Wasabi beef & plums salad

Though it sounds fancy like everything else on this blog, this is a salad very simple to make. But as you might expect it's a very special one too. The big secret lays in the dressing: an explosion of sweet, salty and spicy of which you can never have enough. Or at least I can't.



Wasabi beef & plums salad for two
2 x 150g beef steaks
1 tsp wasabi paste
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bag mixed salad leaves
4 plums
1 small red onion
bunch of radishes
toasted sesame seeds

Ginger & mustard dressing
1 tbsp grated ginger 1 tbsp grainy mustard
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar (or lime juice)
1 tbsp mirin (or 1 tsp brown sugar)
2-3 tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper

1. Season the beef steaks with salt & pepper. Spread the wasabi on the steaks and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes at least. They will change in color but wouldn't you if you were covered in burning wasabi?

2. Slice the onion and radishes. Pit the plums and cut in eights. Toss with the salad leaves.

3. Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Sear the beef on both sides. You will need to adapt the cooking time depending on the thickness of the cut, but usually 3 minutes on each side is enough.

4. Leave the meat to rest for 5 minutes. Cut in thin ribbons and arrange on the salad.

5. Put all the dressing ingredients in a jar, replace the lid and give it a good shake. Pour over the salad. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top or go for gomasio.



Combine with rice for a very satisfying & healthy lunch.

This recipe makes 0.30kilos of pure goodness.

Bacon cups with gorgonzola & caramelized pears

When I first saw on the instructables website that you can make cute cups out of bacon I just knew I had to make them. Bacon might not be the healthiest option out there, but you can make an exception from time to time. Especially if used in such a creative way. And paired with a crunchy fresh salad.


Bacon cups for four
16 thin bacon strips
150g gorgonzola
2 pears
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp butter
some spinach leaves
toasted walnuts

Salad
4 gem lettuces
1 red shallot
2 tbsp walnut oil (or olive oil)
2 tbsp sherry
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp vinegar
freshly ground black pepper
parsley

Probably the most intimidating part of this recipe is making the bacon cups. Well, don't worry, they will be ready before you realise. Now go and preheat your oven at 220°C.

Take a muffin tray (one made out of silicone is best) and turn it upside down. Wrap two strips of bacon around each cup, making sure you don't leave any big holes. Tuck the ends of the bacon strips inside - otherwise they will curl while cooking.

Place your muffin tray in a bigger oven tray (to prevent grease dripping all over) and pop in the oven for a few minutes. Watch closely. You want the bacon to brown, not to burn.

When your cups look appetising enough, take them out of the oven and let cool. Remove carefully from the muffin tray.


Slice the pears and sprinkle the tablespoon of sugar over them. This will help them caramelize more quickly. Heat the butter in a skillet, wait until it foams and add the pear slices. Saute until golden on both sides. Set aside.

Go back to the bacon cups now. Line each cup with a thin strip of spinach. Arrange some pear slices on the sides and fill with crumbled gorgonzola. Sprinkle toasted walnuts on top. Warm for two minutes in the oven, to soften the cheese.

For the salad, torn the lettuce and finely cut the shallot. Mix the rest of ingredients in a jar and give it a good shake. Toss everything together.

Arrange two bacon cups and salad on each plate and prepare to hear surprised "wows" from your guests.


P.S.: the flowers I used for decoration are nasturtiums. They're probably the easiest and quickest edible plants you can grow. I have some spare seeds if you're willing to give them a try.

This recipe makes 0.2kilos/person of pure goodness.

Chinese noodle salad

There's no asian soup or stir fry that doesn't scream for noodles. Noodles come in so many shapes, thicknesses, flavours and ingredients you can never get bored. But as summer approaches and the temperature outside is already scorching hot, boiling soup or firing woks is just out of the question.

But if you still fancy a dish full of chinese flavours, get cooking and make yourself this simple and tasty noodle salad.


Chinese noodle salad for four
1 pack of rice noodles
2 chicken breasts, cooked
1 cucumber
2 carrots
some spring onions
fresh coriander & mint
toasted peanuts

Sauce
4 tbsp peanut butter
4 tbsp soy sauce
1-2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp chinese cooking wine or sherry
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar or honey
2 garlic gloves, finely cut
thumb sized piece of ginger, grated
1 tbsp water

Mix the ingredients for the sauce. It might look chunky at the beginning, so keep stiring until it becomes smooth. Add some water if it looks too thick. Put aside.

Soften the noodles in hot water or cook according to pack instructions. Let cool.

Finely cut the chicken breasts. Slice the cucumber, cut the carrots in thin sticks, chop the spring onions.

Mix noodles with the chopped ingredients and cover with the sauce. Sprinkle with herbs and peanuts.

Gulp.

This recipe makes 0.35kilos/person of pure goodness.

Thai prawn salad

I know, it's the second salad that uses mango in only one week. The temptation is too strong as mango is such a versatile fruit you can use in any dish, from soups to roasts. It works brilliantly with thai flavours as you're about to find out.


Thai prawn salad for two
14 cooked prawns
bag of mixed salad leaves
1 mango (better unripe)
1 small cucumber
1 red onion
fresh herbs (mint, coriander, thai basil)
toasted peanuts

Dressing
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce (or soy sauce)
1 tbsp grated ginger
few drops of sesame oil
2 red chilis, finely cut

Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl. Place the prawns in the sauce to infuse with flavour while you prepare the salad.

Peel and cut the mango in thin slices. Using a vegetable peeler, cut the cucumber on its lenght in thin ribbons. Slice the onion. Chop the herbs. Mix everything with the salad leaves.

Arrange the prawns on top of the salad, pour the dressing and sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

Have a good time.


If you were wondering about the flowers: they come from my campanula portenschlagiana which is finally blooming. I'm so glad I can at last use its adorable (and edible!) flowers. Probably in two weeks time the first nasturtiums will open as well. Oh joy!


If you're thinking about using flowers in your kitchen, it's a good idea to check carefully if you are in a possesion of an edible variant. Avoid plants that grow on the side of the road and plants that were sprayed with chemicals. Unfortunately, it's the case with most plants from flower shops. But not all is lost: wait for them to bloom next year.

This recipe makes 0.3kilos/person of pure goodness.

Mango & spinach summer salad

This deceptively simple salad has got the right bold colours to make an impression at the table and a fantastic taste.

Using spinach means you can serve this salad at a party or barbecue and the leaves will still look fresh after many hours (in theory. In practice, the salad will just fly off the table, leaving no time for any kind of vegetal decay).

Mango & spinach salad for four

4 handfuls of young spinach leaves
1 big firm mango
bunch of strawberries
1 red onion

Dressing
3 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of milk
juice from half a lemon
1 teaspoon of grainy mustard
1 teaspoon of sugar
2 teaspoons of poppy seeds
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Peel and cut the mango in thin slices. Cut the strawberries in halves or quarters. Thinly slice the onion. Mix with the spinach leaves.

To prepare the dressing, throw the ingredients together in a small jar and give it a good shake. Add more milk if the sauce is too thick. Pour over the salad and dig in.

Though I never tried I have a hunch that this salad would work just as amazingly with peaches and blueberries.

This recipe makes 0.2kilos/person of pure goodness.