Thursday, May 06, 2004

A Green Passion: Salads

© foodies date: 6May2004 with salad assembled on 23April2004
i dumped my year2003 lover: 'icecream' aka 'gelato' this year (although we still have a few ONS once in a while) for my new profound love: 'salad'. sounds like pinkcocoa is switching channel to the healthier side of food, aye? too bad. it is not so true that all salads are healthy. take for example ceasar salad, one of my favourite. its dressing is one of the most fattening dressing in the dressing world. my passion turned from the more creamy fatty salads in the winter month to ligther and more refreshing salad once summer time hit. my favourite of all is the japanese wakame & sweetcorn salad.

recently i tried my hand on western-style salad. or more so, a sydney one when i spotted 'poached salmon with greenbean salad and tomato & anchovy dressing' in Bill Granger's Sydney Food.

♥ Bill Granger's Poached Salmon with Green-Bean Salad And Tomato & Anchovy Dressing
serves 4

2tbsp salt
1tsp white peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 baby fennel, finely sliced, top reserved
4 x 175g salmon fillet, skin off
300g green beans, steamed
200g sugarsnap peas, steamed

1. place the salt, peppercorns, bay leaves and fennel top in a large deep frying pan with 5cups of water and bring to the boil.
2. cook for 5min then remove from heat. add the salmon, cover and leave for 15min.
3. remove the fish from the stock and break into large pieces
4. serve on a bed of steamed green beans, sugarsnap peas and sliced fennel, with the tomato & anchovy dressing drizzled over the top.

♥ tomato & anchovy dressing
3 vine-ripened tomatoes, finely chopped
2 anchovies, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
2tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup basil, chopped

place all ingredient in a bowl and mix to combine.

i didnt exactly follow Bill's recipe. i substituted the beans with asparagus and added in avocado.the light & tangy dressing gives the salad a very strong and individual character so i guess it would be good with any sort of in-season vegies. it should be pretty good with chicken too. there are still a few recipes that i would like to get my hands on from Bill's book. if ever you could get hold of a copy, check it out. the recipes are very 'amateur-freely' and connects with our kitchen pantries. next in mind - 'blueberry topped butter cake'.....