Lentil and potato salad

In need of a crowd-pleasing lunch recipe?
Here is my really simple and delicious lentil and potato salad.
Great to serve if you have lots of friends round for a light lunch. And yes, you might think that lentils are not everyone’s  favourite but hey, you will be surprised. Lentils give such a nice texture and yummy flavour that everybody will enjoy.

 

Lentil and potato salad

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

500-600 g baby potatoes
200 g green lentils
4-5 spring onions, chopped, including green parts
salt
pepper

for the dressing:
4-5 tbsp mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp white vine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
1-2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp milk or natural yoghurt

Cook baby potatoes in salted water for 10-15 minutes, till soft. Drain well and chill. Then cut into bite size chunks and transfer to a large bowl.
Place lentils in a medium-size pan and cook according to package instruction. When soft (but not mushy), drain and add to the bowl with potatoes.
Add salt, pepper and half of a chopped spring onions.

Make the dressing: in a bowl or jug place all dressing ingredients and mix well.

Add 3/4 of a dressing to the salad.
Gently mix together and garnish with rest of a spring onions. Serve immediately, adding more dressing if needed.

Voila all ready!

Red and white quinoa salad with halloumi cheese & roasted vegetables

Here is my quick-fix lunch idea. Easy, tasty and oh boy …so filling!
Great summer dish.

 

Red and white quinoa salad with halloumi cheese & roasted vegetables

Ingredients: 

250 g ready to eat Red & White Quinoa – Merchant Gourment is simply the best!
150-200 g halloumi cheese, cut into 5-6 mm slices
100-150 g chick peas, drained and rinsed
10-12 cherry tomatoes
6 baby corns, cut into bite size chunks
6 baby courgettes, cut across and then in half
1-2 tbsp oil
5 fresh mint leaves
5 fresh crimson king basil leaves
squeeze of lemon juice
100 ml natural yogurt
1 tsp harissa paste

Cook quinoa according to pack instruction. In a mean time mix yogurt and harissa in a little cup and set aside. In a large salad bowl toss chick peas and lemon juice and add quinoa when cooked. Mix all nicely and set aside.
Heat the non-stick grill pan. Toss courgettes and corns with 1-2 table spoons of oil and place on a grill pan. Grill for 3 minutes. Then add cherry tomatoes to the vegetable mix and grill for another 3 minutes or until charred and tender. When cooked add to quinoa and chick peas and gently mix.

Wipe the grill pan and heat to hot. Place slices of halloumi cheese on griddle and grill till nice and golden on the edges, then turn it over. When ready scatter the halloumi cheese over quinoa and vegetables. Gently toss.

Dress with yogurt and harissa dressing, scatter fresh basil and mint leaves and squeeze more lemon juice all over.

Bon appetit.

Mushroom and Egg Salad

Mushroom and Egg Salad

Ingredients:

4 hard-boiled eggs, roughly chopped

350 – 400 g mushrooms

4-5 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp Dijon mustard

salt, black pepper

Cook mushrooms in salted water for few minutes till soft. Drain well and chill. Then roughly chop and transfer to a large bowl.  Add roughly chopped eggs, seasoning, mayonnaise, mustard and stir all well. Garnish with fresh parsley. Voila all ready!

Celeriac, beetroot, lettuce and egg salad

My quick light lunch idea. Quite delicious actually. Dieters update your grocery list – this is something for you!

 

Celeriac, beetroot, lettuce and egg salad

Ingredients:

2-3 eggs, hard-boiled

5-6 leaves little gem lettuce

3-4 medium beetroots, cooked

1/2 celeriac, greated

1/2 apple, greated

1 tbsp raisins

1 tsp caster sugar

lemon juice

salt, black pepper

For dressing:

2-3 tbsp mayonnaise

1 tsp olive oil

2 tsp of white wine vinegar

1 tsp caster sugar

white pepper, pinch

Cut the eggs into quarters, cover and put aside.

Cover the raisins with boiling water for 5 minutes, then drain.

Grate the celeriac and apple on a coarse or extra coarse grater. Place all into a bowl and add drained raisins, pepper, sugar and good squeeze of lemon juice. Mix everything well and leave to stand for 5 minutes. Meanwhile cut beetroots into halves and then slice thinly. Coarsely chop lettuce or simply using your hands tear all into big chunks.

Than start arranging all on plates starting with celeriac and apple mix. On a top of it place lettuce and then beetroots. Decorate with the wedges of hard-boiled egg and when ready to serve pour as much dressing as you like.

For the dressing: mix together the dressing ingredients and stir well. If required refrigerate.

Homemade pork & herb burgers with rocket and meli melo tomato salad

Well, when it comes to homemade burgers I am first in a queue. There is simply nothing better! And when it comes to flavours or shapes you can extend the range of possibilities and stretch the imagination, use different spices, herbs, sauces, dips …so hey ho let’s go!

Homemade pork & herb burgers with rocket and meli melo tomato salad

Ingredients:

300 g pork lean minced meat

1 medium size onion, chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten

4 tbsp breadcrumbs

2-3 tbsp plain flour

dried herbs: thyme, parsley, sage – 3 good pinches of each,

1 tbsp soy sauce

salt, black pepper

4-6 tbsp of oil

For salad:

5-6 handfuls of rocket leaves

12-14 meli melo tomatoes

2 tbsp olive oil

squeeze of fresh lemon juice

salt, black pepper

Mix the meat with onion, egg and herbs. Add soy sauce, salt, pepper and breadcrumbs. Stir all until well blended. If the mixture seems too soft to form patties, lightly mix in more breadcrumbs. Then form into patties and lightly cover in flour. Cook on high heat for 4-5 minutes on each side.

Meanwhile prepare quick salad: mix rocket leaves, halved tomatoes and olive oil. Squeeze all with lemon juice and season.

When burgers ready serve on a hot plates with ketchup, mustard or your favourite relish. Bon appetit.