♥︎Smashed Asian cucumber salad

For ➍ 

2 seedless cucumbers (about 600 g) 

1 ts salt 

2½ ts sugar 

2 ts sesame oil 

3 ts light soy sauce 

1½ tbs rice vinegar 

2-4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped) 

1-2 ts chili oil (optional)* 

2 ts toasted sesame seeds 

a small handful of chopped coriander 

Wash the cucumbers and pat them dry with a clean towel. 

Make the salad dressing by combining the salt, sugar, sesame oil, light soy sauce, and rice vinegar. Stir until the sugar and salt are completely dissolved. Set aside. 

On a cutting board, lay a large knife flat against the cucumber, and smash it lightly with your other hand. The cucumber should crack open and smash into four sections. Repeat along its full length. Once the whole cucumber is completely open (usually into 4 long sectional pieces), cut it at a 45-degree angle into bite-sized pieces. 

In a large bowl, mix the cut cucumber with the prepared dressing, garlic and chili oil. Toss it well. 

Serve, garnished with sesame seeds and coriander. 

*If you prefer to omit the chili oil, heat up 1 tbs of oil in a pan and drizzle it over the cucumber. 

Easy pistou

For ➍

80 g pine nuts

40 g basil

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

10-12.5 cl olive oil

Toast the pine nuts in a dry frying pan until they are nicely browned. 

Set aside 12 basil leaves. 

Place the rest of the basil leaves, garlic and half the pine nuts in the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times. While the machine is running, pour in as much oil as needed for a runny sauce in a trickle. Taste and season the pistou with salt and pepper.

Snow peas with wasabi dressing & furikake

For ➍

wasabi dressing:

25 g wasabi paste

¾ tbs maple syrup

1½ tbs lemon juice

60 ml olive oil

salt

snow peas:

500 g snow peas

1 tbs vegetable oil

furikake:

2 tbs sesame seeds, toasted

1½ tbs nori flakes

½ tbs coriander seeds, toasted and lightly crushed

1 ts sea salt flakes

Heat a grill pan.

Mix all the ingredients for the furikake in a small bowl and set aside.

Take a bowl in which all the snow peas will fit. First mix in the ingredients for the wasabi dressing, with ½ ts salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl, mix the snow peas with 1tbs of oil until coated on all sides. Then grill them in 3 portions, each about 4 m long. Turn halfway through so they get spots on both sides.

Slide the grilled snow peas into the bowl with the dressing. Toss to spread the dressing, arrange on a platter and pour over the remaining dressing. Sprinkle half of the furikake over the peas and serve the rest in a small bowl.

Furikake is a seasoning that is popular in Japan as a topping for rice, vegetables and fish. The taste is savory and salty, with typical ingredients: dried fish, seaweed flakes, sesame seeds, sugar, salt and glutamate. Furikake is also often used on poké bowls. You can buy it in Asian supermarket or online spice shops.

Salmon with lentils & sweet potato salad & orange dressing

For ➍
4 salmon fillets, skinless, 500 g
1 ts chilli powder
1 ts salt
salad:
160 dry lentils, boiled, drained
400 g sweet potatoes, in cubes of 2x2cm
1 red chili pepper, finely chopped
1 tbs olive oil
80 g rucola
150 g feta
salt
orange dressing:
3 tbs butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 orange, grated zest & juice
2 tbs apple vinegar

Prepare salad.
Preheat oven to 200 ° C. Place sweet potato cubes on baking tray. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt and chili pepper. Bake 20 m.
Mix sweet potatoes with the lentils, rucola and feta in a large bowl.
Prepare orange dressing:
Melt butter, and stir until golden brown. Grate zest of ½ orange and add the juice of the whole orange. Add vinegar and remove pan from the heat.
Prepare salmon. Rub the salmon with chili and salt. Bake 6-7 m on one side over medium heat 1- m on the other side.
Serve the salmon with lentil salad and orange dressing.

