caprese sandwich

With the weather finally changing here in Perth to more like spring, here is a 

great idea for a picnic snack, whether you eat it as is or toast on the BBQ. a play on the great Caprese Salad with vine ripened tomatoes, a good mozzerella and fresh grown basil pressed between two slices of good toasted sourdough.

What you need

6 slices sourdough bread

4 vine ripened roma tomatoes, sliced

2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Good quality olive oil

8 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced

2 large handfuls basil leaves (about 1 oz)

Salt and pepper to taste

what to do

Place the sliced tomatoes on a flat tray greased with olive oil. Drizzle the tops with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and balsamic vinegar.

On the grill setting, bake the tomatoes in the oven for about 6-8 minutes, 

Place a few basil leaves on each slice of the bread.  Add the roasted tomatoes and top with mozzarella.

Just grill on the BBQ or in a pan till the bread is golden brown and the cheese is gooey and soft

prawn, mango & avocado salad

What you need

2 large handfuls of torn iceberg lettuce
1 small handful mint, chopped
1 handful coriander leaves, chopped
200gr king prawns (shrimp), cooked and peeled
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/2 mango, sliced
60 ml (2 fl oz/1/4 cup) lime juice
4 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

What to do

Combine the lettuce, mint and coriander and divide between two serving bowls.
Arrange the prawns, avocado and mango over the top.
Drizzle over the lime juice and top with a little sweet chilli sauce.

beef noodle salad

What you need
350g packet fresh Singapore noodles
550g beef rump steak, trimmed

1/2 cup sesame, ginger and soy marinade
1 medium carrot, peeled, grated
2 cups beansprouts, trimmed
6 green onions, thinly sliced diagonally

What to do
Place noodles in a heatproofbowl.

Cover with boiling water. Stand for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender.

Usinga fork, separate noodles. Drain and return to the bowl.
Brush steak with 1 tablespoon marinade. Preheat a greased barbecue plate or chargrill over medium-high heat.
Cook steak for 3 to 4 minutes each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a plate. Stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Thinly slice.
Combine remaining marinade with 2 tablespoons cold water. Add beef, carrot, beansprouts, onion and marinade mixture to noodles.

Toss to combine.

Serve and top with fresh corriander

quinoa tabouleh

Quinoa is a great gluten-free substitute for burghul or cracked wheat that is traditionally used in tabouleh. This salad goes great with barbequed lamb or chicken.

What you need

1 cup (200g) quinoa

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, finely chopped

2 tbs finely chopped mint or coriander

10 cherry tomatoes, quartered

3 spring onions, thinly sliced

1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil

2 tbs lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp paprika, plus extra to sprinkle

1 tsp ground cumin

Pinch of cayenne

1 tsp caster sugar

100g low-fat thick Greek yoghurt

1 tbs olive oil

4 x 180g chicken breast fillets

What to do

Place the quinoa and 600ml water in a small saucepan over medium heat, then bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes or until tender. Drain well and leave to cool.

Add herbs, tomato and onion to quinoa and toss to combine. Combine oil, lemon juice, 1/2 tsp paprika, cumin, cayenne and sugar, then season.

Dressing

Place yoghurt in a bowl and drizzle over 2 tsp dressing, then sprinkle with some paprika. Toss salad in remaining dressing.

Serve the salad with warm BBQ lamb or chicken thighs and yoghurt dressing

warm lamb salad

What you need

450g or 2 lamb backstraps

Olive oil spray

400g frozen broad beans, thawed, peeled

2 bunches asparagus, woody ends trimmed

1 bunch watercress (or rocket), leaves picked, washed, dried

60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

1 tbs wholegrain mustard

1/2 tsp raw sugar

What to do

Season both sides of the lamb with salt and pepper. Spray a non-stick frying pan with oil spray and place over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and cook for 4-5 minutes each side for medium or until cooked to your liking. Set aside for 5 minutes to rest.

Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil. Add the broad beans and asparagus and cook for 2-3 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp. Drain. Place the beans and asparagus in a bowl of iced water for 2 minutes to refresh. Drain.

Thinly slice the lamb across the backstrap

Combine the lamb, broad beans, asparagus and watercress in a large bowl.

Divide the salad among serving plates.

Place the lemon juice, oil, mustard and sugar in a small jar and shake to mix. Drizzle the dressing over the salad when ready to serve.

warm pumpkin and goats cheese salad

what you need

1/2 small jap pumpkin (skin on), cut into thin wedges
100ml olive oil
1 tbs thyme leaves
150g firm goat's cheese, cut into rounds
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
4 cups mixed baby salad leaves

what to do
Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Toss pumpkin with 2 tablespoons of the oil and thyme. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place on a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes, turning once, until cooked and lightly caramelised. Set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, brush the cheese rounds with 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil and coat in the breadcrumbs. Place on a separate greased baking tray and chill until just before you're ready to serve the salad.

Whisk together the vinegar, mustard and remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place the goat's cheese in the oven for 5-6 minutes until crumbs are golden.

