500ml cooked bulgur wheat 250ml parsley, chopped 1 red onion, finely chopped 80ml chopped pickled cucumber 125ml roasted red peppers, chopped 250ml pomegranate seeds 80ml raisins Dressing: 60ml olive oil 60ml lemon juice 1 clove of garlic, minced 2,5ml granulated mustard 5ml sugar 2,5ml salt
Add the cooked bulgur wheat, parsley, onion, pickled cucumber, red peppers, pomegranate seeds and raisins to a large mixing bowl and toss together. Whisk the dressing ingredients together until amalgamated and drizzle over the salad.
500g cooked grains (choose from or combine barley, quinoa, brown rice) 100g raisins 1 cauliflower head, cut into small florets 10ml ground coriander 2 cloves of garlic, minced 2,5ml chilli flakes 55ml + 75ml olive oil 5ml salt 1 red onion, halved and thinly sliced 30g pistachio nuts, roughly chopped 30g pomegranate seeds 15ml finely grated lemon zest 30ml lemon juice a small handful of mint leaves a small handful of parsley
Preheat your oven to 200℃. Add the raisins to a small bowl and pour 60ml boiling water over it. Set aside. Add the cauliflower, coriander, garlic, chilli flakes, 55ml olive oil and salt to a mixing bowl and toss together to coat the cauliflower florets. Tip the florets into a roasting tray and spread it out in a single layer. Pour 60ml hot water into the now empty mixing bowl, swirl it around to collect any left-behind spices and then pour it around (NOT ON TOP!) the cauliflower. Cover the tray with aluminium foil and roast for 10 minutes. Remove the tray from the oven and leave to cool. Place a pan on medium-high heat, add about 30ml oil and fry the red onion for about 15 minutes, until starting to caramelise. Add the cooled cauliflower, onion, pistachios, pomegranate, lemon zest, lemon juice, raisins and cooked grains to a mixing bowl. Drizzle 45ml olive oil over and season with salt. Mix through. Mix the mint and parsley together on a chopping board and chop roughly. Add the herbs to the rest of the salad, mix through and serve.
500g cucumber (about half an English cucumber) 2 avocados 30ml lemon juice 2 salad onions, finely sliced chilli flakes
Peel the cucumber in alternating strips in its length. Take out the seeds with a teaspoon, cut into bite-sized pieces and put it in a colander set in your sink. Sprinkle 5ml salt over, toss together and leave to drain for about 20 minutes. Slice the avocado in half, remove the pip and scoop out the flesh. Cut in to 1,5cm cubes. Add the avocado to a mixing bowl, sprinkle over the lemon juice and season with salt and black pepper. Stir to combine. Shake the cucumber pieces in the colander to get rid of any moisture. Add to the avocado. Add the sliced salad onions and mix again. Now stir the salad vigorously until the avocado breaks down a bit. Taste the salad and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Scatter over some chilli flakes and serve.
This salad is my new obsession – it is zingy, fresh and everything and more that your tastebuds are craving ..!
8 corn cobs, cleaned olive oil 80ml mayonnaise 30ml sour cream 80g feta cheese, finely crumbed 45ml lemon juice finely grated rind of 2 lemons 40g coriander leaves, picked off the stems (it is about an average bunch) 3 spring onions, sliced
Heat a wood-fired grill to medium-high heat. Coat each corn cob with a thin layer of olive oil and season with salt. Place the corn on the grill and cook for 20 minutes. Turn them every now and then so that they get a char all over. Cool slightly and then cut the kernels from the cobs. Set aside.
Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, feta cheese, lemon juice and lemon zest to a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and mix together. Spoon half the corn kernels on a serving dish. Top with half the spring onions and half the coriander leaves. Drizzle half the dressing over and repeat the corn, spring onion and coriander layers, finishing with a drizzle of the dressing. Serve the salad at room temperature.
