Tabouleh

This traditional lebanese treat is a wonderful summer fixture, no hassle, no heat recipe with ripe tomatoes in season, bursting with refreshing flavours. Also it makes a great part of a mediterranean vegetarian feast that would impress even a staunch carnivours, served along with hummus and falafel. :-) Ideally, prepare it about a couple of hours in advance and let it set for a while, for the flavours to settle and blend in. For a twist, you can use a handful of fresh coriander leaves in place of mint. In a pinch, couscous can be used in place of bulghur.

Tabouleh

150-200g lebanese bulghur
1 bunch flat leaved parsley, washed and finely chopped
3-4 firm red tomatoes, washed and finely chopped
Small fistful of chopped fresh mint leaves
1/2 red onion, or 2 spring onion, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon or lime
salt (as desired)
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
a dash of black pepper
a generous dash of zatar, or mixture of thyme, majoram and oregano
1 tablespoon sesame seed
(serves 3-4)


PREPARATION:

Pour boiling water on bulghur just enough to moisten the entire surface.
Cover and let it stand for an hour.
Mix all ingredients except the sesame seed in a bowl.
Let it stand in the fridge for a couple of hours to let the flavour set.
Just before serving, dry roast the sesame seed and mix into the salad.

Chick Salad al Avocado

This is no ordinary boring chicken salad, avocado is a wonderful companion of chicken, crispy bacon and toasted cashew adds the nice flavour kick for your sandwich/wrap. Turkey can also be used in place of the chicken, and this will be a fresh idea for the leftover roast during the upcoming holiday season!

Ingredients:

-450g/1lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cooked* and roughly shredded
(*Grilled, pan fried, boiled in a light broth with a bayleaf, or leftover roast, according to your preference/convenience)
-100g/3,5oz bacon crispily cooked and flaked
-50g cashew, crushed and toasted
-2 big plump ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
-splash of lime juice
-mixture of mayonnaise and sour cream, as needed to coat the ingredients sufficiently, but not to drown them
-dash of black pepper.

combine all the ingredients, coating them with the condiment thoroughly.
Serve chilled or at room temperature, by itself or as a filling for wraps/sandwiches.

Pasta Salad alla Caprese

This is a lovely fresh tasting pasta dish for a hot evening, easy to prepare and you use the heat only to boil the pasta. The idea is taken from the classic Italian dish Insalata Caprese, I tossed in the pasta to make more substantial for a first course. Not only it tastes great, its red, white and green colour looks so typically Italian as well!! As with any simple recipes , the quality of each ingredients is the key. Make sure to use a good quality olive oil and fresh mozzarella, and the perfect tomatoes plump, red and firm, and oh, a fresh batch of basil leaves. This is a perfect example why it is so handy to grow a small shrub of basil at home during the warm months, even if you don't have a garden it grows very well on your balcony or window sill!!

Ingredients for about 2-3 people

200g dry pasta (short versions, like fusilli, orecchiette, farfalle etc.)
3-4 tomatoes
250g mozzarella, preferably of buffalo milk (di bufala)
generous handful of fresh basil leaves, chopped
Extra Virgine Olive Oil
salt, pepper

Cook the pasta as indicated on the package, drain and rinse under the cold water. Drain
Eliminate the stem and core from the tomatoes, then roughly chop them
Chop the mozzarella into bite sizes. (Or you can use the "bocconcini" version, which come in small balls)
Toss the pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella, add salt and pepper to your liking, sprinkle with the basil leaves then drizzle the olive oil.
Preferably let the salad rest for at least half an hour, as the flavours blend together better while resting.

Licia's Sushi Salad

I got this idea from the italian style rice salad and "chirashi" type sushi. It is somewhat "safer" (requires less technique) than the classic rolls which takes some practice to make them into a "state of art" and otherwise it can easily get pretty messy. It is a bit unconventional too as I prefer using apple vinegars as opposed to the traditional rice vinegar, it gives a milder, lighter taste. It's a fresh idea for summer evenings with guests :-)

270g rice for sushi (the sticky type, medium grain)
30ml (or as needed) apple vinegar*
20g (2tbsp) sugar*
salt*
(start with this amount, taste as you mix the rice and adjust the flavour as you prefer)

200g tuna in brine, smoked salmon sliced into strips, crab flakes, or prawns, or any of combinations.
3 eggs
1 large carrots, shredded
1 avocado
2 teaspoons of white sesame seeds
3 eggs
mayonnaise
several sheets of yakinori (toasted seaweeds), julienned with scissors thinly.

