WALNUT ANCHOVY CHINESE LEAVES, Vegan opt

Stunning salad with flavours and textures matching its exquisite appearance...

Purple Chinese Leaf Salad with Walnut Anchovy Dressing, Asian-style 

Here's a fabulous salad - with vegan option - that is astonishing in its physical beauty and its stunning flavours and textures.

The beautiful purple leaves are simply a novelty version of the usual pale green Chinese cabbage (also known as Chinese leaves or Napa cabbage).

The flavour and texture of the coloured Chinese leaves* are not affected by the colour; they are still super juicy and crunchy and mildly sweet.  But in this recipe they are drenched in a superb walnut dressing** studded with anchovies and given an Asian twist with ginger and flaked chillis.  That takes the salad to a stratospheric levels in terms of flavour. 

Buy good anchovies that are not saturated in salt.

A vegan version replaces the anchovies with sun-dried tomatoes or olives but you'll need at least a generous tablespoon.   Whatever you choose, this salad won't be forgotten in a hurry.

Of course, ordinary Chinese leaves will work just as well - it'll still taste superb but just won't look as pretty.


Cost: max £2.50'ish   
Serves: 4; recipe halves nicely

Ingreds:
  
Sauce
   3/4 cup walnuts
   2 oil packed anchovies drained & finely chopped OR 1 generous tablespoon sun-blush tomatoes or olives
   1/4 cup oil, ideally made up of 3/4 peanut oil, 1/4 olive oil
   finely grated med clove garlic 
   1/2inch/1cm peeled ginger, finely grated
  
   2 tbsp white wine vinegar
   zest of lemon or lime
   1 tbsp lemon or lime juice
   freshly ground pepper, a little salt
   
   1/2-1 small chilli, de-seeded, membranes removed, finely diced OR generous pinch of chilli flakes

Salad  
  Chinese leaves
  2-3 med beetroot, peeled and sliced
  4 radishes
  stick celery, peeled & finely sliced
  1/4 cup fresh parsley

Method:

1. Toast walnuts 5 mins in moderate oven; watch them carefully; they go from nicely brown to overdone in a heartbeat; cool
2. Coarsely pulse half of the walnuts, the anchovies, oil, garlic & ginger 
3. Stir in vinegar, citrus zest and juice, pepper & salt
4. Coarsely chop (or leave whole) remaining walnut pieces 
5. Arrange salad ingredients prettily on a plate, drizzle over dressing
6. Scatter over walnuts, parsley and chilli if using

***M&S £1.50
*adapted from BA magazine

Tips:

• make this go further with cooked brown rice, yellow peppers & an extra anchovy, finely sliced.  Amazing.

• the walnut sauce transforms into a gorgeous sauce for pasta; leave out the ginger, add a few fresh tomatoes sprinkled with olive oil and salt, and plenty of basil.  

More salads and vegan/vegetarian dishes on NavBar/Recipes II...

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Copyright: These salads have been designed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may only be reproduced in home kitchens.  Not for commercial use.

JAZZY AVOCADO, CHICKEN & BALSAMIC SALAD, healthy, low-carb, wallet friendly

A 67 favourite - rich in buttery 'good' fats, moist succulent chicken, low carbs and a  'knock 'em dead' dressing...

Slimmers' Avocado & Chicken Salad with a myriad of vegetables

Making a salad when the week's shopping has been stored in the fridge is a sensual delight -- all that wonderful fresh salad/veg waiting to be turned into a gorgeous plateful of food.  

What really pulls this salad together is the dressing - Balsamic  and Wholegrain Mustard vinaigrette.  It's a very perky and intensely flavoured dressing that both excites and satisfies the palate.

67 used simple salad veg - nothing flash to keep costs down - and poached chicken which works really well with the dressing.  You can change it up of course, adding or subtracting veg or changing the meat but I reckon a milder meat like pork will complement the salad best.

This is a last-minute salad; leaving it sitting for too long does it no favours.

To display the salad at its best, follow the template for Fantastic Frugal Salad.

Cost: £2.00'ish
Feeds: 1-2 but is easily multiplied

Ingred:
   handful of lettuce leaves
   2-3 inches cucumber thinly sliced 
   generous handful fresh grated carrot
   3-4 tablespoons cooked brown rice per person
   handful small cauliflower florets, cooked al dente
   1 large radish, halved & thinly sliced
   6-8 teardrop or baby tomatoes
   3 1/2oz/100gm or more thinly sliced poached chicken breast (leftover roast is also good but remove skin)
   1/2 small to medium avocado

   chopped chives for garnish

   half recipe Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette

Method: (See below for a packed/picnic lunch)