Dressing up some special summer salads

Press, 15 February 1982, Page 8

Dressing up some special summer salads

COOKING with

Celia Timms

An interesting salad is usually enjoyed, especially during hot February weeks. In some households it is a regular and expected food in whichcase a recipe for something a little different could be welcomed. Some of these different salads are meals in themselves, others can be served as accompaniments. Vegetable and walnut salad with sherry dressing This is an “accompanying" salad which is particularly good served with roast meat or poultry, and is a good salad for a Buffet table. Romaine lettuce is better when available.. and should watercress be difficult to obtain? replace with torn silverbedt or spinach. To serve four'you need:;: 1 head romaine lettuce % bunch watercress 1 thinly sliced onion • 1 cup carrot strips, cut finely <r1 cup courgette strips, cut finely ‘/i red pepper, cut in thin strips ’ 50g-75g fresh mushrooms; thinly sliced (cap arid stalk) Vi cup chopped walnuts Sherry dressing: j/4 cup olive oil (or vegetable) -< ’A cup wine vinegar and dry sherry mixed to taste *4 teaspoon dry mustard *4 teaspoon each oregano and brown sugar 1 large garlic clove, crushed Salt and freshly ground black pepper Method: Tear lettuce and trim watercress (or silverbeet) of the heavier bottom stems. Add the onion thinly

sliced in rounds, the carrot, courgette, pepper and mushrooms and the walnuts. Toss well and pour over dressing just before, serving. To make dressing, .combine all ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake vigorously. Leave in jar for a few hours to blend the flavours then heat slightly just before pouring over salad.

Spinach salad This can be made, with the genuine spinach or silverbeet and it might be of interest to readers to learn that in Australia, silverbeet is accepted generally as spinach and is sold in greengrocers under that name. Grated or thinly speed cheese can be added if desired. To make five to six servings you need:

450 g well' washed spinach . or silverbeet 6 fashers bacon 3 hard-boiled eggs % cup salad oil *4 cup vinegar 3 /4 teaspoon salt " . teaspoon tabasco ’A teaspoon paprika ; ‘/s teaspoon dry mustard 1 clove, garlic Method: Drain spinach and dry on paper towel. If using silverbeet remove all of the white stem. Tear leaves in bite-size pieces. Remove rind from bacon and cook until crisp; cool and crumble. Chop hard-boiled eggs. Combine these ingredients and refrigerate. Combine oil, vinegar, seasoning and whole garlic clove and leave to

stand for at least an hour. Remove garlic then toss with the salad mixture just before serving. Curried rice and walnut salad with lemon dressing This I regard as a meal in itself and provides a good vegetable dish. The curry flavouring is in the dressing and can be omitted, but this would remove some of the “character” from the salad. The following quantities should serve five to six persons: ' ' 5 cups cooked brown rice 1 cup chopped onion 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced 1 large carrot, coarsely grated Vi cup finely chopped fresh parsley IV2 cups coarsely chopped •;< walnuts (or less) 1 large tart-flavoured apple (Granny Smith) Lettuce leaves y? 4 hard-boiled eggs 4 tomatoes , . ... Salt ahd pepper Lemon dressing: % cup salad oil Vs cup fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons curry powder (or to taste) 2 teaspoons honey 1 tablespoon mayonnaise 2 garlic cloves Salt and pepper Method:^..Combine welldrained cold; cooked rice, ensuring that" the grains are well separated, with chopped onion, grated carrot, parsley and walnuts and chill. Add peeled and coarsely grated apple and half of the lemon dressing and toss well, adding salt and pepper to taste. Arrange crisp lettuce leaves on serving plates, spoon in the salad, surround with the quartered eggs and quartered tomatoes and serve renaming dressing separately.

Beef salad

this could seem to be a strange salad mixture — it is admittedly different', but I find it enjoyable. It provides a quickly prepared meal and an interesting one. To make four to six servings you need:

1 large onion 1 clove garlic I tablespoon vegetable oil 225 g minced steak (lean) *4 cup tomato sauce ‘/2 teaspoon chilli powder • (or to taste) *4 teaspoon oregano 'Zt teaspoon cumin Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 head lettuce 2 large tomatoes 1 350 g to 400 g can kidney

beans ‘a cup black pitted olives

(optional) 1 avocado (optional) *2 cup French dressing 2 cups potato chips

Method: Saute the chopped onion and crushed. garlic in oil until onion is soft.-Add minced steak and saute, stirring/uritil The meat' has' lost its pink colour. Drain off all excejg fat.< ; ?Add- torpato sauce, chilli./ powder.? qind other spices. ,taste <and‘ add more spices if desired. Simmer for 5 minutes. Tear lettuce in bite-size pieces and place in large bowl; chop tomatoes and toss into lettuce with -the drained kidney beans, olives, avocado peeled and chopped and the French ■dressing. Add the meat mixture and lastly the potato .chips and toss carefully but well. Serve at room temperature.

s'To make French dressing combine: : ■: -

~/fe tablespoons vegetable oil y 3 tablespoons wine vinegar *4 teaspoon each of salt, sugar, dry mustard and / paprika.