150ml olive oil 250ml tightly packed basil leaves 1 clove garlic, minced 2,5ml salt 15ml lemon juice 15ml apple cider vinegar
cos lettuce 1 small melon 200g feta cheese 3 tomatoes
For the dressing: Add all the ingredients to a blender and blitz at high speed for one minute. Set aside.
Arrange some lettuce leaves on a serving platter. Slice the melon in half and take out the seeds. Cut the melon into slices and then cut the flesh out of the skin, Scoop a few melon balls from the flesh if you have a melon scoop. Arrange the melon on the lettuce. Slice the feta and tomato into slices and add it to the melon and lettuce. Drizzle the basil dressing over the salad and serve.
250g smoked bacon 125ml yoghurt 125ml mayonnaise a squeeze of lemon juice 45ml olive oil 80ml milk 100g + 100g feta cheese 3 cos lettuce (or other crunchy lettuce) 125g sugar snaps 250ml frozen peas, thawed 1 avocado pear, sliced
Dice the bacon and cook until done and slightly crispy on the edges. Set aside to cool. Add the yoghurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, olive oil, milk and 100g of feta cheese to a blender and blitz on high speed until smooth. Set aside. Arrange the lettuce on a serving plate. Scatter over the sugar snaps, peas, avocado pear and bacon. Spoon/drizzle the dressing over the salad. Crumb the remaining 100g feta on top, add a few grindings of black pepper and serve.
Traditionally panzanella/Italian bread salad is not served with cheese but the creaminess of the burrata adds a deliciousness beyond words!
4 x 2cm thick slices of sourdough bread 6-8 ripe tomatoes, room temperature half a cucumber 1 burrata cheese 1 small red onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 125ml olive oil 60ml balsamic vinegar juice of one lemon
Preheat your oven to 190℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Cut the sourdough slices into cubes of 1,5-2cm – they should look like chunky croutons. Spread the bread on the prepared baking sheet and liberally drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the croutons are golden and crisp. Remove from the baking sheet and set aside. For the dressing: Chop 3-4 tomatoes into very small pieces. The chopping is best done in a shallow bowl so that you can preserve all of the tomatoes’ juice. Add the tomato and its juice to a mixing bowl. Chop the onion as finely as you can, mince the garlic and add to the tomato. Now add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice. Mix the ingredients together and season with salt and pepper.
Slice the remaining 3-4 tomatoes into chunks and place in a large bowl. Slice the cucumber into chunks and add to the tomato. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix through. Scatter the croutons and basil over and mix again. Spoon the salad onto a serving plate and place the burrata on top. Serve with a cold Babylonstoren Rosé.
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.
250g uncooked spelt 4 medium tomatoes, very finely chopped 1 English cucumber, very finely chopped 2 bunches parsley, very finely chopped 12 mint leaves, very finely chopped 4 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced 45ml lemon juice 45ml olive oil salt and pepper
Prepare the spelt according to instructions and drain. Add the spelt and all the chopped vegetables and herbs to a mixing bowl. Drizzle over the lemon juice and olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix through and serve.
There is one sauce that doubles up as marinade and dressing!!
500g chicken breasts
Marinade/Dressing: 30ml olive oil juice of 2 lemons (60ml) 30ml water 30ml apple cider vinegar 30ml chopped parsley 2 cloves garlic, minced 5ml dried origanum 5ml salt black pepper
Add all the ingredients for the marinade/dressing to a mixing bowl and whisk together. Pour half of the mixture into a jug and keep aside as the salad dressing. Place the chicken breasts in the marinade for 30 minutes. Place a pan on medium-high heat and add the chicken breasts. Cover with a lid and cook for 5-6 minutes before flipping them over and cooking for another 4 minutes. Rest the breasts in the pan, with the lid on for another 5 minutes. Arrange the lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion and avocado on a serving plate. Slice the chicken and place on the salad. Drizzle with the salad dressing and serve.
My Whisk and I 