Fruits

Green Apple and Manchego Salad

By / Fruits, Salad / 2 Comments /

Usually, cheese in a salad refers to some crumpled feta or mozzarella sprinkled on top. But to build an entire salad based on a cheese? You need an exemplary cheese for that and Manchego fits that bill to perfection!
 
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Manchego cheese is made from sheep’s milk, and has a firm and compact, yet creamy, texture. It is light yellow in colour with a minimum fat content of 6.5% and protein content of 4.5%. A wheel of Manchego cheese is barrel-shaped, with a height of 12 cm and a diameter of 22 cm. It is a cheese that has been made for thousands of years, without any changes in the ingredients.
 
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Traditionally, the cheese was made in plaited grass baskets, which left a pattern of zig-zag weaving on the outside of the cheese. In modern times, this pattern is achieved using a mould which has a relief pattern on the inside. The top and bottom surfaces have the imprint of an ear of wheat as well.
 
A Manchego cheese has to be aged for a period of 2 months to 2 years, in the natural caves of the region. Based on the aging time, Manchego cheeses are categorised as Semi-curado (up to three months of aging), Curado (three to six months), and Viejo (one year to two years). The longer the cheese ages, it gets firmer and develops a complex flavour.
 
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During the process of maturing, a natural rind is formed around the cheese. This rind is not edible, but official rules do not allow this rind to be removed before sale.
 
Manchego cheese is made only in the La Mancha region of Spain, from the milk of the Manchega sheep. Remember La Mancha? It is the setting for the epic novel ‘Don Quixote’ by Miguel de Cervantes. Actually, the full title of the book is, ‘The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha’.
 
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La Mancha is a geographical region, a high plateau that extends to the south of the capital city Madrid reaching up to the Sierra Morena mountain range of the Iberian peninsula. Most of the plateau is not suitable for agriculture due to its arid climate and the rocky terrain which allow only hardy plants to grow. The original name given to the region by the Arabs who lived in the area thousands of years ago, was Al Mansha, meaning ‘waterless land’. The unique plants and herbs that the Manchega sheep live on are the reason for the cheese’s distinctive flavour.
 
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Artisanal Manchego cheese is handmade by farmers from raw milk while commercially produced varieties are made from pasteurised milk. It is difficult to get the artisanal variety outside of Spain, though. Yep, one more thing to look forward to, in Spain!
 
This salad, it is so simple. It has two ingredients and a dressing with three.
 
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If you can wield a knife, you can make this. But believe me… it doesn’t taste simple at all.
 
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The gelling together of the ingredients result in a delicious dish, which can be a side or a snack.
 
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Or, even a lunch!
 
Note: I have eaten this salad without adding any salt and it tastes great.

~Ria

 

Green Apple and Manchego Salad
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
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Ingredients
  • 8 oz Manchego cheese
  • 2 Granny Smith apples
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 tsp red chilli flakes
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt to taste
Directions
  1. Cut the cheese into matchstick sized pieces.
  2. Peel and core the apples. Cut them into matchstick size as well.
  3. In a bowl, combine the cheese and apple pieces.
  4. Sprinkle chopped parsley and red chilli flakes over the mix.
  5. Add salt as required.
  6. Drizzle the olive oil over the mix.
  7. Toss well and serve right away.

 

 

Green Apple and Potato Salad with Arugula and Goat Cheese

By / Fruits, Greens, Salad / Leave a Comment /

The name says it all… potato, green apple, arugula, goat cheese… what more could you ask for, in a salad? But there is still more… roasted walnuts and a tangy, spicy dressing to top it all! Honestly, this is one of the easiest and tastiest of salads that I have ever made or eaten!
 
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Though any variety of potatoes can be used in this salad, red potatoes have proved to be the best choice. Also, crispy, tangy granny smith apples go very well with the red potatoes.
 
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Arugula is my favourite salad leaf. Not ‘one of’, but ‘the’! Sometimes I keep some in a dish and keep munching on the leaves as I go about my cooking. This lovely green with a peppery flavour is full of phytochemicals, anti-oxidants, vitamins, and minerals!
 
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Goat cheese is the perfect counterfoil for the sharpness of arugula. Add some walnut for crunch, and you got an absolute winner.
 
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A simple lemon juice and olive oil dressing with a tiny bit of honey is kicked up with crushed cumin and a tiny pinch of red chili flakes. Shake together the lot, and the fabulous dressing is ready in two minutes!
 
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This salad is assembled layer by layer starting with the boiled potato slices. After placing each layer, add some of the dressing on top the layer and continue with the next layer.
 
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Potatoes, apple pieces, arugula, goat cheese, and walnuts at the top.
 
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And end with a drizzle of the remaining dressing.
 
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It’s not a good idea to keep this salad for long – in or out of the refrigerator. So you should keep all the ingredients ready – even make the dressing – and assemble it just before serving.

