Matboucha: Spicy Tomato Dip

1 green bell pepper

2 jalapeno

3 cloves garlic

1 x 400g can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon sugar

half teaspoon paprika

olive oil

salt and pepper

Finely chop bell pepper, jalapeno [remove seeds] and garlic.  Add some olive oil to pan and saute vegetables for a few minutes, then add canned tomatoes, sugar, paprika, a tablespoon of olive oil and salt and pepper.  Bring to boil and simmer until reduced nicely [about 50 mins]

Quinoa Sweet Potato Salad

Quinoa

Sweet potato [medium size]

Flat leaf parsley [half a bunch]

Extra virgin olive oil

One lemon

Salt and pepper

Put 1 cup quinoa into a fine-meshed sieve and rinse well under cold running water, swishing the quinoa with your hand. Drain the quinoa well. Add 2 cups water to a medium saucepan, add the quinoa, bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer, UNcovered, for about 10 minutes, until all the water is absorbed.

If you cover the pot, the water will not fully absorb.

Once the quinoa has absorbed the water, put the lid on the pan and remove from heat.  After 5 mins the quinoa will have puffed up.

Cut sweet potato into bit size pieces and roast in oven with some good olive oil and a pinch of salt.

Chop parsley very finely.

To make dressing, use the juice of a freshly squeezed lemon, a drop of good quality olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Combine all ingredients gently in a large dish and pour over dressing.

Curried Pasta Salad

250 g colored spirals pasta cooked, cooled
1 tsp curry powder
1 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper

1/2 cup raisins
1 large can sliced peaches, chopped
1 green capsicum, chopped

mix peach juice with mayonnaise
to make dressing

Quinoa, Kale, Avocado, Pomegranate Salad

250g quinoa
200g kale, big bunch
3 spring onions, washed and chopped
1 pomegranate, seeds
45g pumpkin seeds ( ⅓ cup)
3 tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
1 avocado, cut into small pieces
parsley to garnish

Measure 1½ cup of quinoa, rinse well and place into a pot. Add exactly double the volume of water and bring to a boil. Simmer covered for exactly 15 min. After 15 min remove from the heat and leave to stand for 5 min. Fluff up with a fork and transfer to a mixing bowl.
Wash kale, chop into smaller pieces, drop into boiling water for 2 mins, then rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.  Drain well and place in mixing bowl.

Add cooked quinoa, spring onions, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds, olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.  Top with avocado pieces and garnish with parsley.

Hanna's Salad

ice berg lettuce
blanched, halved and toasted almonds
drained can mandarins
spring onions
thinly sliced sliced spanish onion
avocado
pomegranate seeds

dressing - blitz together 
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 large garlic clove
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
salt and pepper

Asian ColeSlaw Dressing

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
Salt and pepper

Add sesame seeds to slaw

Tami's Salad Dressing

1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a jar. Then add oil and shake again to combine.

Curried ColeSlaw

6 ounces shredded green cabbage
3 ounces shredded red cabbage
1 medium stalk celery, thinly sliced on the bias
1 small carrot, grated
½ cup craisins

Dressing:
⅓ cup low fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lite olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


Place the green cabbage, red cabbage, celery, carrot, and craisins in a large bowl. Set aside. Place the mayonnaise, olive oil, vinegar, honey, curry powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk together until well combined.

Esty's Cole Slaw Dressing

2/3 cup [166g] mayonnaise 

2 tablespoons [40ml] white vinegar

3 teaspoons caster sugar 

[Lots of] Salt and pepper

Smoked Salmon Salad

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 (800g) telegraph cucumbers
300g smoked salmon
2 tablespoons light sour cream
6 red cherry tomatoes, cut into eighths
6 yellow teardrop tomatoes, cut into eighths
dill sprigs, for serving, extra

1. Combine the salt, dill, sugar and juice in a large non-metallic bowl.
2. Using a vegetable peeler, peel cucumbers into ribbons; add to the bowl, toss gently to coat. Cover; refrigerate for 40 minutes.
3. Transfer the cucumber ribbons to a sieve over a bowl. Reserve the liquid.
4. Just before serving, divide smoked salmon between serving plates; pile cucumber on top.
5. Combine the sour cream in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of the reserved liquid; drizzle over the cucumber. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
6. Top with tomatoes and extra dill.

