♥︎Fregola, cucumber & orange

For ➋ 

2 small cucumbers about 150 g* 

1 tbs caster sugar 

1 ts sea salt 

1 ts coriander seeds 

5 tbs white wine vinegar 

2 tbs dill, finely chopped

150 g fregola Sarda** 

2 tbs olive oil 

1 large orange

2 spring onions, finely chopped 

a handful of watercress 

To make the pickle, thinly slice 1 cucumber and put in a small mixing bowl. Mix the sugar, sea salt, coriander seeds, vinegar and dill and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over the cucumber, cover and place somewhere cool for at least 1 hour. The cucumber will darken a little in colour and soften slightly, but should retain its crunch. 

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil, salt it lightly, then tip in the fregola. Simmer for about 10 m, testing regularly for tenderness. Drain thoroughly, tip into a bowl then sprinkle a few drops of olive oil over it and toss to coat evenly. This will stop the beads sticking together as they cool. 

Peel the second cucumber, halve it lengthways and cut it into 1cm chunks. Peel the orange with a kitchen knife, taking care to remove the white pith, then cut into thin slices. Warm the oil in a shallow pan, add the raw cucumber pieces and continue to fry them gently. 

Add the spring onion to the pan with the drained fregola. Season with salt and black pepper. Fold the pickled cucumber and its liquid into the ingredients, add the watercress then stir briefly. 

Divide between plates and place the orange slices at its side. 

*When using larger cucumber, cut the slices in half. 

**Use Sardinian roasted fregola. Or plain pearl couscous

Herring salad with beetroot & potatoes

For ➋

200 g maatjes herring*

4 small or 2 large beetroots

500 g small potatoes

1 small red onion

1 tbs (grain) mustard

½ lemon, the juice

2 tbs olive oil + 1 extra dash

1 tbs wine vinegar**

1 bunch of dill

salt & black pepper from the mill

First roast the beetroot in the oven at 180 °C. Place the unpeeled beets on a sheet of aluminum foil. Drizzle with a dash of olive oil, 1 tbs wine vinegar**, a pinch of salt and pepper. Wrap the foil so that no moisture can leak out and roast 40 to 60 m in the oven. The beetroot is done when a potato knife slides through it easily.

Meanwhile, peel the red onion, cut into fine half rings and place in a small bowl. Mix in the juice of ½ lemon, 1 tbs mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside until use and stir whenever you remember. Boil the potatoes in water with a good pinch of salt (no need to peel).

Remove the beetroot from the oven. Let cool, peel and cut into wedges. Cut the drained potatoes in half. Cut the herring into pieces and finely chop the dill.

Mix 2 tbs olive oil under the marinated red onion. Place in a large bowl and mix in the beetroot, potatoes and most of the dill. Finish with the herring and the rest of the dill. Give everything a few extra turns of the pepper mill and a pinch of salt. 

Serve the salad preferably lukewarm.

* Or 200 g herring fillets in vinegar

**Or 1 tbs brine vinegar from the herring

Roasted celeriac with apple, hazelnut & ponzu/maple dressing

For ➍ 
½ celeriac

1 apple

50 g hazelnuts

50 g arugula

olive oil

pepper & salt

dressing:

1½ tbs maple syrup

½ lemon (organic)

2 tbs olive oil (extra virgin)

1½ tbs ponzu**

pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Wash the skin of the celeriac well. Cover a baking tray with baking paper. Lay the celeriac flat. Pierce the celeriac all over with a knife or fork. Brush the celeriac with olive oil. Season with salt. Place in the oven for 1 h. Brush the celeriac every 15 m with the olive oil that has run off. 

Cut the apple into wedges. 

Remove the celeriac from the oven. Cut into slices and then into slightly smaller pieces. Arrange them in a baking dish along with the apple wedges. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with extra olive oil. Raise the oven to 220°C and place in the oven for another 20 m. Turn halfway through. Roughly chop the hazelnuts. Roast them briefly in a non-stick pan, or put them in the oven. 

Make the dressing. Wash and grate the zest of the lemon and squeeze the juice. Mix with the maple syrup, the extra virgin olive oil and the ponzu**. Season with pepper. 

Serve the baking dish with the hazelnuts, arugula and dressing sprinkled on top.

