Fennel salad

 Mid week meals and i am run off my feet and need something fresh fast and healthy to fix for dinner and i am loving my veg ottolenghi style, we normally eat fennel and sweetcorn but this has been pimped up with beautiful fresh flavours from all the added herbs.

Another fresh crunchy delicious side is this wonderful fennel dish, i love fennel and this has a feta in it however i found a wonderful smoked feta which i added to my salad.

1/2 pomegranate
1 fennel
11/2tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sumac
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 bunch of each fresh tarragon, flat leaf parsley chopped
70g feta

use a mandolin to fine slice the fennel add the chopped herbs, pomegranate and feta, olive oil, lemon juice and sumac, simple and fast as that.

This is why i love Ottolenghi he really does do fast easy recipes that are full of flavour unlike some other celebrity chefs that bleat on about their supposed fast recipes.

Spicy Carrot salad

Ingredients to serve 4
6 large carrots peeled and shredded
3tbsp sunflower oil
2 large onions
2 tbsp Harissa
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp caraway seeds ground
1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp cider vinegar
big handful of spinach shredded

Slice the onions and slowly fry till deep and sweet add the spices and toss 5 mins from the end to coat the onions and warm the spices through, cool slightly.

In a bowl add the shredded carrot toss in the fried onions, shredded spinach, Harissa and oil and cider vinegar.

This is a great side salad, equally the carrot salad makes for another great wrap with the addition of humus

Courgette and hazelnut salad

Yummy i do love courgettes and this is a really tasty side salad and simple to do.

Ingredients

50g Hazelnuts

3 large courgettes or several small ones

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic

30g or 1 pack of fresh basil

80g parmesan thinly sliced

salt and pepper to taste

• Roast off the hazel nuts in the over at 150c for 12 mins and allow to cool then chop up roughly
• Cut the courgette on the angle at 1 cm chunks 
• Toss the courgette in a mixture of oil and salt and pepper and add to a very hot griddle 2 mins each side once cooked put in a bowl and add the balsamic toss and allow to cool
• Once cooled add the olive oil from first tossing before cooking, parmasan, basil and hazlenuts      

3 Rice salad

I love this salad its pretty much great with all sorts and nicer than a load of spuds on the side, i love the sweetness of the slow cooked fried onions along side the fresh herbs and the gentle heat of the chilli.

Ingedients
2 onions sliced
100g basmati
100g brown rice
75g wild rice
2 large salad onions sliced
1 - 2 red birdeye chillis depending on how hot you like it
50g or 1 pack of mint
50g or 1 pack of coriander
half a bag of rocket more if you want it
salt and pepper

Dressing ingredients
65ml lemon juice
30ml sesame oil
30ml thai fish sauce
35ml olive oil

• cook the sliced onions (not the salad) slowly for a good hour i cook mine in a bit of olive oil, butter and salt, allow to cool when soften and golden some maybe a little crisp that is ok
• cook the wild and brown rice together in a pan covered over with 3 times the amount of water to rice and simmer for 45 mins, once cooked run plenty of cold water to stop the cooking and drain
• cook the basmati in 400ml of water bring to the boil and simmer for 20 mins remove from the heat drain and allow to cool
• Once all the rice is cool add all the cut herbs and chilli all the onions salt and pepper to taste and toss together

when ready to serve whisk up the salad dressing and pour over and toss again

 

Saffron and Orange chicken

 Ar another wonderfully fresh and tasty meal from my new Jerusalem cook book by Ottolenghi. The left over from this made amazing wraps the next day.

Saffron and Orange chicken

Ingredients to serve 6
50g honey
1/2tsp saffron
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
300ml water

1kg of chicken breast although i used theighs
4 tbsp olive oil
2 bulbs of fennel
15g coriander
15g basil torn
15g mint leaves torn
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 red chilli thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves crushed
salt and pepper

pre heat the oven to 200c

Top and tail an orange then cut into wedges place into a small saucepan with the honey, saffron, vinegar and enough water to cover.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 hour top up with water if needed.  After the hour the orange will be cooked and there will be about 3 tbsp of syrup. at the end.  Process the orange and syrup with a bit more water to make a smooth paste.

Toss the Chicken in the oil, salt and pepper and place skin down on a griddle to crisp up the roast off in the oven for 20 - 30 mins till cooked cover and allow to rest and cool.  Pull off the skin and shred then shred the chicken and coat with half of the orange paste, save the rest for another dinner such as salmon.

To make the salad thinly slice the fennel add the herbs olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper.  Top with the shredded orange chicken and then top off with crispy chicken skin.

Sweetcorn salad

 Mid week meals and i am run off my feet and need something fresh fast and healthy to fix for dinner and i am loving my veg ottolenghi style, we normally eat fennel and sweetcorn but this has been pimped up with beautiful fresh flavours from all the added herbs.

Ingredients
2 fresh corn on the cobs
15g lemon thyme
1 1/2tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp maple syrup
2tbsp olive oil
1 green chilli
10g coriander, mint, flat leaf parsley
2 spring onions
sauteed red peppers and put this in as great addition for colour

As it was just Ali and i eating this i used 2 fresh corn on the cobs to make the dish, which i cut off the husks and gently brought the just to the point of boiling and then drained and left to come to room temperature.

in a bowl mix lime juice, maple syrup olive oil, chilli salt and pepper and mix then add the herbs and spring onions followed by the corn and peppers.