Flat Tummy Salads

We've come a long way from lettuce, cucumber and tomato... although a simple tomato and onion salad with balsamic and extra virgin olive oil while on holiday in Southern Italy can't really be surpassed!

Hugo's Ham, Green Bean and Saffron Potato Salad
Superfood Salad (like Leon's)
Lentil Salad
Poached Chicken and Mint Salad
Spicy Beef Salad
Summer Salad
Energy Salad
Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Beetroot and Feta Cous Cous (with an orange dressing)
Avocado Salad with Wild Garlic
Jamie's Farro Salad (external link)
Salad Dressings

Ham, Green Bean and Saffron Potato Salad

Thanks Hugo, this is delicious!

A pinch of saffron
80ml extra virgin olive oil
35ml sherry vinegar
350g peeled and diced waxy potatoes (e.g. Charlotte)
100g mange touts
100g trimmed French beans
120g cooked, shredded ham (e.g. cooked ham hock)
20g curly parsley
Thyme – one sprig
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large salad bowl, pour a tablespoon of hot water on to a pinch of saffron and allow to infuse for 10 minutes.
Warm the virgin olive oil and pour this on to the saffron water, give it a quick whisk and leave to infuse for a further 10 minutes before adding the vinegar.
Steam the potatoes and when they are just cooked toss them in the saffron vinaigrette and leave to cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, boil or steam the beans and mange touts until they are just tender but still have a little bite then run them under plenty of cold water so they keep their colour and cool down quickly.
Shred the meat from a cold cooked ham hock (available from the hot counters of most supermarkets).
Roughly chop a generous handful of curly parsley and the leaves from one sprig of thyme.
Combine all the ingredients with the bright yellow saffron potatoes, season with sea salt and black pepper and eat immediately.

Back to Menu

Superfood Salad (like Leon's)

Broccoli florets
Cucumber sticks
Avocado
Quinoa
Goat’s cheese
Mixed seeds

For the dressing
Olive oil
Lemon juice

Mix it all together!

Back to Menu

Lentil Salad for 4

From Caroline Scott-Gall. Thanks Caroline - you and my dad have finally won me over to lentils!

8oz green or Puy lentils
Salt
4 tbsp olive oil
Juice of ½ - 1 lemon
Pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
5 spring onions, finely chopped
Small bunch of parsley or mint

Simmer the lentils in enough water to cover them for 20 to 30 minutes until tender, adding a little salt towards the end.
Drain and mix with the remaining ingredients straightaway so the hot lentils absorb the dressing.

Serve warm or cold.

Back to Menu

Poached Chicken and Mint Salad

This is a slightly simplified adaptation of a recipe from In the Mood for Food by Jo Pratt.

Serves 2
500ml water or chicken stock
2 skinless chicken breasts
¼ cabbage finely shredded
1 carrot cut into matchsticks
4 spring onions sliced into strips
1 small handful mint, roughly chopped
1 tsp sesame seeds

For dressing:
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp agave syrup
1 tbsp fish sauce

Poach the chicken breasts for about five minutes and then leave to cool.
Shred the chicken and add to veg and mint.
Mix the dressing, pout over the salad, toss and scatter over the sesame seeds.
Drizzle soy sauce over the top when all assembled.

Back to Menu

Summer Salad

Another delicious contribution from Caroline Scott-Gall.

You can use any combination of peas, broad beans, mange tout, sugar snaps, fine green beans and asparagus but I would suggest at least 3 in equal quantity, depending on how many you are cooking for. The peas and broad beans can be frozen but fresh are tastier.

You also need:
1 lemon
2 cloves of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Handful of mint, freshly chopped
Green salad leaves
Balsamic vinegar (it is worth buying good balsamic vinegar for its depth of flavour and lack of sharpness)

If using asparagus or beans chop them into 2 or 3 pieces. Cook your vegetables separately until just cooked, drain and quickly refresh in cold water to stop them cooking and to maintain their green colour. If the broad beans are rather large slip them out of their skins and just use the soft inner part.
Using a sharp knife or potato peeler, pare some strips of peel from the lemon and chop the garlic cloves into 2 or 3 pieces each. Toss your cooked vegetables in the olive oil – quantity depends on volume of vegetables but you want them lightly coated all over. Now mix in the garlic, lemon peel and some freshly chopped mint. Season lightly. This can all be covered with cling film and placed in the fridge until needed – overnight is fine.
Shortly before serving place your green salad leaves in a bowl. Take the lemon peel and garlic pieces out of the vegetable mix and discard. Put the vegetables with the leaves and drizzle a little balsamic vinegar over the salad.

