Brown and Wild Rice Salad with Dried Cranberries
This is from the legendary Delia Smith. I served it with Salmon with couscous crust & tomato and olive salsa, and it was a delicious and light summer meal.
Ingredients
> 120 ml brown basmati rice (I used red rice and it was also tasty)
> 55 ml wild rice
> 25 gm dried cranberries
> 2 tsp flavourless oil (sorry, I used olive, which has flavour, and it still was tasty)
> 25 gm walnuts, roughly chopped
> 2 medium and ripe tomatoes
> 4 cm of cucumber (more if cucumber is narrow – think of a British cuc’s size), diced
> 1 small, red-skinned apple, cored and finely chopped
> 2 spring onions, finely chopped (or 2 shallots, finely chopped, and snipped chives)
> Salt and freshly milled black pepper
Dressing
> 1 clove garlic, peeled
> ½ tsp salt
> ½ tsp mustard powder
> 1 ½ Tbsp good-quality white wine vinegar
> 3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
> Freshly milled black pepper
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Steps
1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a small pan, add the wild rice and toss it around to coat the grains.
2. Pour over 120 ml boiling water and add a little salt. Give it one stir, put on the lid, and turn down the heat to the lowest flame. Cook for 50 minutes.
3. Same procedure for the brown rice. In a large pot use 225 ml water and cook for 40 minutes.
4. While the rice is cooking, prepare the dressing.
a. Crush the garlic and salt, and then add the mustard powder.
b. Use a whisk to add the, vinegar, olive oil, and plenty of black pepper.
5. Heat the oven to 180 degrees C, spread the walnuts on a baking sheet, and place them in the oven for 8 minutes. Put a timer on so that they are not burnt.
6. Place the tomatoes in a bowl and pour boiling water over them, so that they are covered, and leave for exactly one minute. Remove them from the water and peel of the skins.
7. Halve the tomatoes and squeeze out the seeds. Then chop them into small pieces.
8. When both types of rice are cooked, mix them together in a serving dish and add 2 – 3 tablespoons of the dressing. Make sure that the dressing is well incorporated and leave the rice to cool.
9. When cool, mix in the cucumber, tomatoes, apple, cranberries and either 2/3 of the spring onions, or the shallots.
10. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad and make sure that everything is thoroughly combined and coated in dressing.
11. Finally, scatter the walnuts and the remaining spring onions (or chopped chives) over the top.
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Endive and Pear Salad
I actually created this, I guess based on memories of salads eaten in restaurants.
Ingredients
> Lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces
> Rocket, torn into bite-sized pieces
> 2 Endive, torn into bite-sized pieces
> Handful of walnuts
> 2 pears, peeled, quartered, and sliced very thinly
> 2 fresh figs (can use dried), cut into pieces
You can use apples, but then replace the figs with dates and add pomegranate seeds (if available)
Dressing
> 4 Tbls olive oil
> 2 Tbls white wine vinegar
> 1 tsp clear honey
> ¼ tsp Dijon mustard
> Salt and pepper
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Steps
1. Tear all the greens up.
2. Peel and thinly slice the fruit.
3. Cut the dried fruit into pieces.
4. Put into a bowl.
5. In a screw-top jar, mix all the dressing ingredients.
6. Pour over the salad just before serving.
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Beetroot Salad
I think Rocha gave me this recipe. Nowadays it is so simple. Just buy the precooked and peeled beetroots, packed in a vacuum. The following quantity is for 1 packet.
Ingredients
> 500 gm cooked and peeled beetroot.
> 1 medium onion, thinly sliced in the same shape you slice the beetroot
> 3 bay leaves
> 12 peppercorns
> ¼ cup natural vinegar (you can also use white wine vinegar)
> ½ cup boiled and cooled water
> 2 Tbsp sugar
> Salt (if required)
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Steps
1. If using the vacuum pack, open it and drink the beetroot liquid. It is delicious.
2. Thinly slice all the beetroots. If the beetroots are large, cut in half and then slice.
3. Thinly slice the onions, in the same shape as the beetroot.
4. Put into a bowl and add the bay leaves and peppercorns.
5. In a small cup, mix the vinegar, water and sugar.
6. Pour over the beetroot and onions.
7. Salt according to taste (I don’t add any).
8. Put into the fridge to cool.
Goes well with any warm dish.
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