Tag: Salad

Roast carrot and pomegranate salad

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Carrot Salad (1)

Spice roast carrot and coconut salad

Serves – 4 people

Prep Time – 30 minutes

Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Ingredients – Carrots

  • 1 packet of McCain Baby Carrots – cooked as per packet instructions
  • 3 tbs olive oil
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp sumac
  • 1 tsp raw sugar

Ingredients – Salad

  • 250g baby spinach
  • 1 small Spanish onion – halved and sliced
  • Seeds of 1 pomegranate
  • ½ cup of Bombay mix

Ingredients – dressing

  • 1/3 cup coconut milk
  • Zest of 1 lime
  • Salt and pepperCarrot Salad (2)

Method

  1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 180°C. Place McCain Baby Carrots, oil, cumin, sumac and sugar into a baking dish and toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes or until carrots are golden.
  2. Combine the coconut cream and lime zest in a small mixing bowl. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
  3. Place baby spinach on a serving platter, top with Spanish onion, arrange roast McCain Baby Carrots on top, sprinkle with Bombay mix and top with pomegranate seeds.
  4. Drizzle dressing over the top of the salad and serve immediately.

Carrot Salad (4)

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Pea and Lentil Salad

Pea, Bacon and Lentil Salad

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Pea and Lentil Salad

How do you make salad better? You put BACON in it! Yes, bacon!

Don’t worry, you can thank me later..

Ingredients – Salad

  • 2 cups of McCain Peas – cooked as per packet instructions
  • 400g tin of lentils – drained
  • 1 red onion – finely sliced in half moons
  • 1 tbs of olive oil
  • 300g of bacon – diced
  • 1 bunch of fresh mint – stalks removed
  • 160g of baby spinach leaves

Ingredients – Dressing

  • 50ml olive oil
  • 2 tbs lemon juice
  • 2 tbs of white vinegar
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves – finely chopped

Method

  1. Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a pan over a medium heat, add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until browned. Remove pan from heat and drain bacon on paper towel.
  2. Place McCain Peas and all salad ingredients into a serving bowl and toss well to combine.
  3. Whisk olive oil with lemon juice, white vinegar, Dijon mustard and finely chopped mint leaves. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently through salad.

Enjoy!

Smoked Chicken and Pea Salad

Smoked Chicken Salad

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Smoked Chicken and Pea Salad

This salad is one of my go-to meals for a quick, simple and tasty weekend lunch. Oh, and it is excellent when served with a Sauvignon Blanc!  The smoked chicken, plump peas and sharpness of the Parmesan taste sublime together; and paired with the fresh crunchy lettuce and a creamy dressing, makes a fantastic meal that tastes as impressive as it looks. Plus, the minimal effort is a big tick. You can either buy smoked chicken, or smoke your own. However, leftover chicken will also work a treat.

Ingredients – Salad

  • 2 smoked chicken breast fillets – skin removed, finely sliced – available in the meat chiller section of your supermarket
  • 1 cup of McCain Baby Peas – cooked as per packet instructions and cooled
  • 2 baby cos lettuce
  • 1 Lebanese cucumber – halved, seeds removed and cut into wedges
  • ½ red onion – finely sliced into half moons
  • ¼ cup of grated Parmesan

Ingredients – Dressing

  • ¼ cup whole egg mayonnaise
  • 1 tbs honey
  • 2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method

  1. Place McCain Baby Peas, cucumber and red onion in a bowl and toss to combine.
  2. Place whole egg mayonnaise, honey and lemon juice into a small bowl and use balloon whisk to mix until smooth.
  3. Divide cos lettuce leaves evenly among serving plates, top with the pea mixture and slices of smoked chicken breast. Drizzle with the dressing, top with flakes of Parmesan and serve immediately.

Tip: serve with fresh bread or garlic pizza.

Enjoy!

Brussel Sprout Salad

Brussel Sprout, Chorizo and Chickpea Salad

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Brussel Sprout Salad

I don’t say this often or lightly but I hate brussel sprouts. I always have. Brussel sprouts and squash are the only things I don’t like. In saying that, I’ll still eat them, but I don’t enjoy them. Huh! I showed them!

After discussing brussel sprouts with my husband, I said I didn’t like them, he stopped in his tracks, starred at me and exclaimed that was the first time he has ever heard me say that I didn’t like something. He was shocked at how I could hate something that he had such found memories of eating, coated in butter, cheese or white sauce. I explained that in my family they were served au natural and complimented by their cabbage-like flavours any child it set to love. If something is covered in butter, cheese or white sauce – chances are I am going to enjoy it.