Grilled fennel with citrus dressing & goat cheese

For ➍
2 fennel bulbs
4 clementines
50 g walnuts
120 g soft goat cheese
1 tbs olive oil
pepper & salt
dressing:
2 dl clementine juice
1 dl lime juice
2 tbs sugar
1 cardamom pod (or try ginger)
2 star anise
3 cloves

Make the dressing: mix the spices & sugar with the juice of clementines and lemons. Heat the seasoned juice and reduce to ½.
Cut the fennel bulbs lengthwise in (not too) thin slices, and drizzle with olive oil. Keep some fennel leaves on the side for finishing.
Heat a grill pan. Grill the slices of fennel and season with salt and pepper.
Divide the grilled fennel on plates, drizzle with the citrus vinaigrette and crumble the goat cheese on top. Peel the clementines and cut into thin slices.
Put slices on top. Add the coarsely chopped walnuts and a few tufts of fennel leaves far.

Low-fat tzatziki

For ➍
½ non-coated lemon
pepper & salt
1 medium-sized cucumber
1 sprig dill
1 clove garlic
250 g low-fat yogurt,

Wash and grate the cucumber, mix with ½ teaspoon of salt and leave to draw for about 10 m. Spoon into a kitchen towel and squeeze out the excess moisture. Wash the dill, shake dry and chop finely.
Press the garlic and mix with yogurt, grated cucumber, dill, lemon juice, pepper and saltGrate the lemon zest and squeeze the lemon.
Wash the dill, shake dry and chop finely.
Press the garlic and mix with yogurt, grated cucumber, dill, lemon juice, pepper and salt.
Serve the tzatziki with chicken skewers f.i.

Salade niçoise dressing

For ➏*
10 cl red-wine vinegar
2 ½ tbs minced shallot
2 ts French mustard
1 large garlic clove, minced & mashed to a paste with ½ ts salt
½ ts anchovy paste (or mince a few anchovy)
25 cl extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ tbs minced fresh thyme
1 ½ tbs finely chopped fresh basil

Whisk together vinegar, shallot, mustard, garlic paste, and anchovy paste in a small bowl until combined well. Add oil slowly. Whisk in thyme, basil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with fresh tuna & salade niçoise .

*It is quite difficult to get the dressing right with smaller quantities. Make some more and put in the fridge, keeping the salad ingredients apart, or take ⅓ of quantities for 2.

Read more Provençal recipes: fresh tuna & salade niçoise , Provençal garlic sauce, old-fashioned salade niçoise, Saint-Tropez (Provençal) chicken.

Spinach salad with balsamico vinaigrette

For ➋
100-125 g spinach, rinsed & dried
2 small cucumbers or ½ cucumber
200 g grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
shaved Parmigiano
balsamico vinaigrette

Rinse spinach and spin dry. Transfer to a large salad bowl.
Slice cucumbers, thinly slice carrots and halve cherry tomatoes. Toss all the veggies into the salad.
In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients: 2 tbs balsamico, 2 tbs olive oil, ½ ts salt and ¼ ts pepper. Briskly whisk or shake the dressing ingredients together.
Sprinkle the top with Parmigiano and drizzle the salad with balsamico vinaigrette.

Balsamico vinaigrette

For ➋
2 tbs balsamico
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
½ ts salt
¼ ts pepper or to taste

In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients: 2 tbs balsamico, 2 tbs olive oil, ½ ts salt and ¼ ts pepper. Briskly whisk or shake the dressing ingredients together.>In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients: 2 tbs balsamico, 2 tbs olive oil, ½ ts salt and ¼ ts pepper. Briskly whisk or shake the dressing ingredients together.
Serve with spinach salad.

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.

