Archive for the 'Salads & Soups' Category

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Wild Mushroom Salad

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 brown mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 medium field mushroom, thickly sliced
1 packet of mixed Asian mushrooms, thickly sliced or shredded
1 clove garlic, peeled and cut into slivers
½ lemon, juiced
½ cup continental parsley leaves, finely chopped
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon of truffle, shaved or finely sliced (optional)

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a frypan on medium/high. Fry the mushrooms in small batches till they all are done. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute till fragrant. In a medium bowl combine the mushrooms, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, 2 tablespoons olive oil and truffle if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm. Serves 2

Tip: Try using flavoured truffle oil instead of olive oil for a decadent, full-flavoured twist.

Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen

Published on April 22, 2008 in Salads & Soups. Closed Tags: .

Turkey Salad with Mango and Cranberry Vinaigrette

turkInvigorate the traditional turkey, while maintaining a little tradition, with this delicious salad. Bursts of sweet mango, creamy feta and the sharp bite of rocket make this the ideal feature, or accompaniment, to your summer celebration.

100g baby rocket
100g baby spinach leaves
2 cups cooked turkey breast, thinly sliced
1 cup diced mango
¾ cup Danish feta cheese, crumbled
4 teaspoons cranberry jelly or sauce
3 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
croutons to serve, optional

Place rocket and spinach on a serving platter and toss in the turkey slices. Sprinkle on the mango and feta cheese. In a small jug whisk together the cranberry jelly/sauce, raspberry vinegar and olive oil, season with the salt and pepper. Toss in the croutons just before serving and drizzle with dressing at the last minute. Serves 4-6

Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen

Published on April 22, 2008 in Salads & Soups. Closed Tags: .

Smoked Oyster Chowder

2 teaspoons olive oil

Smoked Oyster Chowder

1 clove garlic, crushed
½ brown onion, finely chopped
2 medium sized potatoes, cubed
1 cup chicken stock
85g smoked oysters or 1 can, drained
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 tablespoon water
½ cup low fat milk
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chopped chives for garnish
1 teaspoon of lemon zest
Squeeze of lemon juice

Heat the olive oil in a pot on medium. Fry onions and garlic for 3-4 minutes till soft.
Stir in the potatoes. Cover with the chicken stock and toss in the oysters. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Make a paste from the cornflour and water. Add the milk and cornflour paste, boil to thicken and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with chives, lemon zest and juice and crusty bread. Serves 2

Tip: Try substituting canned oysters for fresh ones. Or, for a heartier version, add some leek, smoked cod and prawns. The chowder can be prepared in advance and will keep in your freezer for up to 2 months.

Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen

To learn more about the superfood properties of oysters, click here!

Published on April 22, 2008 in Salads & Soups. Closed Tags: .

Shaved Fennel Salad with Toasted Pine Nuts

fennel2 small fennel bulbs or 1 cup shaved fennel
1 medium tomato, deseeded and chopped
¼ cup picked continental parsley leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
¼ cup toasted pine nuts, to serve

Dressing
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon honey
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Fill a bowl or container with iced water. Finely slice the fennel with a potato peeler or a sharp knife. Place in the iced water. This will ensure the fennel stays crisp. Drain and dry before serving. In a medium bowl, combine with the chopped tomatoes, parsley, and chives. To make the dressing, mix the honey, lemon juice and seasoning till combined. Add the olive oil. Drizzle the dressing onto the salad and toss to combine. Serve with toasted pine nuts. Serves 2

Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen

To learn more about the amazing healthful attributes of fennel, click here!

Published on April 22, 2008 in Salads & Soups. Closed Tags: .

Rustic Tomato Salad

tomBursting with flavour, this classic dish is always a family favourite. Sweet and refreshing, tomatoes work as a delicious accompaniment to any meal.