I decided to give brussel sprout another crack. I sat down, pen in hand and created my ‘perfect’ brussel sprout dish – spicy chorizo, sharp parmesan, zesty lemon and nutty chickpeas. drool.  I then decided to invite over some brussel sprout loving friends so they could provide an honest opinion on the dish. I wanted to know if it was good, even if I didn’t like it.

I set out with my shopping list and stumbled upon a delightful discovery in my local Woolworths,  Springbrook Valley Organic Chorizo. Made in NSW, with premium pork, no nasties, no preservatives and 100% delicious! You MUST try it. Once home, I got cracking and whipped up my flavour-loaded brussel sprout ‘salad’… and you know what? I loved it!

Ingredients

  • 750g of McCain Brussel Sprouts
  • 2 Springbrook Valley organic chorizo – sliced into rounds – trust me, you will taste the difference!
  • 1 tin of chickpeas – drained and rinsed
  • 200g of rocket
  • 3 tbs of olive oil
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 tbs of apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp of Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp of honey
  • 1 tsp of crushed garlic
  • Salt and pepper to season
  • Shaved parmesan to serve

Method

  1. Heat 1 tbs of oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add chorizo and fry, turning for 1 minute or until brown. Add McCain Brussel Sprouts and chickpeas, cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  2. Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, peel the rind from the lemon, finely slice and reserve. Juice the lemon and reserve. Add the remaining olive oil, mustard, lemon rind, lemon juice, garlic and honey to a small bowl and mix to combine.
  3. Remove brussel sprout mix from heat, season with salt and pepper to taste, toss with fresh rocket leaves and dressing. Place salad in a large serving platter and top with grated parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Risoni and Pumpkin Salad

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Risoni and Pumpkin Salad

I recently attended a bring-a-dish dinner party to farewell a friend from town who happens to be a vegetarian. I was on salad duties and decided to whip up a Pumpkin and Risoni salad which is a personal favourite of mine. It’s light, fresh and delicious. This dish is perfect for a dinner party, BBQ or to be served with grilled fish or chicken. The lemon sings through and compliments the pepperiness of the rocket and the acidic bite from the tomatoes; while the creamy pumpkin and risoni balance the dish.

Ingredients

  • 500g risoni
  • 700g butternut pumpkin – peeled and diced into 1cm cubes
  • 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes – quartered
  • 200g baby rocket
  • 1 large lemon
  • 1/4 cup of olive oil
  • Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper

Method

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees and a line a large baking tray with baking paper.
  2. Par-cook pumpkin in a lare saucepan of boiling water, drain and place on a lined baking tray.
  3. Coat lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper, place in the middle of the oven and bake 20-30 minutes or until golden.
  4. Meanwhile, cook risoni in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 8 minutes or until cooked through as per packet instructions. Drain and cool.
  5. Using a peeler, peel the rind from the lemon and finely slice. Juice the lemon and reserve.
  6. Add pumpkin, tomato, rocket, lemon rind, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to risoni, toss until well combined and serve.

Enjoy!

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15 Minute Monday – Chorizo and Garlic Prawns

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Super Food Ideas - November 2011, Page 31. Photographer: Cath Muscat.

Super Food Ideas – November 2011, Page 31. Photographer: Cath Muscat.

This delicious and quick salad is perfect for spring nights and lazy summer lunches.

Ingredients

  • 500g green prawns
  • 2 tbs of olive oil
  • 1 tbs of butter – melted
  • 4 garlic cloves – crushed
  • 1 tsp of dried chilli flakes
  • 2 chorizo sausages – sliced
  • 2 lemons
  • 1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
  • Ciabatta loaf – thickly sliced
  • Aioli to serve

Method

  1. In a large bowl, mix together the green prawns, olive oil, butter, crushed garlic cloves and dried chilli flakes.
  2. Preheat a lightly greased barbecue plate on medium-high. Cook prawn mixture, tossing, for 3 to 4 minutes or until just cooked through. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
  3. Add chorizo to barbecue plate and cook for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until crisp. Remove chorizo from barbecue plate, add to prawns and cover.
  4. Juice half of 1 lemon and cut the remaining lemon into wedges. Add parsley, chives and 1 tablespoon lemon juice to the prawn and choirzo mixture; toss to combine.
  5. Place prawn mixture on to a serving platter. Season with freshly cracked salt and black pepper.
  6. Serve with bread, lemon wedges and aioli.

Enjoy!

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