Niwatori shijutsu wa sarada (Japanese cucumber & chicken salad)

For ➍
2 cucumbers, julienned
2 chicken breasts
2-3 slices fresh ginger root
1 tbs sake*
½ ts salt
dressing:
4 tbs ground white sesame seeds
2 ts rice vinegar**
2 ts sugar***
2 ts soy sauce
1 tbs mayonnaise

Place cucumber strips in a bowl. Sprinkle ½ ts of salt over them. Lightly knead by hands. Set aside for a few m. Squeeze cucumber to remove the liquid.
Boil water in a medium pan. Add ginger, sake, and salt in the pan. Boil chicken breasts until cooked.
Drain chicken breasts.**** Tear into thin strips.
Mix all the ingredients for dressing in a bowl.
Put chicken and cucumber in the bowl and mix well.
Serve chilled.

*Use dry sherry.
**Use white balsamico.
***Use mirin.
****Or: put chicken in an open parcel. Add sake, salt and ginger slices. Marinate for 30 m. Add a few drops of oil. Close the parcel to a paillotte . Cook in the 180°C preheated oven for 20-25 m. Or use a microwave, cooking times depending on weight(about 2 m / 100 g).

Light avocado & tomato salad

For ➋-➍ as salad or side-dish
1 tbs minced shallot
1 tbs minced fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
½ ts Dijon mustard*
½ ts maple syrup
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
270 g gourmet tomato medley**
1 large avocado, pitted & thinly sliced
1 tbs fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped (for garnish)
100 g feta, crumbled***
salt & pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, combine the minced shallot, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, and chopped parsley. Very slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Wash and pat dry the gourmet medley tomatoes. Slice the small tomatoes in half, and quarter the larger ones. Place the tomatoes in a large mixing bowl.
Pour half of the vinaigrette over the tomatoes. Toss to combine.
Arrange tomatoes in the center of a serving platter and drizzle additional vinaigrette over top, if desired. Arrange avocado slices around the tomatoes in a single or double layer.
Garnish the entire dish with crumbled feta and chopped fresh parsley. Alternatively, you can simply toss everything together and pour into a bowl or onto a plate.****

*gluten free if possible
**or cherry tomatoes
***or crumbled goat cheese or sliced halloumi
****serve as a side dish with roasted chicken, a hearty white fish, or grilled tofu kebabs

Tomato medley with halloumi

For ➋ as a salad or for ➍ as a starter
1 fresh red chilli
½ bunch fresh basil
extra virgin olive oil
balsamic vinegar
600 g mixed cherry tomatoes
250 g halloumi cheese
1 large beefsteak tomato
for the dressing:
2 yellow tomatoes
2 orange tomatoes
4 cloves of garlic

Preheat the oven to 190ºC.
For the dressing, place the tomatoes and garlic on a baking tray and roast for 15 m, or until soft.
Deseed and finely slice the chilli and pick and tear up the basil, reserving a few baby leaves for garnish.
Once roasted, pop the tomatoes in a blender and squeeze in the soft garlic flesh, then blitz until smooth.
Add a few swigs of oil, a splash of balsamic and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, blitz again and check the seasoning, then set aside.
Roughly chop the cherry tomatoes, then place in a bowl and dress with oil, the chilli and torn basil.
Slice up the halloumi, then hit it with some black pepper.
Preheat a large non-stick pan over a medium heat, then add the halloumi in a single layer so most of the slices are touching – you want to create a doily effect with a few gaps.
Cook for 4 to 5 m, or until golden and starting to melt together, then carefully flip over with a fish slice. If it breaks, don’t worry, it will all melt back together.
Once golden on both sides, slide it onto a serving board.
Finely slice the beef tomato and lay the slices on top of the halloumi.
Tip over the dressed tomatoes over and scatter with the reserved basil leaves.
Take to the table with the tomato and roast garlic dressing to drizzle over before serving.

