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Posts Tagged ‘salad’

Amazeballs Salad

11 Jan

I was just about to post a picture of this salad on facebook but then had a bite and OMG  I don’t think there would have been enough space on fb for me to say what is in it. What a winner this salad is and an even better bonus is I threw it together with stuff I already had in our fridge and cupboard. “Why would you want to go out when this gets served up night after night?”

I usually try to include some protein in my salads but we’re all out of eggs and canned tuna/salmon. However this salad does have a little protein from the feta, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and tahini.

The dressing, avocado and feta make this salad creamy (but healthy), whilst the seeds give it a nice crunch here and there. In my opinion this salad is AMAZEBALLS!!!

Amazeballs salad

  • Handful of baby spinach
  • baby roma tomatoes (Fresh from Ricardoes farm in Port Macquarie)
  • 1/4 avocado
  • 1 zucchini, sliced on the diagonal
  • Feta
  • sunflower seeds
  • pumpkin seeds
  • baby beetroot balls (I just used canned beetroot)

Dressing

  • Avocado oil
  • 1 garlic clove
  • tahini
  • lemon juice
  1. Heat up grill
  2. Spray zucchini with lemon olive oil and grill to get those sexy lines.
  3. Whilst grilling the zucchini, make the dressing. Sorry I don’t have measurements. I just made it so it was a nice creamy consistency.
  4. Combine the ingredients in a big salad bowl, toss with dressing and enjoy
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Related posts:
  1. Lentil and veggie salad with sun-dried tomato dressing
  2. Super healthy salmon and salad
  3. Quinoa and aubergine salad to kick off National Vegetarian Week
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Posted in Recipes, Vegetarian

 

Ottolenghi, London

19 Oct

Before I say goodbye to London, I thought it would be appropriate to visit the paradise that is Ottolenghi one last time. In these last few weeks, I have tried to squeeze in final visits to all my favourite places (as any food lover would do, right?)

Salad plate with Harissa chicken

Each time I walk into the Notting Hill store, I am in awe at all the delicious-looking salads and tempting cakes and pastries on display. This time was no different, however I was able to dine in at the communal table at the back for a ‘ladies that lunch’-style affair.

The food here never disappoints and I can’t recommend this place enough. Whenever visitors are in town, it’s always at the top of my recommendation list. The food is all prepared in the on-site kitchens (which I would love to see in action) using the best quality ingredients. The dishes have a Mediterranean focus that are punchy in flavour and so enjoyable to eat, it’s sad when your plate is nearing it’s end.

The menu changes regularly but some of the dishes appear so frequently I would assume it’s down to their popularity – which is fine by me!

My fellow lady luncher and I both opted for a main course with three salads this time. My plate was adorned with the harissa chicken with pink grapefruit and radicchio, the roasted sweet potato with yoghurt sauce, the roasted mushrooms with chilli, and the cinammon-spiced aubergine – all fantastic! The aubergine salad and the mushroom salad were both new items I had never seen before and am hoping they (or a variation) are in either the Ottolenghi or Plenty cookbooks so that I can try and replicate some time.

We both couldn’t go past one of the intense chocolate and hazelnut brownies on our way out. These delights are packed with chunks of chocolate and roasted hazelnuts and are just too ridiculously delicious to describe! Sorry no pic – I ate it before I had a chance to snap one. Maybe I should go back for one more?

Cakes and pastries in the window - yes they are calling your name!

If ever in London, try to visit one of the four branches – Notting Hill, Kensington, Islington and Belgravia. The biggest one is Islington that offers more space to dine in, but my local and hence fave has been Notting Hill. Good times!

Ottolenghi on Urbanspoon

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Related posts:
  1. Mildred’s Vegetarian Restaurant – London
  2. Cinnamon Club – Modern Indian in London
  3. The York and Albany
3 Comments

Posted in London, Restaurants

 

Lentil and veggie salad with sun-dried tomato dressing

15 Sep

I was inspired to make this when I saw a similar salad and dressing on Lisa’s Vegetarian Kitchen. The mention of Lentils cause some people to gag, but I think they are delicious! They are naturally high in fibre, contain high levels of protein, and are a great source of iron, especially for vegetarians (or non red meat eaters!)

