Green apple & kale salad

For ➍
3 cups ribbed & chopped kale or borecole
handful of chopped parsley
1 cup cooked black lentils
1 green apple, diced
1/2 English cucumber, diced
½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1 cup shaved Parmigiano, or feta or goat cheese
dressing
one clove garlic
1 tbs honey
1 tbs Dijon mustard
juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup pumpkin seed oil or extra virgin olive oil
salt &pepper

In a large salad bowl, combine the kale, parsley, lentils, apples, cucumber, pepitas and parmesan.
For the dressing, blitz everything in a food processor or blender, with salt and pepper to taste, until the garlic is smooth.
Pour the dressing on the salad and toss well to coat. Garnish with more cheese if you wish. The salad will keep in the fridge for a full day and slowly loose it's crunch from there.

Great green goddess salad

For ➍
1 clove garlic
1 small anchovy*
½ handful lightly packed fresh parsley
2 medium scallions, white & green parts separated
½ ts dried tarragon
6 cl plain Greek yogurt
2 tbs mayonnaise
1 tbs white wine vinegar
½ ts salt
2 tbs olive oil
125 g baby spinach, washed & dried
1 medium cucumber, peeled & sliced
1 medium avocado, sliced

In the food processor, combine the garlic, anchovy (if using), parsley and the white parts of the scallions. Process to mince very finely. Scrape down and process again. Add the tarragon, yogurt, mayonnaise, vinegar and salt and process until smooth. With the machine running, drizzle in the olive oil until well mixed. Transfer to a pouring cup or jar; keeps for 4 days, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.
Spread the spinach on a platter or 4 small dinner plates. Cover with cucumber and avocado, and drizzle with dressing, then chop and sprinkle the scallion greens over the salads. Serve immediately. Top with cooked chicken or ham for a main course salad, or serve alongside grilled shrimp.

*The classic green goddess dressing has a hint of anchovy for umami, but if you want to leave it out, you can. Double the amounts in the dressing ingredients to make extra for salads throughout the week.

♥︎Cod with fennel & orange salad

For ➍
800 g cod fillets
4 tbs olive oil
2 lemons
juice of 2 oranges for juice
1 orange in parts
150 g blueberries
20 g fresh dill
2 fennel bulbs, finely cut
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
200 g soft white cheese
1 red onion
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1 pomegranate
pepper & salt

Place the fish in an oven dish. Add the olive oil, the lemon juice and some pepper and salt.
Bake the fish on the BBQ or in an oven at 180°C for 15 m.
Add the orange juice, the orange segments, the blueberries and the fresh dill to the finely cut slices of fennel. Add pepper and salt, mix and let rest.
Add the finely chopped garlic and olive oil to the flat cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Mix the red wine vinegar with the finely chopped red onion slices.
Take a plate, first place the fennel salad, then a piece of fish, a round spoon of soft cheese, the marinated red onion and some pomegranate on top.

Pomegranate & cucumber salad

For ➋
1 whole cucumber
seeds from ½ pomegranate
a few sprigs mint

Chop the cucumber into neatish chunks and put in a serving bowl. Remove the seeds from half a pomegranate, avoiding any of the white pith. Scatter over the cucumber. Finally tear over the cooling mint and toss together.
Serve wth grilled or marinated lamb or chicken

More pomegranate salads: pomegranate,endives & feta, pomegranate, tomatoes & garlic, warm lamb salad with pomegranate & mint, pomegranate & quinoa salad, Friuli winter salad, pomegranate fruit salad

Ginger salmon

For ➋
250 g daikon radish
15 g (½ tbs) ginger, grated
1 tbs rice vinegar
1 tbs soy sauce
2 ts sugar
¼ ts salt
450 g salmon
1 tbs potato starch
½ tbs toasted sesame seeds
sprouts, for garnish