Toss the salad leaves and pumpkin in half the vinaigrette and pile onto plates. Add the warmed goat's cheese and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.

note: you can substitute panko crumbs for dry breadcrumbs

panzanelle

what you need
1 loaf white Italian style bread
300ml extra virgin olive oil
100ml balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
capers to tase
5 ripe tomatoes
1 small red onion
½ bunch basil
Salt and pepper to taste

what to do
Remove the crust from the bread. Cut into even sized cubes and bake until golden brown and dry. Cool.

In a bowl place the oil, vinegar and garlic. Add the bread and toss.

Remove the core from the tomatoes and roughly chop. Thinly slice the red onion and add both to the bowl. Pick the basil leaves and tear into small pieces, add the capers. Season to taste and serve immediately.

Nashi Pear, Rocket and Pecorino Salad

What you'll need

For the Salad
90 g rocket (Arrugola) leaves
30 g Pecorino Romano
1 pc Nashi pear
12 cherry tomatoes
100 g arrugola leaves

For the Dressing
45 ml lemon juice, fresh, approximately 1 lemon
45 ml honey
10 g Dijon mustard
Sea salt
Pepper from the mill
30 ml (1 oz) cider vinegar

What to do
In a bowl, combine the mustard with the lemon juice and honey. Whisk until completely dissolved.
Season with the sea salt and pepper from the mill. As the Pecorino Romano cheese is fairly salty it is wise to keep your dressing slightly bland.
Chill the dressing well until usage.
Core the Nashi pear and quarter it. Slice the individual quarters further into very thin wedges.
Clean the rocket leaves off the stem and cut the cherry tomatoes in half.
Shave the Pecorino Romano cheese with a vegetable peeler into thin wide strips.
Arrange the Nashi pear, rocket leaves and cherry tomatoes on the serving plates and drizzle with the dressing before serving.

Add the Pecorino Romano shavings just ahead of serving the salad.

baby beetroot. asparagus and fetta salad

For the salad
6-8 baby beetroots
4 asparagus spears, blanched
1/2 spanish onion, thinly sliced
handful continental parsley, roughly chopped
handful fresh watercress
75g aged fetta
30ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp natural yoghurt
pomegranate molasses - optional

what to do
For the salad:
Place beetroots in cold, salted water and bring to the boil. Cook until easily pierced with knife or skewer (about 20 minutes). Strain and allow to cool. Peel off skins while still warm and set aside. In a mixing bowl combine beetroot, asparagus, spanish onion, parsley, watercress Toss lightly with extra virgin olive oil to coat.

To assemble: Glide yoghurt on to your salad plate with the back of a serving spoon and spread over the plate.
Place salad in the centre of the plate, garnish with a good drizzle of olive oil and season with a generous amount of cracked pepper.

Dizzle with pomegranate molases if prefered, eat as a started or with rare roasted beef

insalata caprese

Insalata caprese is traditionally served with no other dressing than adrizzle of extra virgin olive oil, however a little good quality balsamic will also enhance the flavours. Be sure use vine ripened tomatoes for the best possible flavour.
what you need
6 vine ripened roma tomatoes
4 balls mozzerella cheese
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
15 young basil leaves
sea salt
cracked pepper
balsamic vinegar - optional

what to do
Slice the tomatoes, pouring off any excess juice, and slice the mozzerella a similar thickness.
Arrange alternative rows of tomato and mozzerella on a serving platter.
Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper, drizzle the olive oil over the top.
Tear the fresh basil leaves into pieces and scatter over the top.
Drizzle with balsamic when serving

prosciutto, melon and warm fig salad

what you need
Half a rockmelon melon, just ripe

3 tbsp balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

85g salad greens

8 thin slices prosciutto

8 just ripe figs, sliced in half through the stem

what to do
Remove the seeds from the melon. Slice in half, then each in half again giving four wedges. Remove the peel, then cut the thin ribbons from the melon, this can be done on a mandolin or a potato peeler - it is best to do this along the side of the melon wedge.

Mix the balsamic and oil together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.

to serve
Arrange the greens on plates and curl the melon and prosciutto over the rocket leaves.
Brush the cut side of the figs with a little oil. Heat a ridged frying pan or grill plate and place the figs cut side down for 2 minutes until tinged brown and warm.
Arrange two halves on each plate, pour over dressing and serve at once

warm potato salad

The thing i love about this potato salad is that it is light and the flavour of the lemon in the dressing, and not weighted down by a heavy mayonnaise. why not use this as a base for many other variations, add some crispy fried bacon or grated boiled egg and fresh dill. while this is warm salad, it is as equally good cold.

what you need
1 ½ kgs (3 lbs) potato
2 tablespoons virgin olive oil
4 small onions, finely sliced
¼ cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and cracked pepper to taste

dressing
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons dry white wine
3 tablespoons white vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
3 cloves garlic, minced

what to do
Wash and cut potatoes into chunks. Boil in salted water until tender but not too soft. Drain when cooked. In a small pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions over high heat until golden brown. Reduce the heat and continue cooking for 20 minutes or until onions are caramelized. In a bottle with cover, combine all the ingredients for the dressing. Shake thoroughly to blend. Place the hot potatoes in a bowl. Drizzle with the dressing, chopped fresh parsley, and lemon zest.

Season with salt and cracked pepper to taste.