Seared beef & papaya salad with tamarind soy dressing

Couple of days ago was the first day I really felt like the winter had arrived - it was cold, grey, rainy and windy. And that got me thinking back to last year. I was in the UK getting ready to visit my friend in Norway and then heading to my parents'. Usually when I get the wintery feeling I want to stuff myself with warming soup or a lovely stew, but for some reason I just felt like fooling myself into thinking that it's not winter at all. I wanted to have something fresh, light and that would take me back to South-East Asia.

As I was flicking through the last copy of my BBC Good Food magazine I came across this salad and I knew immediately that it was just what I needed. So the next day I headed headed out to buy all the ingredients. I made two portions of this lovely salad and had one straight away with beef still hot and had the second portion for lunch the day after and it was equally good.

I love the fact that it was a nice change from the usual salads - tomato, cucumber, salad leaves and then either chicken or salmon. Further, sometimes when it's dark and grey something colourful, fruity and zingy is all one needs to feel better and more full of energy. So if you want a lovely pick-me-up salad or just crave a light but filling dinner or want something different for your packed lunch then this is the perfect choice.

Ingredients

(Serves 2)
- 2 x 150g sirloin steaks
- Olive oil
- 100g baby spinach
- 2 papayas, deseeded and sliced
- 1 small pack of coriander
- 1 small pack of mint
- 1 tsp lazy chillies

For the dressing:
- 1 tbsp tamaring puree
- 1/2 tsp grated garlic
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 1/2 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- pinch of chilli flakes

Directions
Season the steak with salt and pepper. Heat a pan with the oil and fry the steaks for 2 mins each side and then put aside and leave to rest for 5 minutes.

Mix the dressing ingredients together with 1 tablespoon of water until the sugar is dissolved. I used a very small jar with a screw on lid for mixing the dressing. Arrange the spinach, beed, papaya, herbs, cucumber and chilli on a plate. Pour the dressing on the salad and enjoy!

Recipe from BBC Good Food January 2014 magazine

Simple Feta salad

I know it's almost September and kids in most countries have started or will shortly start school again and that kind of me has always meant that the summer is over and autumn has begun. However, as I still have my last 3 weeks off I refuse to recognise the fact that the summer's over and thus it's still ok to have fresh salads and and BBQ. And so I made myself a lovely salad for lunch, keen on enjoying the last few weeks of summer.

I have to admit that this is the first time I've ever used French vinaigrette. I'm usually not big on drizzling anything on my salads as most of the salads that I've tried have just been soaked in oil. However, having tried a similar salad at a barbecue a couple of days ago I just had to give it a shot at home and I have to say I was very happy with the result I achieved.

I love the fact that Feta gives the salad the nice saltiness and also it makes it more filling - let's face it, mere salad leaves and fresh vegetables won't keep anyone full for long enough. For extra goodness I added a couple of spoonfuls of different seeds and in addition to the fibre and vitamins, seeds add a lovely bit of different texture to the salad. All in all, easy to make and bound to be a crowd pleaser no matter whether served as a main or a side. Feel free to use different seeds, different salad leaves and add different veg - one of the beauties of salads is that you can modify them to suit your taste without much of an hassle.

Ingredients
(Makes 2 mains or 4 sides)
- Bag of mixed salad leaves
- 1/2 cucumber, sliced
- 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 125g Feta cheese, cubed
- 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 2-3 tbsp French vinaigrette
- Fresh pepper, to serve

Place all the ingredients in a big bow, pour over the vinaigrette, mix well,  season with pepper and serve immediately.

Steak, roasted pepper & pearl barley salad

As most of you know I'm a huge fan of BBC Good Food and have recently discovered their magazine. I know it's more convenient to browse the recipes online, but nothing beats real magazines. I don't know what it is, but I really prefer flicking through pages to scrolling down. And its the same when it comes to books - I love the feeling of reading a real proper book rather than looking at a screen. I know it more convenient (and a lot cheaper) to have all the books and recipes in one place but I honestly can't see myself doing away with "real" books and magazines any time soon.

So, as it usually goes after I get my new copy of BBC Good Food - I flick through it wanting to try basically every other recipe in there and then kind of just forgetting about them. And then one day I was tidying home and came across the July copy and as I flicked through this recipe stood out once again. I have to admit that it was partly due to curiosity that I chose to try it as I have never cooked barley before and I really wanted to know how it tastes like and what I can do with it.