-prepare the rice. Rinse the rice under running cold water, changing the water about 5 times, until the water runs clear.

-boil the rice in about twice the volume of water, covered. Let it boil on a high heat for a couple of minutes, then turn down the heat to the lowest and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Cut the heat, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes with the cover intact.

-Transfer the rice into a large bowl, sprinkle over the apple vinegar, sugar and salt while mixing vigorously.
-Cool the rice completely. Ideally the rice needs to be cooled quickly, to help the procedure, use a stainless bowl which absorbs the heat well, then immerse the bowl in an iced water. Fan the surface stirring often.

-Prepare the eggs. Making a very thin egg sheets to be shredded thinly takes a bit of practice, I employ a crepe like method, using a heated griddle and pour the beaten egg on, about the amount of 1 egg each, then quickly spread the egg with the T-bar for crepes. If you manage to spread it thin enough there will be no need to flip it, as soon as the surface dries up scoop it up carefully with a spatula. Then shred them as thinly as possible. Set it aside.

-Dry roast the sesame seeds on a stainless steel frying pan, taking care not to burn them.
-Toss the rice with the fish/seafood, carrots, diced avocado, and sesame seeds. Season with mayonnaise as desired. (I use a big hearty spoonful.)

-sprinkle the shredded egg and yakinori and serve. (or serve the eggs and yakinori on a separate bowl, and let the diners help themselves as they like)

Carrot salad with lemon poppyseed dressing

As I promised on the last post, here is an example of salad recipe perfect for the lemon poppyseed dressing.

This is one of the winning recipes born amidst a moment of pinch, when I was left with very limited items in the fridge. The salad itself is a nice fusion of sweet and savoury. You can substitute the speck with some leftover roasted/grilled chicken breasts (and with increased quantity if you like) that will make the dish more substantial, possibly a meal by itself with some crusty bread to acocmpany it.

600-700g carrots
100g speck, thinly sliced and then julienned*
30g sultanas
50g walnuts
*lemon poppyseed dressing

soak the sultanas in just enough water, room temperature
Peel and shred the carrots using a food processor or mandolin
In a blender crush the walnuts, but not to the point of being powdered.

Toss all the ingredients. Let it rest for about half an hour for the flavour to blend in.

Insalata di funghi (Mushroom salad)

I had always believed it would be a complete waste of delicious food to eat mushrooms while they were raw, and I was very dubious about this recipe until I tried it once. Now I do make an exception with this lovely salad and it became one of my favourite shroom recipes!! Even if you also a staunch believer of cooked shrooms, trying is believing!! :-D

Insalata di funghi (Mushroom salad)


Ingredients for 2:
-500g/1lb White button mushrooms (Champignones), the fresher and larger the better!
-generous bunch of rocket/arugula (roughly chopped)
-80g/3oz.of bresaola or speck, if neither is available good quality smoked ham or lean hard salami, thinly sliced then finely julienned.
-80g/3oz.of parmigiano or aged pecorino, thinly shaved (NOT finely grated)
-grated peel of 1 lemon + the rest of the lemon
-mild gourmet mustard (I use either french dijon with whole mustard seeds, or german/bavarian style sweet mustard)
-good quality Extra Virgine Olive Oil

Wash the mushrooms, remove the stems and save them for other recipes (sugo, omelette etc...). peel off the thin outer surface of the cap. Then slice them as thinly as possible, or with mandoline or food processor will greatly help the task!
Toss in the rocket, bresaola/speck, cheese and lemon zest, squeeze the lemon juice over, and blend everything gently.
Serve the salad into individual serving bowl/plate, then spoon on the mustard and a drizzle of the oil, blend it into the salad and enjoy!!