*Or use the complete celeriac

**Replace with soy sauce

Caponata

For ➍
2 eggplants
½ celery
2 medium onions
2 tbs pine nuts
6 tbs traditional olive oil
400 g canned tomatoes
200 g green olives stuffed with lemon
5 tbs red wine vinegar
2 tbs granulated sugar
2 tbs raisins
2 tbs capers
15 g fresh basil

Cut the aubergine into 1½ cm pieces and sprinkle with salt. Leave standing for 5 m. Pat dry with kitchen paper. 
Meanwhile, cut the green celery and chop finely. Cut the stems into thin arcs. Slice the onion in thin rings. Heat a frying pan without oil or butter and roast the pine nuts 3 m golden brown. Let cool on a plate. 
Heat half of the oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry half of the eggplant golden brown . Remove from pan and repeat with rest of oil and eggplant. Put all the eggplant together in the pan, mix with the onion and celery and bake for4 m. Add the diced tomatoes, olives, vinegar and sugar. 
Stew with the lid diagonally on the pan over low heat for 30 m until done. 
After 15 m, add the pine nuts, raisins and capers. 
To prevent sticking, toss from time to time. Season with pepper and salt if desired.
Remove from heat and toss in the basil leaves and celery greens.

* Delicious with grilled fish, or / and couscous or ciabatta.
** You can also eat this dish as a starter.
*** You can eat the salad warm, lukewarm or cold.
**** You can make this dish two days in advance, but don't add the basil until just before serving. Keep covered in the refrigerator.

Mediterranean roasted vegetables

For ➍
1 large red onion, cut into wedges
1 large red pepper
1 large green pepper
2 medium zucchini
1 medium sweet potato (or 500 green beans or 150 g mushrooms)
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cut all the vegetables into 1.5 cm wide pieces.
Put in a large roasting pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Cover the pan with foil and roast for 20 m, then uncover and roast for 20-30 m more, until the sweet potato chunks are tender when pierced with a paring knife. The veggies should be soft and sweet.*
Serve hot or at room temperature or toss with pasta, top a pizza, stir into soup, stuff a sandwich or wrap, or toss with vinaigrette for a salad.

*Cool on a rack, then divide them into servings to keep in the fridge for a week or the freezer for about 3 months.

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.

Frizzone (Italian vegetable stew)

For ➍-➏
3 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, peeled & chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large eggplant, chopped
2 medium zucchini, chopped
2 medium carrots, trimmed & chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled & minced
1 500 g can cherry tomatoes
2 tbs tomato paste
1 ts dried oregano
20 cl water
3 tbs fresh basil, chopped
½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
½ cup olives, chopped
¼ cup salted capers, rinsed
salt & pepper
2-3 ts aged balsamico vinegar

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large, wide bottom saucepan.
Add the onion, celery, eggplant, zucchini, carrots, and garlic. Cook, stirring often until the vegetables begin to soften, about 8 to 10 m.
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, water, basil, and half the parsley, and cook until the stew has thickened, about 20 m.
Stir in the remaining parsley, olives, and capers.
Taste, and season with salt and pepper.
Stir in the balsamico vinegar.
Serve warm, or allow to cool to room temperature.

Radicchio salad @ microwave

For ➋
40 g blue cheese
40 g chive oil
25 g hazelnuts, peeled
10 g chives
120 g radicchio, half of a head
olive oil
salt
50 g buttermilk

(Optional: Place blue cheese in the freezer. While this step is purely aesthetic—frozen cheese will curl prettily when it is peeled—the freezer is a good place to store blue cheese so that it's always ready for salads and such.)
Make the chive oil with blanched fresh chives, blend them with oil, strain through a sieve.
Heat oven to 165°C.
Spread hazelnuts on a sheet pan and toast until golden brown, about 30 m.
As the hazelnuts toast, agitate the sheet pan every 5 m for even browning.
Remove hazelnuts from oven and transfer to a large zip-lock bag. Lay the bag flat on a work surface and smooth it so that nuts spread out in an even, single layer. Roll a rolling pin over the bag, repeating until hazelnuts are crushed into small crumbles.
Mince the chives.
Wash radicchio and pat dry with a paper towel. Remove any damaged or wilted outer leaves. Cut radicchio into quarters.
Dress each piece with a generous amount of olive oil.
Place radicchio in microwave-safe dish and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
Cook on high for 40–50 s. Puncture plastic with a knife to allow steam to escape.
Remove from microwave. Radicchio should be warm and wilted, with just a little crunch remaining.
Cut white core from the radicchio and assemble leaves in a serving bowl. Dress with salt, minced chives, buttermilk, and chive oil.
Just before serving, sprinkle hazelnuts over salad and shave or crumble blue cheese on top.