Broccoli Salad

2 heads broccoli
3/4 cup craisins [dried cranberries]
3/4 cup sunflower seeds and/or
3/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
pepper

Cut broccoli into small pieces. In a large bowl, combine the shredded broccoli, craisins, red onion, and almonds.

Whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar, salt, and a few grinds of fresh pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir to combine.  Allow to sit for 30 minutes [or an hour in the fridge] so the flavors can mingle.

Pesto Pasta, Salmon and Avocado Salad

This was so yum........  I hope I've got the ingredients right:

Pasta shells - cook as per instructions on packet, allow to cool

Pesto sauce [make it or buy it]: [olive oil, pine nuts, basil].

Smoked salmon - cut into very thin strips

Avocado - diced into small cubes

Fresh salmon [just a small piece] - cook it any way you like, and allow to cool, flake into very small pieces

Feta cheese - flaked - optional

Green beans - blanched and cooled - optional



Mix all ingredients together, gently.

Greek Salad

Ingredients (serves 12)

4 egg tomatoes, halved, each half cut into 4 wedges
2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved lengthways, thinly sliced
1 red capsicum, halved, deseeded, thinly sliced
1 red onion, quartered, each quarter cut into thin wedges
Flat parsley, shredded
250g kalamata olives
300g Greek feta, cubed


Red wine vinegar dressing
60ml (1/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried oregano leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fennel, Blood Orange and Sunflower Seed Salad

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Salt and pepper

2 medium fennel heads thinly sliced
3 blood oranges, peeled and segmented
1 cup sunflower seeds


In a medium bowl, whisk together the olive oil, orange juice, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the sliced fennel, toss to combine and chill for at about 1 hour.Add the orange sections to the fennel mixture and sprinkle with the sunflower seeds.
Toss very gently to combine. Arrange salad on a platter.

Flat bread Salad (Fattoush)

[A slight variation on the regular Fattoush]:

2 flatbreads, toasted, cut into bite size pieces
Lettuce
Cucumber
Purple Cabbage
Cherry tomatoes
Spanish onion

Slice vegetables and layer in a large bowl.

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove crushed garlic
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
dash of pepper

Shake all together and pour over salad then add the flatbread.

Honey Mustard Salad Dressing

3 tbsp. cider vinegar
3 tbsp. honey
6 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. onion, finely minced
1 1/2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup salad oil

 

Heat vinegar and honey in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until honey dissolves. Pour into bowl. Cool. Whisk in all other ingredients except oil. Mix well. Gradually whisk in oil. May be prepared 3 days ahead, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature. Mix well before dressing salad.

 

Good with avocado and watercress salad.

Options: Make a salad with finely chopped capsicums (red, green and yellow), finely chopped snow-peas, finely chopped radicchio lettuce and baby spinach leaves.

Bok Choy Salad



Baby bok choy (about 6), finely chopped
Shallots, finely chopped
Pepitas
Craisins
Long Sippets (crunchy noodles)


Dressing:  In a blender, mix
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
Salt and pepper

Arrange bok choy and other ingredients on a large platter. Cover with dressing.

Summer Salad w/ Poppy Seed Dressing

Ingredients
Romaine lettuce, shredded
½ red onion, sliced into rings
2 avocado, cubed
Strawberries, sliced

Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tbsp. vinegar

1/3 c.up sugar

1/4 cup soy milk

2 tbsp. poppy seeds

Place ingredients in a jar. Cover and shake until blended. Dressing keeps several days in refrigerator.

Chami's Salad

Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, avocado, orange, some sliced mushrooms, raw cashews, strawberries, snowpeas, capsicum, red cabbage......

Wash and slice vegetables and top with dressing.

Dressing (this quantity makes a lot, keep some in a glass jar in the fridge for another time)

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup sugar

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 teaspoon mustard

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Salt

Chinese ColeSlaw

half a Savoy cabbage, shredded

1 pkt slivered almonds - toasted

sesame seeds - toasted

(to toast nuts, place on baking tray in moderate oven for approx 20 mins)

Dressing:

1 cup lite olive oil

1 cup caster sugar

half a cup white vinegar

salt

pinch of garlic powder

1 tblspn soy sauce