, so I used Chinese cabbage instead, which is similar in its light green color and mild taste.  Once I'd chopped the green onions I was a little overwhelmed by the large pile, but they mixed into the salad very well.  I tossed the vegetables together and served half of it for dinner with half of the dressing, reserving the remaining salad and dressing separately so we could toss it together for lunch today.

thank you Smitten Kitchen for our favorite salad recipe yet

Can't wait to make this crispy salad again.  I'll be repeating the dressing to use in other salads, as a marinade for chicken, and to mix into stir fries until we get sick of it.  Which I can't foresee happening anytime soon.

Crispy Cabbage & Sugar Snap Salad with Sesame Dressing
lightly adapted from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook
4-5 servings

Salad

3 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 cups sugar snap peas, untrimmed (about 1/2 pound or 225 grams)
3 cups thinly sliced Chinese cabbage (Napa cabbage) (about 1/2 pound or 225 grams)
4 radishes, sliced into matchsticks (about 4 oz or 115 grams)
1 carrot, peeled and grated (using the big holes of a grater)
3 large green onions (scallions), white and green parts thinly sliced on bias

Dressing
1 tablespoon fresh finely chopped ginger
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce (make sure it's gluten-free if necessary)
2 tablespoons tahini (I use unhulled tahini, which is darker and a bit stronger tasting)
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon olive oil (or any vegetable oil)

Toast the sesame seeds by pan-frying them (without oiling the pan) over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, or placing them on a baking sheet in a 300F (150C) oven for 5-8 minutes.  Set aside (remove them from the pan, as they will continue to cook in the hot pan/baking sheet and may burn).

Blanch the sugar snap peas in a pot of boiling water for 2 minutes.  Drain immediately and transfer to a bowl of ice water.  When the peas have cooled, trim the ends and slice on bias (diagonally) into 1/4 inch slices (if any peas pop out just toss them into the salad bowl).  Add the sliced peas to the salad bowl along with the cabbage, radish, grated carrot, and sliced green onions.

Make the dressing by blending all of the ingredients in a blender until fully incorporated.  The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook calls for two additional tablespoons of oil, but I found that a thicker dressing using less oil clung well to the salad leaves (and mine may have been thinner than the original recipe because I used soy sauce instead of miso paste).

Sprinkle half of the toasted sesame seeds over the salad, and pour in the dressing.  Toss together until the vegetables are evenly coated with dressing.  Sprinkle the remaining toasted sesame seeds on top, and serve immediately.

* Storage tip: If you want to save some salad for another meal, reserve the salad and dressing separately in the fridge so that the vegetables stay crisp.

African Salad (Mango Avocado Salad)

First Christmas in 100F heat: check. Just returned from spending the holidays in the sparking sunshine and endless white sand beaches of Western Australia.  We had a fantastic time catching up with friends and family at bar-b-ques in public parks along beaches, down south in WA’s Margaret River wine region, and in the rolling gum-tree covered hills east of Perth.

curious black swans at our Christmas eve BBQ at Matilda Bay in Perth

In addition to the ubiquitous prawns on the barbie, we ate delicious and filling vegan meals, took advantage of WA’s excellent Asian food at Thai and Chinese restaurants, and enjoyed a beautiful meal overlooking a vista not far removed from Tuscany at Will’s Domain winery near Dunsborough (topped off by a sampling of cocoa nibs and chocolate bars at nearby Gabriel Chocolate). 

Will's Domain Winery, Margaret River, Western Australia

Grilled prawns, smoked salmon, gin-cured trout expertly prepared by my fabulous sister-in-law, and a range of salads made using summer’s best produce were welcome replacements for traditional American/British Christmas lunch fare.  I’ve been meaning to post the recipe for my in-laws’ famous ‘African salad’ for a while now, and as it featured on our Christmas table the timing seems appropriate.  