Back to Menu

Spicy Beef Salad

From star contributor Caroline Scott-Gall.

Serves 2
2 sirloin or rump steaks
1 small, very hot chilli
1 lime
Pinch of sugar
2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
1½tsp sweet chilli sauce
2 lime leaves or the grated rind of 1 lime
1 handful coriander leaves
1 handful mint leaves
¼ cucumber
1 carrot
Bunch of watercress
8 cherry tomatoes

First make the dressing. Deseed and chop the chilli very finely, mix in a bowl with the juice of the lime, a pinch of sugar, the fish sauce, the chilli sauce.
If you have lime leaves chop them finely, if not grate the zest of a lime into a bowl then chop and add the mint and coriander. Peel the cucumber and carrot, cut into matchsticks and add to the herb mix. Halve the tomatoes, pick over the watercress, wash it and add both to the bowl. Now toss the salad with the dressing and divide between 2 plates.
Rub the steaks with a little oil, season lightly then grill or griddle them to taste – only a few minutes each side for rare, a little more for better done. Slice them into thick strips and lay these over the salad on each plate.

Back to Menu

Tomato and Cucumber Salad

From star contributor Caroline Scott-Gall.

Tomatoes, cucumber, lemon juice, chives

Peel and finely slice the cucumber. Place in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for 30 minutes then rinse under the tap and blot thoroughly dry with kitchen roll.
Peel and finely slice the tomatoes, cutting out the core if it looks coarse.
Using an open dish, layer the vegetables alternately. Season vigorously with black pepper but not salt as the cucumber will have a residual saltiness. Squeeze over the juice of a lemon and finish by sprinkling with finely chopped chives.

This is so simple but delicious and fresh.

Back to Menu

Beetroot and Feta Cous Cous (with an orange dressing)

Serves 2
4 medium or 2 large beetroot, peeled and chopped for roasting
Olive oil
100g cous cous
80g feta, crumbled
Handful of mint, torn
Sprinkling of toasted almond flakes
Seasoning to taste

For the dressing:
2 tbsp olive oil
1tsp cinnamon
Juice and zest of an orange

Drizzle a little olive oil over the beetroot in a roasting tray, season, cover with foil and bake at 180C/gas 4 for 30-45 minutes or until you can easily pierce with a fork.
Prepare your cous cous according to the packet and share between plates.
Mix all the dressing ingredients together
When the beetroot is cooked simply add to the cous cous along with the feta, almond flakes, mint and dressing.

Back to Menu

Avocado Salad with Wild Garlic

Ingredients for 2 persons
1 avocado
1 bunch of wild garlic – well washed
3 tomatoes
1 red pepper bell
2 tbsp. of cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
Some sea salt or organic salt to taste
1 pinch of cayenne pepper

Cut the peeled avocado and the pepper bell first in half and then in thin slices. Chop the tomatoes in cubes and put everything in a medium-sized bowl.
Then chop the wild garlic in very fine pieces and also put it into the bowl. Pour over the olive oil, mix well and taste with salt and pepper.

Back to Menu

Energy Salad

Cruciferous vegetables are full of nutrients that are healthy in just about every way possible for food! They have anti-cancer properties, help to keep your heart healthy and generally boost your vitality.

To assemble an energy salad simply chop up ultra fresh and crunchy cabbage, fennel and carrot very fine, sprinkle with sesame seeds, squeeze over lemon juice and a little hazelnut oil. Vitality on a plate!

Back to Menu

Healthy Salad Dressings

Super Simple

Extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, fresh thyme, sea salt and ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil, lemon balm, red wine vinegar, sea salt and ground black pepper
Sesame oil, fresh lime juice, tamari
Extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon or orange juice, agave syrup and ground black pepper
Avocado oil, lemon juice, sea salt and ground black pepper

Best on the web

Jamie's bashed-up pinenut, basil and balsamic dressing
Jo Pratt's lime and chilli dressing

Back to Menu