I was really happy with how the salad came out - healthy, filling and so tasty that my other half (who is not a salad person) told me that I can make it again. I guess it had something to do with the juicy steak on top of it ... It is a lovely mid-week meal and is perfect for lunch or dinner. I also think it would be perfect for a dinner party - double the quantity and voila! You have a lovely dish to share. And one of the best bits about is that it is so quick and easy to make.

Ingredients
(Serves 2)
- 85g pearl barley
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
- 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into strips
- 1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 300g lean steak
- 50g watercress, chopped
- Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions
Firstly put the pearl barley in a pan of water, bring to boil and boil for around 30 minutes or until tender. When it's done transfer it to a bowl.

While the barley is boiling, heat the oven to 200C / 180C fan. Put the peppers on a baking tray with the onions and pour over the olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes until golden brown.

Then it's time to cook the steak (make sure you take it out of the fridge approximate 1 hour before cooking). Generously season the steak with salt and pepper on both sides and rub both sides with olive oil. Heat a non-stick pan and when it's hot, cook the steaks on both sides around 3-4 minutes (or depending how well you like it done). Set the steak aside to rest for around five minutes.

In the meantime, add the roasted peppers and watercress to the pearl barley. Mix it well, mix in the lemon juice and put on a plate. Slice up the steak and place on top of the barley. Enjoy!

Recipe from BBC Good Food Magazine (Asian Edition) July 2013

Chicken & peach salad

As you know it was my birthday last week and therefore I had a small get together with some of my closest friends. It was a really nice cosy girls' night in and to be hones, very few things trump the combination of great company, great wine and great food. My friends have known for a quite some time that I really enjoy cooking and I received three really nice cookbooks from them (I might have dropped a hit ;) ) and as with all new things I was eager to try them out! So, instead of telling myself that I'll do the next dish from one of the books, I just noted down the ingredients and decided to make a delicious salad for dinner tonight.

I have to say I've always been very sceptical about salad dressings and whenever I read a salad recipe which contains mayonnaise I get the feeling that I'd be better off eating something else as this salad won't be as healthy as salads should be. However, as I was in a bit of a rush today I didn't have time to weigh the pros and cons of this salad and as it looked appetising enough on the picture I just decided to give it a go. In hindsight, I'm very happy that I did so, because the result was delicious. And for all those of you who try to watch what you eat, which I'm trying to do now as well, because I need to look good for the wedding (even though it's like 2,5 years away), there is no need to worry. At first the amount of mayo might seem like a lot, but if you divide it between the portion sizes it is not that frightening anymore. I'm obviously not telling you that you should soak your salads in mayo from now on, but just talking from my own positive experience, having a homemade dressing with some mayo in it won't kill you and it actually tastes really nice when mixed together with natural yogurt.

So, a little bit about the salad. I absolutely love this dressing it goes really well with the other ingredients. This is a very tasty, fresh and summery (and light!) salad which could be served as a starter or a side dish at a BBQ or just enjoyed on its own for light lunch or dinner. I know that where I am right now it is summer all year long, but when I lived back in Europe the beginning of March already started to create a spring feeling and thinking of all of you who live in the northern hempisphere this salad is great for helping you to get into the spring mood, brighten up your day and make you look forward to those warm summer evenings in the garden with goods friends and food.

Ingredients
(Serves 4 - approx 370 cal per serving)
- 1 roast chicken leg (thigh and drumstick) or use 200g chicken breast roast ham instead
- 825g canned peach
- 1 large apple
- 1 small green cabbage
- 50g walnuts

Dressing:
- 2 dl fat free natural yogurt
- 1 dl light mayonnaise
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- Some pepper

Directions
Chop up the chicken into small pieces and place in a bowl. Cut the peaches into cubes and add to the chicken. Then slice the apple and cabbage into thin strips and add to the bowl. You can either mix the ingredients or keep them layered (would look nice in a see-through glass bowl). Then prepare the dressing by mixing all the ingredients together and pour it over the salad. Top it off with crushed walnuts and enjoy!

Recipe from "100 Linnuliharooga" (100 Rooga)

 

Chicken & nectarine salad

As I've told you before I'm not a huge fan of our university food and so whenever I have to spend long days there I tend to make myself a boxed lunch (or dinner). I've been trying out quite a few recipes lately (some of which have made to this blog) and this one really stood out - even my fiancé really liked it. It's very easy and quick to make and I absolutely love the lime and olive oil dressing as it adds a nice zing to the whole salad. I generally tend to eat my salads without any dressing or olive oil, but this is just divine.