 

~Ria

Green Apple and Potato Salad with Arugula and Goat Cheese
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
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Ingredients
  • 4 medium sized red potatoes
  • 1 granny smith apple
  • 1 cup arugula leaves
  • ¾ cup goat cheese
  • ½ cup walnuts
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp red chili flakes
Directions
  1. Boil the potatoes in salted water, with the skin on and keep aside.
  2. Cut the apple into bite sized pieces.
  3. Dry roast the walnuts till they start to turn golden brown around the edges.
  4. Mix together the lemon juice, olive oil, and honey.
  5. Crush the cumin coarsely and add to the dressing mix, along with the red chili flakes and mix thoroughly.
  6. Slice the boiled potatoes thickly and place on a salad platter.
  7. Using a pastry brush, brush the dressing on the potato slices.
  8. Add the apple pieces, arugula and goat cheese bits, adding some dressing after each layer.
  9. Toss the roasted walnuts on top and drizzle the remaining dressing over them.
  10. Serve the salad at room temperature. Yum!

 

Sweet and Spicy Fruit Salad

By / Desserts, Fruits, Salad / Leave a Comment /

Before long, summer will be gone, summer harvests will be gone too. No more fresh fruit from the farmers’ market. And I’m determined to make the best of the last chance foods before they are gone behind the colours of the arriving autumn. Salads, salads… and lots of fruits, that is my motto for now.

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This particular salad is aimed at doing just that. Just lots of fruits, in a simple dressing. Nothing complicated, but the effect and the flavour of the combined fruit and the dressing is awesome.

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This can be a dessert after a meal, or half a brunch or even a lunch with a slice of frittata or an omelette added.

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So we start with the fruit. Any type of fruit, even slightly sour ones like kiwis, will work well in this salad.

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Most of the fruits I used are fresh, except for pineapple and oranges which came out of cans. And the liquid in which they were preserved in is not used.

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I started with pineapple cubes, orange segments, and a pink lady apple…

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Some ripe cherries, a golden delicious apple, and kiwis…

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Continuing with peaches and plums, bananas, and finally strawberries. That’s it; all the fruit in.
Now about the dressing…

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I used a pinch of red chilli flakes and a bit of chat masala, which is available in Indian grocery stores. If not, you can just use finely crushed cumin and black pepper. Juice of a fresh lime and some honey. That completes it.

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Add all the dressing ingredients to the fruits along with the lime juice and honey. Mix well. Finally, chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes at least.

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And done! Yummy spicy sweet fruit salad is ready!

 

~Ria

 

Sweet and Spicy Fruit Salad
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
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Ingredients
  • Different fruits, at least 5 or 6 varieties
  • ½ tsp red chilli flakes
  • 1 tsp chat masala (can be replaced with ground cumin and black pepper)
  • 1 fresh lime
  • 2 tbsp honey
Directions
  1. Prepare the fruit as required.
  2. Cut the fruit into bite sized pieces.
  3. Sprinkle the red chilli flakes and chat masala over the fruits.
  4. Squeeze the lime and add the juice to the honey.
  5. Pour the mix over the fruit.
  6. Mix well carefully, without crushing the fruits.
  7. Serve garnished with sprigs of fresh mint.

 

Oranges and Beets on Wild Rice – a Picturesque Salad

By / Fruits, Grains, Greens, Salad / Leave a Comment /

The most versatile among the food grains, rice is the staple food of over half the world’s population. It is the largest cultivated crop and provides more than one fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by humans.

Rice cultivation originated in the Pearl River Valley of Chine, close to 10,000 years ago. From there, it spread to countries in South and Southeast Asia like India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Legend has it that is was the soldiers of Alexander the Great that brought this grain to Europe. And when Europeans started the colonization of the American continent, rice reached there too.

There are many varieties of rice available today, each one suitable for particular ways of cooking. Like basmati for a pulav or arborio for a risotto. And if we start talking about the many many dishes that can be made out of rice, we will be here a long time. 🙂

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However, when I consider rice dishes, a salad was the last thing that came to my mind. That is, until recently. Ever since I came upon this fantastic salad made out of wild rice, it has become one of my favourites. Of course, over the course of preparing it many times, I have tweaked it quite a bit to get it to a state of perfection.

Wild rice, by the way, is in no way related to the rice plant. It is the seeds of a semi-aquatic grass that grows in lakes and river bays, in waters two to four feet deep. These grain like seeds used to be gathered and consumed by the native American tribes. Wild rice farming is of rather recent origin.

Interesting to note, wild rice is Minnesota’s state grain. And within the state, the non-farmed wild rice can be harvested only in the traditional way, without the use of any machinery.

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Wild rice is most appreciated for its rich nutty flavour, which works well even when combined with other rice varieties. For this particular salad, I used a mixture of wild rice, red and brown rice and some black Japonica rice.

