salads – My Whisk and I

Cucumber Avo Salad

May 22, 2023May 7, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

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.

Melon and Feta Salad (with Basil Dressing)

March 1, 2023February 28, 2023by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

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.

Greek Salad with Pesto

July 5, 2022June 14, 2022by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

tomato, cut into wedges
onion, cut into rings
calamata olives
feta cheese
1 batch Greek Pesto (from this blog)

Add all the ingredients except the pesto to a salad bowl, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
Dollop several spoonfuls of greek pesto on the salad to add zing, flavour and happiness!!

Balsamic Roasted Beetroot Salad

November 15, 2021November 14, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

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.

Pearl Barley Salad

November 9, 2021November 8, 2021by Karen ClaassenLeave a Comment

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.

Tag: salads