Batata harra (Lebanese spiced potatoes)

For ➍
2 tbs canola oil
6 potatoes, peeled & cut into medium cubes)
4 tbs cooking onions, finely chopped
2 ts garlic, minced
2 shakes cayenne pepper (or to taste)
16 tbs (cup) fresh coriander, finely chopped
¼-½ ts ground coriander
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
sea salt, to taste
6 tbs olive oil
1 ts lime juice, freshly squeezed

Heat canola oil and fry medium size cubed potatoes until crisp.
Remove onto a paper towel lined plate.
In another pan, heat olive oil and add finely chopped onion, minced garlic, cayenne, ground coriander and finely chopped coriander, sauté, then add the potatoes, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Mix well and add lime juice.
Serve with garlic sauce. Or as a side dish for marinated chicken.

Fennel & halloumi salad

For ➍
1 large fennel, thinly sliced
halloumi cheese, sliced
coriander
olive oil
butter
salt &pepper

Braise the fennel slices in some butter. Add pepper.
Bake the halloumi in olive oil.
Put some fennel slices on a plate, add the halloumi. Finish with torn coriander leaves and a dripping of olive oil.
Serve luke-warm or cold.

Agnello alla menta con insalata calda (Italian lamb casserole with warm salad)

For ➍
4 lamb steaks weighing about 400 g in total, cut into 2 cm cubes
4 tbs finely chopped fresh rosemary
4 tbs finely chopped fresh mint
3 tbs white wine vinegar
3 tbs honey
salt & freshly ground black pepper
5 tbs Italian olive oil
2 large onions, cut into 2 cm cubes
100 g white mushrooms
3 celery sticks, cut into 2 cm cubes
2 large white potatoes, peeled & cut into 2 cm cubes
1 glass dry red wine
1 glass water
Italian warm salad

In a bowl, marinate the lamb steaks with the rosemary, mint, vinegar, honey, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 4 h.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot and fry the onions, mushrooms, celery and potatoes for 5 m.
Add the marinated lamb with any juices from the marinade, mix well and cook for further 2 m. Add the wine and the water, allowing the wine to evaporate for 2-3 m. Season with salt and pepper.
Cover the pot with the lid and leave to cook on a low heat for about 90 m, stirring occasionally.
Divide the warm salad between plates, creating a nest in the centre. Serve the lamb in the centre of the vegetables.

Insalata caldo (Italian warm salad)

For ➍
3 zucchini, finely sliced
2 carrots, peeled & finely sliced
2 leeks, finely sliced
5 tbs Italian olive oil
6 tbs toasted pine kernels

Heat the olive oil in a pan and fry the courgettes, carrots and leeks for 2-3 m. Add the pine kernels and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve with lamb casserole.

Pomodori fritti (fried tomatoes)

For ➍
4 large, slightly underripe (or green) tomatoes
cornmeal
olive oil

Cut the tomatoes in thick slices.*
Roll in the cornmeal.
Have a finger of oul in a pean. Heat.
Fry the tomatoes until crisp and golden.
Drain on a paper towel.
Serve hot with sliced mozzarella and basil leaves.
Or serve as a side dish for grilled fish or meat.
Or serve on a baguette, covered with some mayonnaise and pesto.

*When you got enough time, let the sliced tomatoes rest for 30 m. Dry them with a paper towel. Roll them in flour, then in breadcrumbs. Grease the pan with a paper towel paper with some oil and bake the slices for a slightly lighter dish.
Or cut the tomatoes in half. Let the slices rest upside down for 2 h. Remove the wet inside. Dry the inside. Make a mix of bread crumbs, pepper, chopped parsley, a pinch of salt and oil. Put some capers in the tomato halves. Fill the cavities of the tomatoes with the mixture of breadcrumbs. Fry the tomatoes.

