SALAD DAYS
The weather forecasters may have warned that we face 10 years of soggy summers, but July is the month for salads come rain or shine. Once upon a time, salads were a rather dowdy aff air: a few leaves of soggy lettuce overwhelmed by a dollop of Thousand Island dressing.
No longer: beautifully fresh salad ingredients, from the everyday to the exotic, are now widely available – and inspiration is never far away. The Easy Kitchen’s new title, Salads & Dressings, is packed with recipes from around the world, and incorporates ingredients as diverse as seafood and crisp coconut to fresh fruit, pulses, and even edible flowers.
Salads, of course, needn’t be fussy, complicated aff airs. Nor need they be a basic afterthought, a sideshow. Indeed, as these recipes show, a good salad can be a handsome meal in itself. All you need do is let your imagination run free, then unleash it on the very freshest ingredients.
Salads & Dressings: Simple Recipes For Delicious Food Every Day, is published by Ryland Peters & Small, priced £9.99. Readers of The Lady can purchase a copy for the special price of £7.99, including P&P, by telephoning Macmillan Direct on 01256-302699 and quoting the reference GLR 7ZB.
For the dressing
To serve
To prepare the squid, cut off the tentacles in one piece. Open the body to make a rough rectangle and score it lightly with a cross-hatch of cuts. Toss the squid with the oil, chilli flakes and a little salt. Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, for the dressing, crush the garlic with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle, then work in the chilli, pounding it lightly. Gradually work in 1 tsp sugar, 3 tbsp lime juice and 1 tbsp fish sauce, then let stand for 10 minutes. Add more sugar, lime juice or fish sauce, to taste.
Put the shallots in a sieve. Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt, leave for 30 mins, drain in the sink, then rinse and dry on paper towels. Heat a shallow layer of oil in a small frying pan set over a medium heat and cook the shallots gently until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
Heat a ridged stove-top grill pan until very hot. Add the squid and sear very quickly for 1 min on each side. The squid will curl and turn opaque and brown in places.
Arrange the salad leaves on serving plates and sprinkle with half the coriander leaves. Toss the vegetables with about 2 tbsp of the dressing, then arrange on the salad leaves. Add the squid, then finish the salad with the remaining coriander, the mint leaves, the crisp-fried shallots and chilli. Sprinkle with the remaining dressing and serve.
Power dressing
For the dressing, put the macadamia nuts, celery or parsnip and onion in a food processor with a little water and blitz to get a smooth dressing. Add the yeast, if using, lemon juice and salt to taste. Blitz again.
Put the salad leaves, avocados and radicchio in a salad bowl and mix. Divide between 4 bowls and sprinkle the flowers and cranberries equally over each portion. Serve with the dressing on the side.
No longer: beautifully fresh salad ingredients, from the everyday to the exotic, are now widely available – and inspiration is never far away. The Easy Kitchen’s new title, Salads & Dressings, is packed with recipes from around the world, and incorporates ingredients as diverse as seafood and crisp coconut to fresh fruit, pulses, and even edible flowers.
Salads, of course, needn’t be fussy, complicated aff airs. Nor need they be a basic afterthought, a sideshow. Indeed, as these recipes show, a good salad can be a handsome meal in itself. All you need do is let your imagination run free, then unleash it on the very freshest ingredients.
Salads & Dressings: Simple Recipes For Delicious Food Every Day, is published by Ryland Peters & Small, priced £9.99. Readers of The Lady can purchase a copy for the special price of £7.99, including P&P, by telephoning Macmillan Direct on 01256-302699 and quoting the reference GLR 7ZB.
Squid salad
Serves 4- 700g cleaned, small squid
- 1 tbsp groundnut oil
- 1 pinch of dried red chilli flakes
- handful of peppery salad leaves, such as mizuna, baby red mustard or wild rocket
- 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
- 100g mange tout, finely shredded
- 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
- sea salt and black pepper
For the dressing
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 small red fresh chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 1-2 tsp light brown muscovado sugar
- 3-4 tbsp lime juice
- 1-2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
To serve
- 4 shallots, thinly sliced
- vegetable oil, for shallow frying
- leaves from a small bunch of coriander
- a few mint or Thai basil leaves, torn
- 1 mild red fresh chilli, thinly sliced
To prepare the squid, cut off the tentacles in one piece. Open the body to make a rough rectangle and score it lightly with a cross-hatch of cuts. Toss the squid with the oil, chilli flakes and a little salt. Cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator.
Meanwhile, for the dressing, crush the garlic with a pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle, then work in the chilli, pounding it lightly. Gradually work in 1 tsp sugar, 3 tbsp lime juice and 1 tbsp fish sauce, then let stand for 10 minutes. Add more sugar, lime juice or fish sauce, to taste.
Put the shallots in a sieve. Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt, leave for 30 mins, drain in the sink, then rinse and dry on paper towels. Heat a shallow layer of oil in a small frying pan set over a medium heat and cook the shallots gently until golden brown and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
Heat a ridged stove-top grill pan until very hot. Add the squid and sear very quickly for 1 min on each side. The squid will curl and turn opaque and brown in places.
Arrange the salad leaves on serving plates and sprinkle with half the coriander leaves. Toss the vegetables with about 2 tbsp of the dressing, then arrange on the salad leaves. Add the squid, then finish the salad with the remaining coriander, the mint leaves, the crisp-fried shallots and chilli. Sprinkle with the remaining dressing and serve.
Flower-power salad (pictured top)
Serves 4- 200g mixed salad leaves
- 2 ripe avocados, cubed
- 50g shredded radicchio
- 8 calendula flowers
- 4 tbsp chive blossoms
- 4 tbsp basil flowers
- 2 tbsp rosemary blossoms
- 30g dried cranberries
Power dressing
- 150g macadamia nuts
- 60g grated celery or parsnip
- 1 small onion, grated
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- freshly squeezed lemon juice
- sea salt
For the dressing, put the macadamia nuts, celery or parsnip and onion in a food processor with a little water and blitz to get a smooth dressing. Add the yeast, if using, lemon juice and salt to taste. Blitz again.
Put the salad leaves, avocados and radicchio in a salad bowl and mix. Divide between 4 bowls and sprinkle the flowers and cranberries equally over each portion. Serve with the dressing on the side.