Whenever people think of salads they tend to imagine a bowl of tasteless green stuff that no-one really likes, but everyone eats because it's considered good for you. Trust me, this is not one of the boring salads.It is very fresh and fruity and makes a perfect meal for those hot days when you want something light yet filling. The combination of chicken, nectarines and sour lime juice is unbelievably nice - they balance each other out and end up creating a mixture of tastes that just goes perfectly together.

It is great as a starter or a light meal or as said before - it makes a perfect boxed lunch. It stays nicely in the fridge for two days and is a perfect addition to your lunch recipes. Feel free to use normal cabbage or ice berg lettuce instead of womboks (or any other green leafy salad as long as they have a mild taste).

Ingredients
(Serves 4)
- 2 chicken breasts, cooked
- 3 womboks
- 4 nectarines
- Juice of 4 limes
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Salt
- Pepper

Directions
Firstly prepare the chicken. I seasoned my chicken breasts with salt and pepper, wrapped them into foil and roasted them in the oven for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, wash and dry wombok and apricots and cut them into small strips.

When the chicken is done, let it cool for few minutes and then shred the breasts into small stripes.

Place all the ingredients in a big bowl and mix well.

Mix together the olive oil and lime juice, pour over salad, mix well and serve immediately.

PS! If making this for your lunchbox, divide the salad up between 4 boxes. Then prepare the dressing, but divide it up between 4 small boxes and pour over the salad just before serving. This way you'll avoid making the salad soggy.

Adapted from AWW "Low Fat Kitchen"

Simple tuna & pasta salad

Before turning to today's post, I'd like to let you know that I've added a new smoothie recipe (check them all out here). As most of you know I've been spending a considerable amount of my time at university over the past two weeks (just one more week of intensive course to go!) and I have to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of the food available there. So, I've just resorted to bringing my own lunch and/or dinner with me. I know it adds to the weight of my bag, but it's really worth it.

I've pretty much exhausted my appetite for the plain green salads that I made for myself the last term and therefore I've had to resort to coming up with some new ideas. Whilst I was doing some food shopping last week, I stopped in the pasta aisle and had a look at what there was - I've never realised that the choice of different pasta (different shapes, sizes and ingredients) is so big. And as I was already going to try out a new recipe I decided to try out a new pasta at the same time - two birds with one stone. I made the salad with rice and millet pasta and to be honest, the only real difference I could tell was that this one was a tiny bit sweeter than the 'normal' pasta (but let's be honest, nothing beats the 'normal' pasta). There is no big difference between the nutritional values of the two but the rice and millet pasta is supposed to be easier to digest and also can be eaten by people with different food sensitivities and allergies (it is vegan, gluten free etc). I wouldn't say I would from now on just eat that, but I would seriously consider incorporating it into my diet if I want to be a bit nicer to my digestive system.

Anyway, enough about the pasta itself - turning to the salad. It is incredibly easy to make and you can add anything you wish (e.g. sweetcorn and tomatoes) to your salad. This combination gives you a nice base to have it on its own or to improvise further with. If you're not a big fan of capers, by all means leave them out. But I really recommend at least giving a try because I find that capers add a really nice touch to the salad, making it taste a bit more interesting than just pasta and tuna would. This is perfect for packed lunch (that's what I've been doing with it), easy to make and will keep you full for quite a few hours.

Ingredients
(Serves 2 - approx 400 cal per serving)
- 125g pasta, boiled
- 1.5 cans of tuna (in water)
- 3 tsp capers
- 60g iceberg lettuce
- 1 tbsp olive oil

Directions
Boil and drain the pasta and leave to cool down. When the pasta has cooled down, mix together all the ingredients and serve (or place in a box and keep in the fridge until serving).

Strawberry & brie salad with walnuts

Among other things, I absolutely love cheese - Cheddar, Gruyere, Edam, Gouda, Leerdammer, Jarlsberg, Brie, Camembert, Blue Cheese, Feta, Halloumi ... I just really love cheese. I love it grilled, toasted, baked, in a salad, in a sandwich or just on its own. There hasn't been a single time I have not indulged on the home made grilled cheese sandwiches (the microwave ones used to be my bed time snack when I was a kid) or enjoyed every last bit of the melted Raclette when on holiday. It is difficult to think of a better snack than cheese with some nice crackers and grapes when enjoying a glass of wine with good friends. To put it simply, I love cheese and whenever possible (or allowed by my waistline) I try to incorporate some into my meals. Although cheese is not the most healthiest of foods, it is high in calcium (I use that excuse to justify having to have cheese often). But to be fair, I live just once and I might as well enjoy it - so every now and then I treat myself to some nice cheese therapy.