Barley salad with broiled feta & tomatoes

For ➍
230 g feta cheese, cut into 0.5 cm cubes
230 g small ripe tomatoes, such as San Marzano, halved
70 g pitted black olives, halved
10 g chopped fresh herbs such as oregano, rosemary & thyme
6 cl extra-virgin olive oil
200 g pearled barley
50 cl water
2 ripe avocados, cut into 1.5 cm cubes
455 g marinated artichokes, cut into wedges 1.5 cm thick
1 cucumber 230 g, seeded & chopped
60 g fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 200°C.
Combine the feta, tomatoes, olives, herbs and olive oil on a foil-lined baking sheet and toss until well mixed. Bake the mixture for about 25 m or until the feta has melted and the tomatoes are soft and brown.
Meanwhile, bring the barley, water and ½ ts salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer the barley for about 20 m or until it is tender. Fluff it with a fork and transfer it to a salad bowl.
Add the avocados, artichokes, cucumber, basil and lemon juice to the barley and toss to combine. Stir in the feta mixture.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve.

Dover sole salad

For ➍
4 Dover sole fillets (or another white fish)
100 g baby spinach leaves
150 g celeriac
1 lettuce
1 zucchini
1 red onion
a handful of chervil
4 dl vegetable stock
2 dl walnut oil
olive oil
vinegar
thyme & bay leaf
salt

Select the inner leaves of the lettuce, wash and spin dry. Wash a few sprigs of chervil and the spinach leaves. Let them dry.
Cut ½ red onion into rings. Take a large bowl. Mix the vegetables.
Peel the celeriac. Cut into small cubes. Cut the other ½ onion finely and fry in olive oil, add the celeriac cubes and moisten with broth. Season with salt, thyme and bay leaf. Let the celeriac gently simmer.
Mix fine, sieve and finish with walnut oil. Cut the zucchini lengthwise into thin slices. Rub the slices with olive oil and grill briefly on both sides. Season with salt.
Pat the sole fillets dry, dipping slightly in olive oil and grill on a hot grill. Turn after a few s a quarter. Season with salt.
Put a pile of mixed salad on a plate. Arrange the warm courgettes and sole fillets. Finish with some sauce.

Warm lamb salad with pomegranate & mint

For ➏
1 kg lamb (evt. boneless), at room temperature
1 onion, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
6 cloves of garlic
5 dl water
1 pomegranate
fresh mint leaves

This dish will take 6 h of slow cooking in the oven. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Heat a large pan, suitable for the oven. When hot, brown the meat, fat side down.
Turn the meat over, add the onion, carrot and garlic cloves.
Pour water in the pan, cover with alumin foil and you put it in the oven.
After 6 h, the meat will be tender and falling apart.
Slice the meat and put it in a nice bowl.
Cut the pomegranate in half, give it a few good taps on and the seeds will drop out. Sprinkle with the torn mint leaves.
Serve with Turkish bread with hummus.

*Or try a more classic approach with grilled lamb.

More pomegranate salads: pomegranate,endives & feta, pomegranate, tomatoes & garlic, pomegranate & cucumber salad, pomegranate & quinoa salad, Friuli winter salad, pomegranate fruit salad

Harengs pommes à l'huile (French smoked herring & potato salad)

For ➌-➍
1 very small onion, finely diced
¼ ts sea salt
1 tbs strong Dijon-style mustard
1 ts lemon juice
500 g small new potatoes, evenly sized, about 8, scrubbed but not peeled
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
200 g deboned fillets of smoked herring ('harengs doux'), cut into bite-size pieces*
a small bunch of chervil (substitute parsley or coriander), roughly chopped

In a medium salad bowl, combine the onion, salt, mustard and lemon juice. Let rest to take the edge off the onion.
Place the potatoes in a pan of (unsalted) water. Cover, bring to a low boil, and cook for 12 m, or until cooked through and tender (test with the tip of a knife). Drain and let rest until just cool enough to handle, then slice into 1.5 cm rounds.
Whisk the olive oil into the onion mixture. Add the potatoes and toss to coat. Add the fish and herbs. Stir gently to combine.
Serve immediately for a warm salad; any leftovers can be eaten cold the next day, with the optional addition of lettuce.

*When too salty, soak the fillets overnight in milk or water. Put on a rack, so the fish doesn't touch the bottom to avoid getting more discarded salt. Drain, rinse and dry.
Or marinate the herrings for 30 m in oil, ½ sliced carrot, 1 chopped shallot, coriander, herbes de Provens and 1 bay leave to tenderise them. Dress the plates with a layer of potatoes. Add a layer of fish or complete fillets.

Try the cold Flemish variant of the recipe.