Grate the daikon into a fine mesh sieve, pressing on the grated daikon to squeeze out as much liquid as you can. Set the daikon aside.
To make the dressing, whisk together the ginger, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar and salt.
Bring a pot a pot filled with about 3 quarts of water to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water.
Remove the skin and any bones from the salmon and cut into bite-size pieces.
Put the salmon in a tray in a single layer and then add half the potato starch into a small fine mesh sieve (such as a tea strainer). Tap to dust the salmon evenly with potato starch. Flip the salmon over and repeat with the remaining starch.
When the water comes to a boil, add the salmon all at once and then give it a quick stir. Boil for 20 s and then turn off the heat. Let the salmon poach for about 2 m or until it flakes easily.
Transfer the salmon to the ice water using a slotted spoon and chill.
When the salmon has chilled transfer the salmon to a wire rack lined with a few sheets of paper towels.
Add the salmon to the dressing along with the sesame seeds. Toss to coat evenly.
Plate the salmon and then add the grated daikon to the remaining dressing in the bowl and stir to evenly combine. Mound the seasoned daikon atop the salmon and then garnish with chopped scallions or fresh sprouts, like broccoli sprouts, and some extra toasted sesame seeds.

Panzanella (Italian bread salad)

For ➌-➍
4-5 thick slices of stale, springy country bread with a good crust*/**
1 small red onion
1-2
 tbs red wine vinegar, plus more to taste
1 medium, crunchy cucumber, thinly sliced (you could also peel if you like)
1 handful rucola, washed and pat dry
salt & pepper, to taste***
extra-virgin olive oil
10-12 basil leaves

Pass the slices of bread under running water and let sit in a bowl to soften while preparing the other ingredients.
Slice the red onion very thinly and place in a small bowl. Sprinkle with 1 to 2 tbs of red wine vinegar and cover with cool water. Let sit 10 m (this will take some of the edge off the raw onion).
When the bread pieces are springy to the touch, tear and crumble the bread in your hands (depending on the type and freshness of your bread, the crusts may be too hard. If so, you may wish to remove them, but some like the chewiness of the crust). If the bread is still too hard, you can sprinkle on some more water, but keep in mind that you’ll be adding vinegar and oil to the salad as well, which the bread will also soak up. If you have added too much water, simply give your bread a squeeze to remove the excess liquid before adding to the salad. Place the bread in a large bowl with the cucumber and rucola.
Drain and add the onion to the salad. Season with a good pinch of salt***7*, a few twists of pepper, a healthy dose of olive oil, a splash or two of red wine vinegar, and toss until well combined.
Add the basil leaves, torn into pieces just before serving****.

*the bread should make up half of the volume of this salad
**ciabatta would work well
***use chopped anchovies instead
****this dish is best eaten about an hour after preparing, to give time for the flavors to combine. That said, it does not keep well for more than a day because the fresh ingredients tend to get ruined by the vinegar.

This is an early version without tomatoes, which now have become a staple ingredient in most recipes. You could add 2 tomatoes, peeled, sliced

Pheasant salad with fennel

For ➋***
1 whole pheasant or chicken breast, or a half of a turkey breast
1 l pheasant, turkey or chicken stock
1 medium fennel bulb, chopped
2 ts fennel pollen (optional)
1-2 tbs green fennel seeds (optional)
1 tbs mint leaves, chopped
1 small, red hot chilli, minced
zest & juice of 1 lemon
6 cl olive oil
salt &  black pepper to taste

Bring the broth to a simmer in a lidded pot. Turn the heat off and drop the pheasant breasts in. Make sure they are submerged. Cover the pot.
Meanwhile, chop the fennel bulb into pieces. Add all the remaining ingredients and set aside.
The pheasant breasts should be fully cooked in 20 m.* ** When the pheasant is cool enough to handle, shred it into pieces.
Mix everything together and let it stand, covered, at room temperature for 1 h. You can also store it overnight in the fridge.

*Turkey and chicken breasts are larger and will take longer. A turkey breast might require a full 45 m in the warm broth.
**Save the broth for soup or something else. It will keep in the fridge a week or so.
***Double quantities for 4.

Tomato & pomegranate salad

For ➍
200 g red cherry tomatoes, cut into ½ cm dice
200 g yellow cherry tomatoes, cut into ½ cm dice
200 g tiger (or plum) tomatoes, cut into ½ cm dice
4 medium vine tomatoes, cut into ½ cm dice (500 g net)
1 red pepper, cut into ½ cm dice (120 g net)
1 small red onion, finely diced (120 g net)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ ts ground allspice
2 ts white wine vinegar
1½ tbs pomegranate molasses
6 cl olive oil, plus a little extra to drizzle at the end
1 pomegranate, seeds removed (170g of seeds)
1 tbs picked small oregano leaves, to garnish
salt & black pepper

In a large bowl, mix together the tomatoes, red pepper and onion and set aside.
In a small bowl whisk the garlic, allspice, vinegar, pomegranate molasses, olive oil, and ⅓ teaspoon of salt, until well combined. Pour this over the tomatoes and gently mix.
Arrange the tomatoes and the juices on a large flat plate. Sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and oregano.
Finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

*Serve as a side dish for grilled lamb.

