Category Archives: Salads

Beet & Carrot Raw Energy Salad

14 Sunday May 2017

Posted by in Dinner, Salads, Uncategorized, Vegetables

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This is a salad that even the most staunch non-beetroot eaters usually love.  It is tasty, tangy, fresh and just too delicious.   The following recipe is from Ripe Recipes Red Book- a first cookbook from Angie Redfern – Ripe is a cafe/deli in Auckland NZ, well known for its exceptionally delicious food.    I made this last week alongside quickly sauteed white cabbage to accompany individual leek and white bean galettes.  Definitely a winning combination.

I have made the galettes before and thought I had posted the recipe, but seems not, so check them out over on Smitten Kitchen who i think have the best galette recipes on the net!

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Raw Energy Salad

Serves 4 to 6

500g raw beetroot, peeled and grated – for me this is getting out the grating attachment on my food processor – makes all this grating too easy
700g carrot, peeled and grated
1 cup fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped
½ cup raisins
¼ cup (30g) sunflower seeds, toasted
¼ cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
½ tsp salt

Dressing:
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (do not sub this – it absolutely brings the salad together)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
¼ cup (60ml) orange juice
¼ cup (60ml) olive oil
1 tablespoon honey

Preparation:

Dressing – place all the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid.  Shake well to combine.

Salad – combine beetroot, carrot, mint, raisins, seeds and salt in a large bowl and mix.  Pour over the dressing – toss and serve.

If not serving immediately I tend to keep all the ingredients separated and combine just before serving.  That said,  this is one delicious salad the next day and the next………..

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Asparagus – it’s definitely Spring!

23 Sunday Nov 2014

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How Mr MWCED and I love fresh asparagus.  Nothing can be subbed for it.  We are happy to wait for the new season produce, especially the lovely long slim stalks.  We’ve been eating it for about a month now,  adding in to many dishes.   This weekend I decided to make an Asparagus Tart, the easy way.

Asparagus 3 Cheese Tart

Asparagus Three Cheese Tart

1 sheet frozen puff pastry               yep, that’s the cheat’s part
3 tablespoons ricotta                    really just use what you need
half/one cup grated mozzarella           as above…..
basil leaves, as much as you like
¼ cup grated parmesan                   same….
One bunch fresh asparagus
One tablespoon olive oil                I like to use good olive oil for this
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to around 220C. Take out a sheet of pastry and let thaw.   On a floured board shape pastry if you want to.   I use it as is out of the packet. Put on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Lightly score pastry about 5cms in from edges. Pierce the pastry inside the scored lines with a fork at close intervals. Bake until lightly golden.   Probably about 15 minutes.

Remove pastry from the oven and let cool down a little. (You can leave it for as long as you want to – if you are clever enough to be organised in advance).   Spread pastry shell with ricotta, then mozzarella.   Put basil leaves on top of cheeses, either whole or cut into shreds. Then place asparagus over the top, in whatever pattern you’d like (haphazard like me, or perfectly aligned if you’re somewhat anal). Sprinkle over grated parmesan, leaving a little to use just before serving.   Gently cover asparagus with the olive oil and season with cracked pepper and sea salt.

Bake until tart looks golden and delicious and you can’t wait any more. Probably about 25 minutes.     Add a little parmesan just before serving.

Spring SaladSpring Salad – lettuces freshly picked from the garden, vine ripened tomatoes seeds squeezed out cut into eighths, red pepper sliced thinly, fresh oregano, pepper and salt, some delicious olive oil, and balsamic syrup.   Yummmm.

Goodness, March already…

02 Sunday Mar 2014

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Where does the time go?  A month ago I was enjoying delicious time with friends and dining out, well actually, in, on some great food and have been meaning to post a few more recipes of the food we enjoyed.  So, one more from the birthday feast.  This was a green salad recipe from the December 2013-January 2014 issue of ‘dish’.  I read this recipe early in December and wanted to do it for Christmas, but for some reason it never got to the table,  so birthday fare it was.   MMMM,  it was great, and a definite repeater.

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So, here is the MWCED version of the recipe for MIXED GREEN VEGETABLE SALAD WITH SESAME YOGHURT DRESSING:

  • 200 grams green beens, stem end trimmed
  • 100 grams each sugar snap and snow peas
  • 2 cucumbers, halved and thinly sliced (take the seeds out if you wish)
  • 2 spring onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
  • sea salt and fresh ground pepper
  • small handful fresh dill or basil (I used only basil)
  • 1/4 cup pistachio nuts, roughly chopped (I used toasted pistachios)
  • Dressing:
  • 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
  • 1/2 cup thick plain yoghurt
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

Note that the Dish recipe also had asparagus and edamane beans.  It wasn’t asparagus season so no luck there, and didn’t have edamane beans so also out of luck. Sorry guys.

Dressing: Grind the sesame seeds using a mortar and pestle (thanks Charlie for that Christmas present all those years ago), then tip into a bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients, season and whisk until smooth.  Chill until ready to serve.  This was finger licking good – and could have just eaten it on its own……

Bring a saucepan of well salted water to the boil and blanch each vegetable separately until al dente. Lift out with slotted spoon (if I can find it) and refresh in cold water. Place on a clean tea towel to drain.

Whisk the olive oil and vinegar in a large bowl and season.

Add all the vegetables and turn gently to coat.

Transfer to a large serving platter and drizzle with some of the yoghurt dressing. Scatter with the dill or basil and the pistachio nuts.  Serve the remaining dressing separately.  (Serves 8 to 10).

Definitely looking forward to asparagus season to have this again!