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The dressing is rather creamy, the main ingredient being cream cheese. Balancing the creaminess, is the spiciness of the whole grain mustard and red chilli flakes, the crushed garlic and orange zest adding to the flavours.

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A bit of light cream is used to make the dressing easier to pour. But it should not be too liquidy either.

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The best part of this salad is to build it up. Start with the endive leaves on a serving platter. They should be placed close enough, but not overlapping. The idea is to ensure that you can life each leaf individually with the stuff piled on top of it.

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Now place the cooked rice, covering the lower half of the leaves.

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Pour some of the dressing over the rice. And do resist the temptation to scoop it up already! (I’m speaking from experience!)

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Next is the turn of the beets and oranges. Pile them up on top of the rice.

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They do look pretty, don’t they?

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More dressing on top; and a few chives snipped on top completes the salad.

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This salad can be eaten as a lunch on its own or can be served before a hearty meat main course.

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Light and refreshing, yet filling too!

~Ria

 

Oranges and Beets on Wild Rice – a Picturesque Salad
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
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Ingredients
  • 1 cup wild rice or mix of rice including wild rice
  • 2 medium beets
  • 1 can (12 oz) orange segments
  • 2 hearts of endive
  • 3 tbsp cream cheese
  • 3 tbsp light cream
  • 1 ½ tsp whole grain mustard
  • 1 ½ tsp orange zest
  • 1 garlic clove
  • A pinch red chilli flakes
  • A few sprigs of chive
  • Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
  1. Cook the rice according to directions on the packet.
  2. Skin the beets and cut them into ½ inch cubes.
  3. In a pan of salted water, boil the beets until tender. Drain and keep aside.
  4. Drain the can of oranges and keep aside.
  5. Separate the endives into leaves.
  6. Crush the garlic clove.
  7. Mix the cream cheese with mustard, orange zest, crushed garlic, and chilli flakes.
  8. When thoroughly mixed, add the cream a little at a time till the desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  9. In a serving platter, arrange the endive leaves in a single row, forming a border.
  10. Place the rice on the leaves, covering their lower half.
  11. Pour two table spoons of dressing over the rice.
  12. Mix the beets and oranges gently, and add to the platter, on top of the rice.
  13. Pour the remaining dressing over the top.
  14. Garnish with snipped chives and get ready for compliments!

A Cool Salad with Lemon-Maple Syrup Dressing

By / Fruits, Greens, Salad / Leave a Comment /

Summer is truly here… and the mercury goes up delighting the hearts of all those who have been waiting for just that. That is exactly how the day started yesterday. But by around 10 am, it was evident that the humidity was going up and the day was turning muggy. And my plans for lunch changed suddenly to reflect that reality.

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Don’t get me wrong… I’m not complaining about the weather. I don’t mind at all if the weather is muggy on a weekday, when anyway I have to stay chained to my laptop. The weekends, that is what matters. And the weekends have been glorious so far! Here is hoping that they keep that trend going till the end of the season. Don’t I have a thousand plans for the rest of the summer? 🙂

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Sooo lunch… yes, a salad for lunch; I needed to make a salad for lunch. Not any salad, but a light salad, that feels like a cool breeze. At the same time, it had to have some bulk. Watermelon! One of the fruits that symbolises summer for me. Lightly sweet, taking care of hunger and thirst at the same time. Yes, that will be the base of the salad.

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And some arugula, to counteract the sweetness of the watermelon. The slightly peppery taste of the arugula balances very well with the watermelon. Sliced black olives for an added bit of flavour and thinly sliced white mushrooms to take up the juice. Perfect combo, in flavours as well as colours!

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For the dressing, no oil. A squeeze of lemon, of course. I was about to go with a splash of honey to cut the tanginess of the lemon juice, but then remembered I had an unopened bottle of maple syrup sitting by. It was a present from a friend from Toronto, last time she visited me. Lemon juice and a splash of maple syrup, shaken up together, worked just right!

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In case… just in case you would like a bit of heat to add to the fun, include a finely minced pickled jalapeno to the dressing. Adds a good kick, but it is strictly optional.

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A salad that is a feast to satisfy all your senses!

 

~Ria

 

A Cool Salad with Lemon-Maple Syrup Dressing
 
Author: 
Recipe type: Salad
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Ingredients
  • 2 cups watermelon pieces
  • 1 cup arugula baby leaves
  • 12 black olives, sliced crosswise
  • 2 white mushrooms, sliced thinly
  • Juice from ½ a lemon
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 pickled jalapeno to add some heat, strictly optional
  • Salt to taste
Directions
  1. In a large dish, toss together watermelon pieces, arugula, sliced olives and mushrooms.
  2. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
  3. Transfer to a serving dish and chill in the refrigerator.
  4. Thoroughly shake together the lemon juice and maple syrup (and finely minced jalapeno, if using) to make the dressing.
  5. When ready to serve, pour the dressing over the salad and serve right away.