As I was really really productive today, I considered that the time has come to reward myself and for quite some time I have been thinking about making a salad with brie and strawberries, but I never got around to actually doing it. So, I got myself together and made the salad. The result was absolutely gorgeous. Spinach really made a nice base for this salad as it wasn't overpowering and the sweet strawberries and creamy brie together are just heavenly. Walnuts really added sophistication to this combination of different tastes and textures. This salad really was a treat and now I'm just waiting for a good excuse to treat myself with it again...

Ingredients
(Serves 1)
- 50g spinach (preferably baby spinach)
- 150g strawberries, chopped
- 75g brie, diced
- 35g walnuts, quartered

Directions
Wash and dry the spinach and the strawberries. Dice the brie, strawberries and walnuts and place in the bowl together with spinach and mix it well. Place on a nice plate and serve immediately. Feel free to add balsamic vinegar or olive oil if you prefer to have your salads with some dressing.

Strawberry & Parma ham salad

I just realised that it has been 10 days since my last post! I guess I was so wrong when I thought that the moment summer holiday arrives I will start posting something every day - babysitting my baby brother and visiting grandmothers seems to have taken all my free time so far. But nevertheless, I managed to prepare a delicious salad, which we had for lunch, but it could very well be served as a light dinner. I really love Parma ham (Parma ham with melon is one of my favourite) and this time my father had managed to get hold of freshly cut Parma - it was heavenly just on its own. But, instead of enjoying it on its own, I decided to incorporate it into a simple salad. It was really interesting to choose the rest of the ingredients based simply on the criteria that they would have to go nicely with Parma. Resisting the temptation to incorporate melon, I decided to choose a bit more interesting ingredients. Rocket is nice and peppery and therefore perfect as a base (if you prefer any other salad green, feel free to use something else) for this salad and the sweetness and juiciness of the strawberries nicely balances that. The Parma ham is quite salty already, so I did not add any additional salt to the dish. To make the salad a bit more sophisticated I added the almonds, with give it a really nice finishing touch. To sum it up - this is a healthy, tasty and quick salad that is perfect for those hot summer days when you are craving something tasty but light.

Ingredients
(Serves 1)
- 25g rocket
- 50g Parma ham
- 50g strawberries
- 1 tbs flaked almonds
- Freshly ground pepper, to serve
- Balsamic vinegar, to serve
- Olive oil, to serve (optional)

Directions
Place the rocket in a bowl / on a plate. Shred the parma ham into small pieces and scatter over the rocket. Then either halve or quarter the strawberries, depending on their size and then place them on top of the salad. Finally, add the flaked almonds, some fresh pepper and drizzle over with some balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.

If you wish, you can also drizzle the salad with some olive oil, in addition to balsamic vinegar, but I didn't as I prefer to have salads without or with minimum dressing.

Nectarine & Serrano ham salad

As promised - a summery and light, but at the same time very flavourful, recipe. I am a huge fan of cold meats - especially dried ham - and it is no problem for me to finish off a big pack of Parma ham by myself as a snack. The salad I initially wanted to make required Parma ham, but unfortunately I was a bit too lazy to drive to the city and they only had Serrano ham, which is like the Spanish alternative, so I gave the ham a go ... And the result was gorgeous (I would not post something that doesn't taste good). Filling but light, fresh and fruity - exactly what one wants from a summer salad.

Ingredients
(Serves 1)
- 25g rocket
- 1 ripe nectarines
- 3 slices Serrano ham
- Balsamic vinegar, to serve
- Freshly ground pepper, to serve

Directions
Place the rocket on a plate. Chop up the nectarines and tear the Serrano ham into small slices. Place the ham on top of the rocket and sprinkle with the nectarine slices. Drizzle over with some balsamic vinegar and freshly ground pepper and serve immediately.