Fennel & beet salad

For ➍ 

6 medium-sized beets
2 fennel bulbs
1 large grapefruit
walnut oil
lemon juice
salt & pepper
100-120 log goat cheese
coriander or tarragon (optional)

Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Wash the beets and cut off the root. Place beets root-side-down in a glass baking dish filled with 2 cm water. Cover with foil and roast for 30-40 m or until the beets are tender. Remove beets from the oven and allow them to cool.
Bring a pot of water to boil. Cut the fennel into thin strips and blanch for 2-3 m. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
Once the beets have cooled, discard the skins and cut them into matchstick sized pieces.
Mix 1 part grapefruit juice with two parts walnut oil. Add lemon juice depending on the acidity of the grapefruit. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Toss the beets and fennel together in a large bowl and drizzle with the grapefruit vinaigrette*. Serve on top of slices of goat cheese.

*If using dark-colored beets, slice them into rounds and serve them under a pile of the fennel and light-colored beets. If tossed together, the dark beets will color the whole salad an unappealing shade of pink.
**Eventually, add some coriander or tarragon.

Beets and goat cheese are natural allies.

Pasta salad with grilled halloumi & asparagus

For ➍
500 g penne
400 g halloumi cheese
250 g cherry tomatoes
500 g white asparagus
6 spring onions, sliced finely
80 g rucola
a bunch of basil
50 g sun-dried tomatoes
pepper & coarse salt
tomated cold sauce:
10 cl yogurt
100 g Parmigiano cheese, grated
2 eggs
1 clove of garlic, peeled
juice of ½ lemon
40 g tomato paste
1 tbs (sharp ) mustard
1.5 dl peanut oil
a dash of Worcester sauce
few drops of Tabasco
salt

Bring a large quantity of water to a boil in a large pot. Add a pinch of salt.
Cook the penne al dente. [Read tip]. Drain. Plunge in a colander and cool under running cold water.
Put the pasta in a large mixing bowl.
Peel the asparagus. Remove ends.
Fill a pot with enough cold water and add a pinch of salt.
Place the asparagus in cold water. Heat the pot over medium heat and bring the water up to boiling point. When the water bubbles, put the fire out. Keep the asparagus in the warm water for 5-10 m. [Or use microwave].
Drain the vegetables to drain on a clean cloth or paper towel. set aside.
Separate the eggs and put the yolks in a tall mixing cup. Discard the egg whites.  Add a little spicy mustard, and a  clove of garlic.
Add the lemon juice and a tiny splash of water.
Blend the ingredients with a mixer. Trickle the oil in until you are left with a hefty amount of bound mayonnaise.
Add the yogurt and mix. Add the tomato puree, with a dash of English and a few drops of Tabasco sauce. Add the Parmigiano and mix.
Spoon some of the dressing over the cold pasta and mix to cover all pasta.
Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Add the finely diced onion and tomato wedges into the bowl with pasta and sauce.
Cut the drained sun-dried tomatoes into thin strips.
Rinse the rucola and basilicum.  Sprinkle the torn basil and sun-dried tomato pieces on top of the pasta salad. Add some pepper from the mill and some coarse salt.
Mix the pasta salad and put them in a large serving bowl.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the asparagus.
Cut the solid halloumi into slices about 1 cm wide. Move the asparagus and halloumi to the hot  BBQ grill of grill pan. Turn the slices of halloumi after 1 m. Remove the asparagus when they have some colour.
Cut the grilled asparagus in 3-4equal pieces. Divide the grilled halloumi into bite-sized chunks.
Arrange the pieces of grilled cheese and asparagus pieces on top of the pasta salad and serve immediately. Put the rest of the sauce on the table.