If mangos and avocados are out of season for you, book this recipe and make it when the weather turns warmer.  It’s the perfect accompaniment to grilled meat or fish.  For an easy main meal we throw in a big handful of sautéed prawns—chopped rotisserie chicken would also do the trick. 

freshly cooked prawns with African salad

I’ve been making this salad for a year now based on the hubs’s memory, and only recently discovered that his mother also adds a little cream to dress the salad.  We think the salad tastes wonderful simply dressed with the juice from the chopped mangos, but if you prefer a creamy dressing, top the salad with a few spoonfuls of cream.

African Salad: mango, avocado, and lettuce seasoned with a little garlic and black pepper

This salad turns to mush and the avocado quickly browns when refrigerated (though it still tastes great!), so try to prepare just enough for the meal by adjusting the amount of lettuce you use.  For a cleaner presentation, scatter the diced mango and avocado over the lettuce without tossing it afterward (as I’ve done for the photo above). 

African Salad

serves 5 as a side dish

1 clove garlic

1 head of lettuce, washed and coarsely chopped (oak leaf lettuce is pretty, but iceberg works fine)

1 ripe mango, diced into large chunks

1 firm-ripe avocado, diced into large chunks

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons cream (optional)

Peel the clove of garlic and cut it in half.  Rub the halves of garlic around the inside of your salad bowl, then chop the garlic finely and throw it into the salad bowl.  Add the chopped lettuce, and toss it to distribute the garlic. 

Add the diced mango and avocado, and toss very gently until distributed evenly.  (For a cleaner-looking salad, scatter the diced mango and avocado on top of the lettuce without tossing afterward). 

Top with a pinch of freshly ground black pepper, and, if desired, 3 tablespoons cream.  Serve immediately.

Simple Salads: a Mango-Lime Slaw, and a Salmon, Feta, Chickpea, and Caper salad

Last Saturday night we had our first dinner-on-the-balcony of the season! The high was 80F at noon, and though it's still pretty cool overnight, it was just pleasant enough to dine outside.  I've had a few salad ideas pinned for the past few weeks and finally got around to gathering the (simple) ingredients to make a couple last weekend.

Our grill is out of gas at the moment, but I knew we'd want shrimp/prawns for our first dinner al fresco.  I got the last 1/2 kilo of big, fresh whole prawns from the fishmonger and stopped by the fruit/veg shop nextdoor to grab cabbage, mango, and limes to make a spicy-sweet, tropical slaw from Sprouted Kitchen.  This stuff was delicious!

mango and lime cabbage slaw, topped with sesame seeds

I decided to add some shredded carrot for color, halved the amount of honey (thought it might be a little sweet for our taste with a whole tablespoon), used a combo of Cholula and cayenne pepper in place of the ancho chile powder (hard to come by in Australia, thank goodness the stores here stock Cholula), and topped it with a sprinkle of sesame seeds rather than macadamia nuts.  It tasted great with our garlic-lime pan-fried prawns and a few cornbread muffins.

Sunday dinner I threw together this salmon salad with crumbled feta, chickpeas, and crispy capers that I've been eyeing from Sydney foodie-photography blogger What Katie Ate.  Her cookbook just hit the shelves here, and I've been inspired by her low-fuss, good-time-entertainment food focus. This salad was the easiest thing in the world, and so delicious.  Rather than poach salmon fillets, I just used a small package of smoked salmon, tearing it into strips.  I added a big handful of lightly steamed broccoli that I needed to use up.  I didn't bother pan frying the capers to crisp them up, just threw the capers directly onto the salad after rinsing them.  Forgot to get horseradish, so I improvised and made a dressing out of mustard, apple cider vinegar, and a little natural yogurt, thinning it out with some water.  The hubs absolutely loved this salad (direct quote: 'It's really filling and tasty, not just leaves and sh**. We should make this again').  Definitely going in our rotation for easy meals this summer.

salmon salad with feta, chickpeas, and capers and a tangy mustard dressing