1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup truss tomatoes, cut into quarters or eighths if large
1 cup Roma tomatoes, cut into thick slices
1 cup beefsteak tomatoes, blended
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
¼ cup good olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 small red chilli, finely chopped (optional)
salt and pepper
½ cup fresh basil leaves, roughly torn
crusty white bread to serve

In a large bowl combine the tomatoes, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, sugar, chilli and seasoning. Cover and marinate for an hour at room temperature. Before serving, toss in the torn basil leaves and serve with crusty white bread. Serves 4-6

Tip: This can be used as a side salad, a sauce for pasta, or as a salsa to serve with meat or fish. Or toast thickly sliced ciabatta bread and use as a topping to make bruschetta.

Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen

Other delicious recipes with tomatoes:

* Roasted Tomato, Thyme and Goats Cheese Tart
* Green Tomato Chutney

Published on April 22, 2008 in Salads & Soups. Closed Tags: .

Red Lentil Salad

lentilThis tasty salad proves that red lentils are not just for curries and hippies! This versatile pulse is loaded with beta-carotene and vitamin B, as well as fibre and protein. Throw in some beautiful aromatics and you have a fragrant salad, soup or side dish. Experiment by adding some fresh, diced cucumber and a handful of baby spinach to add colour and crunch.

2 cups red lentils
3 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cm piece of ginger, crushed
½ teaspoon chopped red chilli
1 kaffir lime leaf, finely shredded
1 medium tomato, cut into quarters, deseeded and sliced
¼ bunch coriander, stems and leaves, roughly chopped
2 shallots, sliced at an angle
1 lime juiced
olive oil for drizzling
sea salt and cracked black pepper

Place the red lentils in a sieve and rinse under a running cold tap. Place in a medium pot and cover with the water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes till the lentils are just cooked, still holding their shape. Drain in a sieve and run under cold water to cool. Place aside in a bowl. Heat the olive oil on a medium heat in a nonstick fry pan. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli and lime leaf. Fry for 1 minute till fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Mix together the spiced tomato and the lentils, stir in the chopped coriander, shallots and lime-juice. Cool in the fridge for two hours or overnight. Season with the sea salt and cracked pepper, and add a drizzle of olive oil before serving. Serves 4

Tip: Use as a side dish with fish, meat and chicken, or add some hot chicken stock or water to make into a soup and serve with chopped coriander and lime wedges.

Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen

Other delicious recipes with pulses:

* Chickpea Fritters
* Butter Bean Puree

Published on April 22, 2008 in Salads & Soups. Closed Tags: .

Pasta Salad

pastaThis pasta salad, inspired by Jamie Oliver, is light and flavourful. The cooked garlic cloves add a gentle sweetness to the dressing, while the combination of primary ingredients look fantastic. It will keep in the fridge, allowing the flavours to develop, and taste great the next day for lunch.

350g small shell pasta
3 cloves garlic, peeled
½ punnet cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
½ punnet of yellow or green cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
150g kalamata olives, cheeks removed from pip
1 cucumber, finely diced
1 small Italian salami, finely diced
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
½ bunch basil, torn
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons best-quality red wine vinegar

Bring a large pot of boiling water to a rolling boil. Add whole garlic cloves, a big pinch of salt and pasta. Cook pasta until al dente. When cooked, drain, drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat (this will help prevent sticking) and set aside to cool. Using cooked garlic cloves, smash into a paste with a good pinch of sea salt. Whisk (or shake in a jar) the olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Combine tomatoes, olives, cucumber and salami in a bowl, add cooled pasta and toss to combine. Add chopped chives and basil. Drizzle with dressing and serve.

Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen

Published on April 22, 2008 in Salads & Soups. Closed Tags: .

Celeriac Salad Tossed with Yoghurt and Mint

celKnowing what to bring is always a challenge. Not too time consuming, and easy to match, salads are a great option. For something unique, experiment with salads sans lettuce. Try celeriac for its crunch and delicate pungency, mixed with the soft bite of lemon-cured zucchini and squash.