Spinach salad with warm bacon vinaigrette

For ➍
100 g baby spinach
2 large white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
¼ small or medium red onion, very thinly sliced*
1 large egg, hard-boiled, chilled, peeled & thinly sliced**
4 pieces thick-sliced bacon (about 100 g), finely diced
2 tbs red wine vinegar
½ ts honey
½ ts smooth (Dijon) mustard
coarse salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place spinach in a large, wide salad serving bowl. Scatter with mushrooms, red onion* and coins of hard-boiled egg.
In a large skillet, fry bacon bits over medium-high heat until brown and crisp and having rendered their fat.
Use a slotted spoon to scoop them out of the skillet and spread them on a piece of paper towel briefly before sprinkling them over the salad.
Pour out all but 2 tbs of hot bacon fat from the skillet. Reheat over medium and quickly whisk in the red wine vinegar, honey and Dijon*. Pour over entire salad and season salt and pepper.
Toss gently and serve hot.

*Add the raw onion to the dressing in the skillet for the last 10 s to soften it and remove more of the bite, and pour the onions and dressing over the salad together.
**Put eggs in cold water. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, set a timer to exactly 10 m, and reduce the heat to medium. Plunge egg in icy water to stop cooking immediately and chill quickly.

Warm mushroom salad with hazelnuts & pecorino

For ➍
50 g hazelnuts
2 tbs finely diced shallots
3 tbs sherry or a white wine vinegar
9 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 kg button or assorted mushrooms, cleaned & sliced
2 tbs salted butter
175 g salad greens such as frisé or arugula
25 g mix of fresh herbs (chives, tarragon...)
1 ts fresh thyme or a couple pinches of dried
1-2 sliced shallots
125 g pecorino or Parmigiano

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Toast the hazelnuts on a baking sheet for 8 to 10 m, rolling them around once or twice to make sure they toast evenly. Rub nuts in a dish towel to remove skins then let cool. Chop the hazelnuts coarsely.
Whisk the shallots, vinegar, ½ ts salt together in a bowl and let sit for 5 m (this will soften and almost pickle the shallots), before whisking in 5 tbs olive oil.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter until the butter foams. Add half the mushrooms, half the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Sauté the mushrooms for about 5 m, until they’re softened but not limp (cooking time will depend on the type of mushrooms).
Transfer mushrooms to a plate then repeat with the second half. When they are cooked, return the first half of the mushrooms to the pan then toss in sliced shallots, cooking for an additional 2 m.
Spread salad greens on a plate. Sprinkle fresh herbs on top, if using. Spoon hot mushrooms over the salad greens. Pour three-quarters of the vinaigrette in the sauté pan and swirl it in the pan until heated. Season it with ¼ ts salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour over salad and toss carefully.
Use a vegetable peeler to shave cheese over the salad. Sprinkle with hazelnuts. Serve immediately.

Grilled salmon & fennel salad

For ➍
400 g salmon, with skin*
2 medium fennel bulbs, with stalks & fronds
100 g (or 1 can) cannellini beans**
salt & black pepper
garlic powder
olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
(rice wine) vinegar

Cut stalks off fennel, reserving the fronds. Cut the bulbs in half.

Coat the fennel with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Do the same with the salmon. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon over the seasoned salmon.

Grill the fennel and the salmon on a preheated grill, brushing occasionally with olive oil.

After everything has been turned once or twice, squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over everything. Continue cooking until fennel is slightly soft and has dark grill marks, and salmon is cooked through.***

Let everything cool a bit, before slicing fennel into pretty thin strips, and flaking the salmon off the skin.

Place into a bowl together. Add rinsed beans. Dress with olive oil, lemon juice and a bit of vinegar, and season with salt, pepper and white pepper. Toss gently.

Serve with crusty bread.****

*With skin, it's easier to grill the fish.
**Or other white beans. When using dried beans, cook them separately. (Use 40 g dried beans, they will double in size when cooked). You could use cooked green beans. Or leave the beans out.
***Salmon steaks of 2.5 cm thick would need 5 m for each side on medum, when the grill is hot enough to scar the flesh. Sliced fennel of 2.5 cm thick would need 5 m to grill, then 5 m to become sweet. A trick is to microwave the fish, about 1 m per 100 g, stop before completion, then grill the fish for 2 m each side.
****Or put it away and eat it cold the next day.

Read a similar recipe: seared salmon with fennel salad.