Add the cooled pasta, tomatoes, parsley, basil, bocconcini and red onion to a large bowl and toss through. For the dressing: Blitz together the basil pesto, olive oil, red wine vinegar and mustard. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss again. Season with salt and pepper to serve.
500g pasta of your choice 1 x 245g sachet pickled peppers, diced and liquid reserved 500g prawns, deveined 250ml salad cream/creamy mayonnaise 250ml yoghurt 2 big handfuls of basil leaves half an English cucumber, diced
Cook the pasta according to packet instructions and drain. Take the pickled peppers from the sachet and chop. Set the peppers aside. Drizzle the pickling liquid over the warm pasta and stir through. Set aside to cool. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil, add the prawns and cook for 4 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. Add the salad cream, yoghurt and basil leaves to a blender and process until you have a light green dressing. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Add the pasta, prawns, cucumber, peppers and basil dressing to a large bowl and mix through. Scatter some basil leaves on top and serve.
This is without doubt one of the craziest ideas to READ about, but surprisingly satisfying and pleasing in a very old fashioned way. That statement in its own is somewhat out of the ordinary but please try this idea for a quick delicious side dish to smoked and salty meat dishes … you may just have a new favourite recipe!
1 large tin/can of peach halves 100g mature cheddar cheese, grated 60ml mayonnaise 60ml sour cream 125ml feta cheese, crumbed a handful of basil leaves, chopped a handful of pistachio or pine nuts fresh lettuce to serve
Drain the peaches from the syrup. Hold the peach in your hand with the rounded side facing upwards and make a shallow horizontal slice so that the peach can sit on it – cut away as little as possible. Arrange some fresh lettuce on a serving plate and place the peach halves randomly, with the hollow facing upwards. Fill each peach cavity loosely with grated cheddar cheese. Add the yoghurt, sour cream, finely crumbed feta and chopped basil to a small bowl and stir together. Spoon a generous dollop of the dressing onto the cheese in the peach cavity. Scatter the pistachios/pine nuts over the salad and serve with the extra dressing on the side.
This salad goes surprisingly well with any smoked, cured or salty meat dishes that need that boost of natural sweetness.
30ml butter, melted 15ml olive oil 83ml balsamic vinegar 30ml water 15ml sugar 1,2ml salt about 12 small/medium beetroot baby spinach 5 fresh peaches, stoned and quartered 100g goats cheese 30ml honey
Preheat your oven to 180℃. Add the melted butter, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, water, sugar and salt to a small bowl and whisk everything together. Set aside. Wash and scrub the beetroot and cut off the hairy parts at the root. Half or quarter each, depending on its size and place them in an oven tray. Pour the balsamic mixture over and cover the pan with aluminium foil. Bake the beetroot for 30 minutes, remove the foil, turn the beets and bake for a further 30 minutes or until fully cooked and beautifully glazed. Remove the tray from the oven and allow to cool. Reserve the pan juices. Arrange the baby spinach, cooled beetroot and peach quarters on a serving platter and break the goats cheese over it. Mix together 45ml of the reserved pan juices and the honey and drizzle over the salad. Serve as a side or with a fresh crusty bread as a lunch.
375ml uncooked pearl barley 45ml sherry vinegar 2,5ml dijon mustard 2,5ml salt 30ml olive oil 50g blue cheese, crumbled 50 – 100g baby spinach half a red onion, sliced 80ml pecan nuts
Cook the pearl barley according to the packet instructions – usually it is 1:3 (pearl barley : water). Allow to cool completely. Add the vinegar, mustard, salt and olive oil to a cup and whisk everything together. Set aside. Add the cooked and cooled pearl barley, baby spinach, blue cheese and red onion to a large bowl and mix together. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and give it another quick mix. Spoon the salad into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the pecan nuts before serving.
250g tenderstem broccoli, blanched 200g streaky bacon 1 large / 2 small avocado pear, pitted and peeled 60ml peanuts, toasted
Blue Cheese Dressing: 60ml sour cream 60ml mayonnaise 60ml milk 100g blue cheese, crumbled 15ml parsley, chopped 15ml lemon juice a pinch of salt
Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Place the bacon on the baking sheet and bake in the oven until crispy. Arrange the blanched broccoli, bacon and sliced avocado on a serving platter.
For the dressing: Add all the ingredients to a jug and whisk together to amalgamate.
Drizzle the dressing on the salad and sprinkle the peanuts over before serving.
My Whisk and I 