Lentil salad

Lentil salad

This is a pretty easy yet tasty recipe and I’m pretty sure will become part of my regular repertoire! The dressing is genius and more like a sauce. It was quite tangy when I tasted it by itself, but once I mixed it through the salad it mellowed out. Also, I heated the dressing up which gave the salad a bit of warmth after a boot camp session in the rain, although it’s also great at room temperature. So fresh and healthy, enjoy!

Recipe for approx 4 servings:

Salad

  • 1 cup of Puy or dark lentils (I am being thrifty and used black lentils from Waitrose)
  • 1 small red onion, diced
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1 courgette/ zucchini, diced
  • small tin of corn
  • 6 – 8 sun-dried tomatoes (in olive oil), drained on kitchen towel and roughly chopped
  • approx 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • handful of parsley leaves, chopped
  • handful of basil leaves, chopped


Dressing

  • 1/2 cup  sun-dried tomatoes
  • 1 clove of garlic, chopped
  • 1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
  • freshly cracked black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup of olive oil


Method

  1. Cook the lentils according to the packet instructions. The lentils from Waitrose are covered with water, brought to the boil, simmered for 15-20 minutes, then drained.
  2. Use a blender or food processor to combine the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, balsamic vinegar, salt, black pepper and parmesan. Drizzle in the olive oil while the machine continues to blend.
  3. Let the lentils cool a tad, then mix through the red onion, red pepper, zucchini, corn, sun-dried tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, chilli, parsley, and basil.
  4. Stir the dressing through the salad making sure it’s evenly coated. (Heat up the dressing in the microwave for 20 seconds if you want a warm salad – the lentils will be warm also).
  5. Pile into bowls and dig in!
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Related posts:
  1. Black bean and Quinoa chilli
  2. Quinoa and aubergine salad to kick off National Vegetarian Week
  3. Herb tabbouleh with grilled halloumi
8 Comments

Posted in Recipes, Vegetarian

 

Herb tabbouleh with grilled halloumi

07 Sep

I love this salad! It’s super fresh and easy, and oh so satisfying. It’s based on a recipe I found on the BBC Good Food website. The herbs pack a punch and really round off the halloumi. I like to use halloumi lite which has less fat and calories than regular halloumi. Keep an eye on it when it’s under the grill as once it starts to turn brown, it gets dark very quickly!

Tabbouleh with grilled halloumi

Tabbouleh with grilled halloumi

This is a really simple dish to make if you are having guests over as it’s easy yet delicious! I would also whip this up for a summer bbq. Fresh herbs really make all the difference!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 150g bulgar wheat
  • 4 lemons, 2 juiced, 2 halved to serve
  • olive oil
  • 6 spring onions
  • large handful parsley, chopped
  • smaller bunch mint, chopped
  • 150 g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/2 cucumber, chopped
  • 250g pack halloumi cheese, cut into 8 slices


Method:

  1. Place the bulgar wheat in a saucepan with 600 ml of water. Bring to the boil, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until the water is absorbed. Drain, fluff up with a fork, and set aside.
  2. Mix the lemon juice, 2 tbsp olive oil, the spring onions and a large pinch of the herbs. Season and mix again.
  3. Reserve a couple of tbsp of the dressing and mix the rest over the bulgar wheat.
  4. Add the remaining herbs, tomatoes and cucumber to the bulgar wheat. Adjust the seasoning if necessary with additional salt and lemon.
  5. Heat the grill and brown the halloumi on both sides. (I don’t think you need to use any olive oil)
  6. Plate up by topping the tabbouleh with the remaining dressing poured over, the grilled halloumi, and the lemon halves.
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Related posts:
  1. Quinoa and aubergine salad to kick off National Vegetarian Week
  2. Super healthy salmon and salad
  3. Corn and Aduki Bean Quinoa Salad
6 Comments

Posted in Recipes, Vegetarian

 
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