Mustard & honey chicken salad

It is amazing how over the time my taste has changed. 10 years ago I refused to eat rice and now I probably have it more often than potatoes. The same story goes in regards various other foods as well. But what I was the most surprised about was that the two foods that I absolutely hated - honey and mustard - were the ones I learnt to like out of the blue. I'm pretty sure that if I would have had a choice, I would have eaten anything so long as I would not have had to eat honey or mustard. However, keeping in mind the fact that taste develops and changes (a very good comparison can be drawn with wine - I started off with sweet, but now I find to too sweet), I decided to give mustard and honey a go. I remember that the first time I tried it out I was so sceptical - I even had a back-up dinner plan. However, when I tried the chicken I was swept off my feet - it tasted soooo good. So, thanks to that little experience I discovered something new that I like and and this means that I have the possibility of trying out various dishes and recipes that I previously couldn't, because I couldn't stand the taste of honey or mustard. Right now, I can't even remember when was the last time I had chicken and it was without mustard and honey marinade!

This time diced up the chicken and used it in a salad (I'm trying to make salads less boring and monotone), but it is also one of my favourite ways to cook chicken breasts these days. The combination of mustard and honey is a match made in heaven - I even don't use salt as it is so flavourful already - and the coating keeps the chicken nice and juicy. And, as usual, trying to keep on the healthy side I topped the salad off with some pomegranate seeds - their sweetness adds to the combination of different flavours and they are packed with antioxidants. The result - tasty, juicy and healthy salad!

Ingredients
(Serves 1)
- 140g chicken breast fillet, cubed
- 1 tbsp clear honey
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 70g leafy salads (for example spinach, rocket, watercress)
- 3tbsp pomegranate seeds

Directions
Cut the chicken into bite-sized cubes and place in a bowl. Pour over the honey and mustard and mix well and let it stand for at least 15 minutes (I usually prepare the chicken in the morning and let it marinate until I need it later on during the day). Heat a a tiny bit of oil in the pan and fry the chicken until cooked.

Place the salad on a plate, top with chicken and sprinkle everything with pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately.

Warm feta & pasta salad

I really love pasta - I'm pretty sure that if I could, I would happily live on pasta for the rest of my life. However, unlike some lucky people, I can't afford to eat pasta all the time - there is not enough time for me to spend in the gym to burn it off. However, to be honest, unless you sink the pasta in cream based sauce, pasta can be quite healthy, just go for the wholemeal version. I find salads with pasta a great way to enjoy the Italian delight, without having to feel guilty about it.

This warm salad is great for a quick mid-week meal or when you have pasta cravings that need to be satisfied. It is really flavourful and I absolutely love how the feta melts a bit and covers the hot pasta, resulting in a really creamy salad. Also, the saltiness of feta couples perfectly with the mild taste of spinach and the basil adds a nice Italian sense to the dish.

Ingredients
(Serves 1)
- 75g wholewheat fusilli
- 75g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 75g Greek feta, cubed
- 50g baby spinach (or other leafy green)
- 50g roast ham, cubed
- 4 basil leaves

Directions
Boil the pasta in salted water. In the meantime, place the halved tomatoes, cubed ham, baby spinach (torn into small pieces) and basil leaves (torn into small pieces) into a bow. Top it with cubed feta.

When the pasta is cooked, drain it and immediately place on top of the feta. Mix well and serve immediately.

Recipe from a book "Salatid 2"

Smoked salmon & avocado salad

During the revision period time is so precious that spending an hour or so a day in the kitchen does not even cross my mind. But my brain needs energy (loads of it actually) and therefore I really can't stop eating just because I think that I could put my time to better use, so I've realised that having a filling salad is the perfect solution for such a situation. Some salads are very easy to make (just mix everything together and get ready washed salad leaves to cut down preparation time ) and if you use the right ingredients they will fill you up and keep you (and your brain) going for quite some time.

This salad is healthy, filling, easy to make and tastes delicious. In addition, it contains important Omega-3 fats, amounts to your daily dose of greens and is high in fibre. Perfect for a quick and healthy lunch / dinner or as a packed lunch - put the lemon in the box and squeeze on the salad just before eating.

Ingredients
(serves 1)
- 125g iceberg salad
- 50g smoked salmon
- 2 small tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 avocado, chopped
- 1/4 lemon
- seeds (I used mixed seeds, but any seeds   will do)

Directions
Place the salad on the plate. Chop the tomatoes and the avocado and mix with the salad leaves. Slice the salmon into small pieces and scatter over the mixed salad.

Squeeze the juice from 1/4 lemon over the salmon. For the extra goodness sprinkle with few spoonfuls of seeds.