CHICKEN SESAME SALAD
Serves 4-6
30ml olive oil
4 chicken breast fillets
salt and pepper
200g baby tomatoes, halved
½ English cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
60ml chopped coriander
lettuce for serving
fried rice noodles for garnish
Dressing:
45ml lime juice
30ml hoisin sauce
30ml soy sauce
45ml sesame oil
15ml honey
45ml sesame seeds, toasted
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the chicken breasts. Fry until browned and cooked through. Season and remove from the pan. Cool, then cut into slices. Combine with the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and coriander and toss.
Pour over the dressing and serve on a bed of lettuce. Sprinkle over sesame seeds and top with rice noodles. Dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well.
Rice noodles: Drop a handful of thin rice noodles into hot oil – they will puff up immediately. Remove and drain on paper towel.
MEXICAN BEAN SALAD
Serves 4
4 ears of sweet corn
1 yellow pepper,
seeded and diced
1 green pepper,
seeded and diced
1 bunch of spring onions,
chopped
400g can of kidney beans,
drained and rinsed
45ml chopped coriander
1 large avocado, diced
lettuce leaves for serving
Dressing:
45ml fresh lime juice
25ml olive oil*
5ml ground cumin
5ml ground coriander
5ml crushed garlic
30ml sweet chilli sauce
Boil sweet corn until just tender – about 10 minutes. Remove and cool. Cut kernels from the cob and place in a bowl. Add the peppers, spring onion and kidney beans and mix well.
Carefully fold in the coriander and avocado. Pour over the dressing and serve on a plate lined with lettuce leaves.
Dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well.
* If you can get it, use chilli-flavoured avocado oil instead.
RISONI PRAWN SALAD
Serves 6
350g risoni pasta
300g cooked prawn tails
½ English cucumber,
peeled and diced
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
1 red onion, finely diced
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced
200g feta cheese, cubed
45ml chopped dill
45ml chopped parsley
salt and pepper
60ml olive oil
30ml lemon juice
lettuce for serving
Boil the pasta according to direction, drain and rinse under cold water to remove excess starch. Combine in a bowl with the prawns, cucumber, pepper, onion, fennel and feta.
Add the herbs and season to taste.
Combine olive oil and lemon juice and pour over the salad before serving on a bed of lettuce.
HALOUMI AND ASPARAGUS SALAD
Serves 4
2 bunches of asparagus,
trimmed and washed
2-3 nectarines,
cut into wedges
45ml olive oil
250g haloumi cheese,
sliced
watercress for serving
Dressing:
60ml orange juice
30ml olive oil
30ml plum sauce
10ml honey
salt and pepper
Blanch the asparagus in boiling water until tender. Drain and refresh under cold water, then drain again and set aside.
Brush the nectarines with oil and cook on a griddle pan until just soft. Remove and set aside.
Brush the haloumi slices with oil and cook on the griddle pan until nicely lined on both sides. Remove and set aside.
Arrange the asparagus, nectarines and haloumi on a platter. Add watercress and pour over the dressing.
Serve while haloumi is still warm.
Dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well. - Saturday Star