Lemony green salad

For ➍
1 large clove garlic, crushed (or grated, or mashed into a paste with a pinch of salt)
3 tbs olive oil
1 tbs good balsamic vinegar
1 tbs anchovy paste or finely chopped anchovies (or more to taste)*
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
juice of 1 lemon (I always use a full lemon)
1 head crisp romaine lettuce, washed, dried, and torn or chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 stalk celery (2 stalks if small), sliced into half moons
½ cup grated Parmigiano cheese
salt, if needed, and lots of freshly ground black pepper to serve

Add garlic to a large salad bowl
Add olive oil and stir and let sit for a few minutes.
Add vinegar, anchovy, Worcestershire, and lemon juice, and stir. For a thicker dressing, add half the Parmigiano now. You can let this sit while you prepare the rest of your meal.
Dip a lettuce leaf in to taste your dressing. If it doesn't taste fiercely of lemon juice, garlic, and anchovy, add more of those, to taste. The balsamic and Worcestershire should be in the background.
Just before serving, add lettuce and celery and toss.
Add Parmigiano and freshly ground pepper before a final toss.
Serve immediately.

*Replace with salt for a completely vegetarian salad.

♥︎Fat-free orange vinaigrette

For ➍
4 tbs orange juice
2 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs Dijon mustard
2 ts honey
⅛ ts coarsely ground black pepper

Put orange juice, vinegar, mustard, honey and pepper in a jar with tight-fitting lid. Shake until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. 
Use with oriental or summer salads.

*The vinaigrette will keep a week in the fridge. Shake before serving.

Yogurt vinaigrette dressing

For ➍
1.5 dl (full) natural yogurt
1 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tbs honey
 saved grapefruit juice
 pepper &  salt

Put yogurt in a jar. Add the saved grapefruit juice from the salad.
Add some honey and wine vinegar, freshly ground pepper and a little salt.
Mix the yogurt vinaigrette.
Add to a fennel & quinoa salad.

Carrot & kohlrabbi salad with minted yogurt

For ➍
for the minted yogurt:
200 g Greek natural yoghurt
2 tbs chopped mint
for the carrot salad:
2 large carrots, peeled & halved
2 kohlrabi, peeled
2 tbs sunflower oil
4 ts cumin seeds
4 ts lemon juice

Mix the yoghurt with the mint, ½ ts of salt and some pepper. Set aside.
Finely shred the carrots and kohlrabi, on a mandolin or on the coleslaw setting of your food processor so you get nice long, thin, crunchy strips.
Put these in a bowl with a large pinch of salt and mix together well.
Heat the sunflower oil in a small pan, add the cumin seeds and, as soon as they start to sizzle, add them to the vegetables with the lemon juice and toss together.
Add 1 or 2 sliced tomatoes. Serve with kofta kebabs or as a salad with a chunk of flat bread.

Miso & mushroom omelet with kale salad

For ➍
1 tbs miso paste
4 eggs
1 tbs olive oil
200 g mushrooms, chopped
200 g kale, chopped, tough stems discarded (2 x volume of mushrooms)*
½ ts kosher salt
25 g unsalted chopped raw pecans or walnuts
75 g grated pecorino Romano cheese
for the vinaigrette*
1 clove garlic, finely minced
½ ts kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
4 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 ts chile oil or chile sauce (optional)
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 ts Dijon mustard
2 ts honey

Make the salad dressing by combining the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well to combine. Taste and add more salt as needed.
Whisk the miso paste with the eggs. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and swirl in the olive oil. Add in the mushrooms and sauté for 2 m, or until mushrooms softened. Add in the egg and turn the heat to medium. Let cook for 2 m. Cover and let cook for an additional 1-2 m or until eggs are set.
While eggs are cooking, place the kale in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Using massaging motion, rub the kale leaves together to break up and soften the kale.
When ready to serve, slice omelet in strips. Toss kale with some of the dressing, chopped nuts and pecorino Romano cheese. Serve with omelet.

*use broccoli or cavalo nero instead

**use about ¼

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.