Fennel & blood orange salad

For ➌
4 tbs hazelnuts or walnuts
1 medium-large fennel bulb, leaves and stems trimmed off
salt & freshly ground black pepper
juice of 1 lemon
2 large blood oranges (or any orange* or grapefruit*)
1 small shallot, peeled and cut into paper-thin slices
10 mint leaves
2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 ts lime zest

Place nuts in dry skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring, to toast. Let cool. If using hazelnuts, roll them around in a dishcloth (or, if cool enough, in your hands), discarding any loose skins. Coarsely chop nuts. Set aside. (Add some walnut oil for toasting*).
Slice about 1 cm from bottom of fennel and discard. Slice fennel very thinly on a mandoline, or with a knife, starting with flat bottom side. Toss in serving bowl with salt, pepper and lemon juice. (Add a drop of Pernod)*.
Trim all peel and pits from oranges. Holding peeled fruit over bowl containing fennel, use sharp knife to cut sections from membrane and let them drop into bowl. Squeeze remaining membrane over bowl to sprinkle salad with remaining juice, and discard membrane. Add shallots, mint leaves, olive oil and reserved nuts and toss gently. Sprinkle with lime zest.
Serve a a salad or as a side dish to smoked salmon or grilled fish fillets.
Leftovers can be served a day later.

*Optional.

The fennel trick here is to shave it thinly and toss it with lemon juice and salt, it’s licorice vibe is neutralized, leaving just the refreshing part.

Witloofsalade (vegetarian endives' salad)

For ➍
8 endives
30 g chives
20 g mustard seeds, marinated in vinegar or balsamico
a handful of green herbs
20 g mustard
10 g salt
3 g white pepper
1 tbs vinegar
12 tbs g grape pit oil
6 tbs water

Mix all ingredients,except the endives and the mustard seeds, into a rather firm vinaigrette. Cover the chopped endives with it. Add the mustard seeds.
Serve.

Grilled halloumi & quinoa salad

For ➋ (as main dish) or ➍ (as side dish)
2 ts red wine vinegar
½ ts sugar
1 small clove garlic, chopped
⅛ ts red pepper flakes
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 Persian cucumber or ½ regular cucumber, peeled & diced
1 scallion, chopped
100 g quinoa, rinsed & drained
20 cl water
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon
4 tbs chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tbs chopped mint
3 handfulls of lettuce leaves, arugula, or other salad greens
200-250 halloumi cheese, cut into 8 slices

In a medium bowl, whisk together red wine vinegar, sugar, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a dash of salt and pepper. Add cucumber and scallion and toss to combine. Cover and let stand.
Place quinoa and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat. Simmer for about 15 m, or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 m. Fluff quinoa with a fork and spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool.
In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil and 2 ts lemon juice. Add cooled quinoa, parsley, mint, and lettuce to the bowl and toss to coat.
Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium heat (no oil) and grill the halloumi until golden, about 2 ms on each side. When done, squeeze a little lemon juice over the cheese.
Arrange quinoa salad on 2 plates and top with the halloumi and cucumbers (without liquid).
Serve with a glass of iced tea.

*Add a stock cube.
**Make up to a day ahead and refrigerate. Add the lettuce and grill the halloumi just before serving.

Ensalada de garbanzos con pimentones e alcaparras (Spanish chickpea salad)

For ➍*
1 large red pepper (or use canned grilled peppers)*
250 g cooked chickpeas, rinsed if canned
1 tbs mint, chopped
1 tbs capers, rinsed
1 tbs fresh lemon juice, red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
¼ ts salt
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil, divided

In a large frypan, heat 1 tbs oil. Add the chickpeas and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until they are all golden brown (this takes about 10 m). Set aside to cool.

Cut the peppers* into 1 cm wide strips and put them in a large bowl together with the pan-fried chickpeas, herbs and capers.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, salt, garlic and oil. Pour over the chickpea mixture and combine.

Serve immediately, or refrigerate it for a few h/a day to get the flavors to mingle.

Serve as appetizer, a tapa, or as light meal, depending on the quantities.

(Add some chopped mint leaves just before serving.)

*Double quantities, serve half, put the other half in the refrigerator for the next day. Serve with chunks of grilled chicken fillet.
**If roasting your own peppers, preheat the oven broiler. Line a small roasting pan with aluminum foil. Place the pepper halves in the pan, cut side down, and place in the oven on the shelf closest to the broiler. Broil until the pepper skins are completely black, about 8-15 m. Remove from the oven, wrap the pepper in the foil and allow to stand for 10 m. Remove the foil and rub off the skins of the peppers. Set peppers aside.