½ cup plain yoghurt
½ cup whole egg mayonnaise
3 shallots, finely chopped
1teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
¼ cup chopped mint leaves, some whole leaves for garnish
½ clove garlic, crushed
1/2 lemon, zested and juiced
salt and pepper
3 zucchini, thinly sliced
3 yellow squash, thinly sliced
½ celeriac, peeled and grated

In a small bowl, mix together yoghurt, mayonnaise, chopped shallots, thyme and mint leaves, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Pour the dressing onto the prepared vegetables. Cover and leave for one hour in the fridge so flavours can develop. Garnish with some extra mint leaves.

Tip: Finely slice zucchini and squash by hand or with a mandolin. Cucumber can also be added (thinly sliced). Make sure to remove the seeds otherwise the salad will be too watery.

Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen

Published on April 22, 2008 in Salads & Soups. Closed Tags: .

Blue Cheese and Broccoli Soup

beroc1 ham hock or bacon bone (optional)
2 large heads (approximately 800g) broccoli, divided into florets, stem peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and squashed under the back of a knife
1 potato, peeled and quartered
100ml crème fraîche
salt and pepper
100g good quality blue cheese
Handful of walnuts, lightly toasted

Place ham hock in large heavy-based saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil then reduce temperature and allow to a simmer for one hour. Skim the surface occasionally if necessary. After one hour, add broccoli, garlic and potato to saucepan. Cook at a moderate, steady boil for 15 minutes or until the broccoli is very tender. Drain vegetables and ham hock retaining liquid stock for later use. Discard ham hock. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, transfer in batches into a potato ricer or blender. I find the potato ricer is preferable as it is gentler on the broccoli. Return pureed ingredients to a clean saucepan. Add enough reserved stock to loosen the mixture to your desired consistency and warm through. Remove from heat, stir in crème fraîche and season with salt and pepper. To serve, ladle soup into warmed bowls, top with a sliver of blue cheese and a few walnuts.

Tip: if you have any leftover soup you wish to refrigerate or freeze, package and store before you add the crème fraîche. Any leftover stock can be refrigerated for three days or frozen and used later to make risottos, soups or to cook vegetables.

Recipe by Libby Travers

Published on April 22, 2008 in Salads & Soups. Closed Tags: .

Asian Chicken Soup

Spice up this wholesome dish with the subtle, yet intensely flavoursome, aromas of Asia. With a little chilli for the metabolism, and ginger to cleanse the system, you’ll add not only extra flavour, but health benefits too.

Asian Chicken Soup

1kg chicken necks or bones, washed
4cm fresh ginger, peeled and shredded into thin strips
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced into thin slivers
1 large red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1 cup dried, sliced shitake mushroom
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons fish sauce
½ cup shallots, roughly chopped plus extra for garnish
¼ cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped plus extra whole leaves for garnish
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
fresh rice or egg noodles, optional

Place the chicken necks or bones in a large pot. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 1 hour, using a shallow spoon to lift off any froth whilst cooking. Drain the stock through a colander, reserve the bones and set aside to cool. Place the stock back in the pot on a medium heat. Add the ginger, garlic and chopped chilli. Bring to the boil then add the sliced mushrooms, fish sauce and sesame oil. Remove the chicken meat from the bones and chop or tear into shreds. Add to the soup. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the shallots and coriander. Remove from the heat. Check seasoning and add more fish sauce if needed. Serve and garnish with shallots, coriander leaves and bean sprouts. If using the noodles place a small amount in the serving dish and ladle the soup over. Serves 4

Tips: If fresh shitake mushrooms are available, slice and add with the shallots and coriander. Transform this soup into something more substantial by adding dumplings. Buy them pre-made from the freezer in any speciality Asian store. Just defrost them and heat up in the broth. You can also use vegetable stock in this recipe. For extra greens, add bok choy or choy sum cut into thin strips when you add the shallots and coriander. A dash of light soy sauce can be added to give the broth a bit more colour and depth.

Recipe by Camilla van Beuningen

Other delicious detox recipes:

* Tropical Oat Delight

* Lime-Infused Snapper

Published on April 22, 2008 in Salads & Soups. Closed Tags: .