SUNSHINE SALAD, LOW-CAL, low-fat, budget-conscious

Juicy fruits accompany succulent & salty meats for a magnificent carb-free salad

from the Archive

This salad was first served by the blogger at a pretty hotel overlooking a ferry terminal in Mallaig, Inverneshire; the guests loved it.  It's adapted from Robert Carrier, one of the first modern tv chefs, who was a master at translating classic French cuisine for the home cook.

The Salad's a carb-free mix of chicken, ham or salt beef, apples & oranges, and it's one of those easy-peasy holiday dishes.  Get yourself a rotisserie chicken; visit a deli and greengrocer; use up a few salad ingredients and herbs.  In minutes, you'll have an unforgettable main course.

The way the flavours and textures combine makes this a delight; in the background there's a hum of heat. 

Much of the salad can be prepared the night before.  

It's not frugal but none of the ingredients are particularly expensive and it feeds a lot of people. Make it go further with baked sweet potatoes (skins scrubbed, sprayed with olive oil and seasoned), fresh bread/rolls or soft store-bought buns, and beautifully scented baby vine tomatoes.  The perfect dessert is the I'm on Holiday Too! Easy-Peasy Chocolate Cake.

Cost: £7'ish
Feeds: 8 with sides

Ingred:
  450g/1 lb cooked chicken, skin removed (a supermarket rotisserie bird is fine) 
  175g/ 6 oz cooked ham or salt beef
  2 large or 4 small oranges
  1 c/240 ml yoghurt-mayo & zest & juice of a lemon

  4 stalks celery, peeled & thinly sliced
  1 lge green pepper, seeded, cored and finely diced
  3-4 radishes, in matchsticks 
  2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
  4 tsp finely chopped fresh chives or spring onion tops
  2 eating apples 
  8 drops tabasco or 1/2-1 tsp chilli flakes
  generous pinch cinnamon (opt)
  s & p
  soft lettuce leaves, and extra chopped chives & parsley to garnish.

Method:

1. Cut chicken and ham in 1in/2 cm cubes.
2. Remove segments from oranges (see below); halve
3. Mix yoghurt-mayo with lemon zest & juice, Tabasco or chilli flakes, cinnamon, if using, and s&p.
4. 1-3 can be made the night before, covered and refrigerated
5. When ready to serve, combine meat & oranges in large bowl with celery, pepper, radish and herbs
6. Cut apples in 1/2 inch/1 cm dice and add to yog-mayo mix, coating apples so they do not brown.
7. Remove apples from yog-mayo; add to rest of salad; gradually add more dressing until the mix is moist but not wet.  Mix well.  Refrigerate a couple of hours.
8. Serve on bed of lettuce, garnished with chives and parsley.

3. Carefully push down, up & out

Segmenting an Orange:

1. Slice off top, bottom & sides.

2. Slide knife between segments

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.