Read a tip on cooking dried chickpeas.

Pasta all'ammiraglio (tomato pasta salad)

For ➍-➏
500 g ripe plum tomatoes, blanched, peeled, seeded & chopped (in the winter you can used drained canned tomatoes)
2 tbs salted or pickled capers, rinsed
5 leaves coarsely torn basil (or to taste)
olive oil (about 5 cl, or to taste)
salt & pepper to taste
500 g penne or other short thick-walled pasta

Cook the pasta until until al dente in lightly salted water, drain it, and cool it by running cold water over the colander.
While you are cooking the pasta, combine the other ingredients, check seasoning, and chill them in a bowl.
When the pasta has cooled, mix it into the sauce. Serve with a rosato wine.

*Add pitted black olives as well.
**Make it a full meal by adding 250 g shredded mozzarella.

Read tip on cooking pasta for a cold salad.
Read more cold pasta salad recipes.

Marinated fennel salad

For ➏-➑
1 large fennel bulb
8 cl olive oil
4 tbs cider vinegar
salt

Cut fennel bulb in half. Rinse under cold water. Remove core. Slice thinly.
In an airtight container- mix oil, vinegar and salt.
Add fennel.
Close container tightly and give a good shake.
Set aside for 2 h, turning the pot upside down/right side up once in a while.
Serve individual portions, with some of the liquid & a piece of bread.
Garnish with a sprig of leaves from the top of the fennel.
Or serve as a side-dish with some grilled chicken or fish.

Mint marinated fennel salad

For ➍-➏
1 large fennel bulb (or 2 medium bulbs)
1½ ts  sugar
2 tbs lemon juice
5 cl olive oil
½ ts  mustard
½ ts  salt
1 tbs chopped fresh mint
2 ts minced shallot or onion

Make the vinaigrette. Put the lemon juice, shallot, mustard, salt, sugar and mint in a blender and pulse briefly to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil until it is well combined.
Using a mandoline, shave the fennel into 0.3 cm slices starting from the bottom of the bulb. If you don’t have a mandoline, slice the bulb as thin as you can. Chop some of the fennel fronds as well to toss in with the salad.
Toss with the fennel and marinate for at least 1 h.
Serve this salad either cold or at room temperature.

Raw shaved asparagus salad

For ➍
350 g large very fresh asparagus, tough ends trimmed
1 daikon or white raddish, peeled
2 carrots, peeled
12 fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
2 tbs freshly squeezed orange juice
1 tbs white-wine vinegar
½ ts mustard
3 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper

Using a vegetable peeler, peel long, thin slices of asparagus into a bowl. Cut ends of both the carrots and radish on a slight bias, and peel thin strips of each into the bowl with the asparagus. Toss together. Sprinkle with mint.
In another bowl, whisk together orange juice, vinegar and mustard. While continuing to whisk, drizzle oil into the bowl until well combined; season with salt and pepper.

Drizzle vinaigrette over the vegetables and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Try another shaved asparagus salad.  Read tip on cooking asparagus.

Lemon & parsley risoni

For ➍
350 g cooked risoni (or orzo pasta)
3 tbs mustard vinaigrette
1 tbs chopped fresh parsley
1½ ts lemon zest
¼ ts salt
¼ ts ground black pepper

Toss all of the ingredients together and chill for at least 1 h before serving.
Or add 160 g canned tuna, drained, and 1 additional tbs of mustard vinaigrette to the salad.

Orzo (Italian for 'barley'), also risoni (Italian for 'big rice') is a form of short-cut macaroni, shaped like a large grain of rice.
When using it in salads and other dishes, cook in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 8-10 m or until al dente. When adding it to soups, add 10 m before ready.

Avocado & cucumber salad

For ➍
2 tbs rice vinegar
1 tbs mayonnaise
1 medium English cucumber, quartered lengthwise and sliced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 avocado, halved, seeded & chopped
½ ts soy sauce
½ ts sesame oil
salt

Whisk the rice vinegar, mayonnaise and the remaining ½ ts each soy sauce and sesame oil in a large bowl. Add the cucumber, scallions and ¼ ts salt and toss. Gently fold in the avocado.
Serve with soy-glazed salmon or grilled fish. Add some pickled ginger.