EXOTIC DUCK & PINEAPPLE SALAD,: Financial Indulgence: easy-peasy no added sugar Indulgence

A gorgeous thrown-together exotic salad with or without Chinatown's help...refreshing and lower fat, too

updated July 2022; first posted 2019

This is a lovely chilled juicy, meaty salad for a special occasion
'The blend of sauce, meat and fruit is amazing. Lovely summer meal!'

                                                   
During a heat wave, it's great to have reliable suppliers for cooked meats.  Supermarkets' BBQ chicken and independent butchers' roast belly pork, which 67 enthusiastically recommends (See Almost No-Cooking Noodle Dishes), has saved many a cook's bacon.  

But did you know that it's also possible to buy take-away roast duck (whole or half) from your local Chinese restaurant or in London's Chinatown?  

Prices range from £12.75 for a pre-cut half duck from the supermarket Loon Fong  on Gerrard Street (first aisle on left on entry) to £35'ish for a whole duck from a good Chinese restaurant.

67 tested the supermarket duck and it was very good - succulent & tasty. Bring to room temperature; scrape fat from skin & remove bones.  Cut flesh to desired size. Eat within 2 days of opening.  

But if you have the time and inclination, cooking your own duck is very satisfying and the meat is really, really moist and tasty. 

67goingon50's lower-fat Peking Duck is easy but planning is required.  You'll need to cook the duck a day before it is required.

A good-quality whole raw duck is about £20 at an independent butcher*. 

The wallet-conscious can use supermarket ducks. PLEASE CHECK PRICES AS MANY PRODUCTS CHANGE PRICES WITHOUT NOTICE. Greshingham whole ducks have been a tenner at Waitrose & M&S; legs and breasts are often on two-fer or three-fer offers for under a tenner.  OR you could save yourself the bother and buy pre-cooked duck portions at M&S. (See tips below.) ) 

 

Exotic Duck & Pineapple Salad is prepared in two stages, starting the day before, which makes life even easier.  The dressing and pineapple are prepared in advance;  the duck can be chopped into bite-sized pieces before assembly.

The dressing is a slightly sweet compliment to the duck but if you're serving adult guests you could double the amount of chilli and add 4-10 drops of tabasco. 

It's a show-stopping dish for special guests. 


Cost: See above 

Serves: 3-4 but multiplies easily

Ingred:
   1/2 cooked duck, flesh only, free of fat, in bite sized pieces (about 1.5 cups)
   about 1 cup fresh pineapple wedges (pref) or drained pineapple chunks in juice, not syrup

Dressing**: 
Finely Chopped   
   1 shallot or whites of 3-4 spring onions
   1 small carrot
   30g fresh peeled ginger (can be grated)
   4-5 cm, cleaned peeled celery
   half small red chilli, de-seeded & de-membraned
   1/2 tbsp chives 
   1/2 tbsp fresh coriander
Mixed with:
   1 tbsp tomato sauce/ketchup, low-sugar if poss
   1/2 tbsp reduced-salt (not low-salt) soy sauce
   1 tsp balsamic vinegar
   50-60gm peanut oil
   pepper & salt

3-4 spring onions, green only, finely sliced

  Salad: soft sweet leaves like lambs' lettuce or Sweet Rosa Verdi (opt), torn in generous bite-sized pieces 

Method:

1. Mix all sauce ingredients apart from the green of spring onions in a large jar with a tight fitting lid; refrigerate at least overnight or one day to allow flavours to infuse
2. Before serving, add spring onions to dressing; screw lid on tightly; shake briskly
3. Remove skin & fat from the duck, discard; cut meat into bite-sized pieces
4. Mix duck and pineapple pieces; pour over enough sauce to moisten
5. Taste, check seasoning.  Rest for a couple of hours or even overnight.
6. If serving on salad leaves, dribble some of the dressing over the leaves first.  

Comments:

'The blend of sauce, meat and fruit is amazing. Who would have thought? I personally think the spice level is great as it gets a lovely blend of the Chinese style duck flavour of peking duck with the summer flavour of the pineapple. Suprise was the salad had been at the back of the fridge so was ice cold.  Lovely summer meal!' Political Agent

Tips:

• If ordering a duck from a Chinese restaurant for take-away, be sure to specify roast duck; otherwise you could end up paying double for Peking Duck with all the trimmings - pancakes etc.
• See  How to carve a fresh pineapple 

*Barrets on Englands Lane, North London

**adapted from Mark Hix's City AM column

Duck facts:  Ducks have the same nutritional value of chicken or turkey.  They are higher in fat but 2/3 of the fat is unsaturated.  Braised in a slow cooker (lower-fat Peking Duck), and cooled, the fat is easily removed. 

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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.  

SPICED PEACH & CUCUMBER SALAD, Vegan, low-carb, healthier

A tantalizing treat for the tastebuds - definitely not your run-of-the-mill summer salad...

A treat for the tastebuds: Spiced Peach & Cucumber Salad
'So lovely & innovative, a beautiful combination of flavours & textures.' 'Tremendous!' Tasters

This unusual, taste-bud-tickling recipe puts paid to the assumption that summer salads are boring.  How can peaches, cucumber and avocado in a spicy Middle Eastern dressing be anything but intriguing?  It is a gustatory treat with layers of flavour and crunch. 

Kids may not like it and it may not be for everyone.  But anyone looking for a taste adventure will be thrilled.

The recipe is vegan but has none of the usual associations with vegan food.

It's adapted from Bon Appetite magazine via Kismet restaurant in Los Angeles.  Obviously 67's recipe doesn't include artisan ingredients or require elegant cooking techniques fit for a high-status paying customer waiting to be impressed.  

67's Spiced Peach & Cucumber Salad is aimed at the home cook with standard cupboard ingredients and common-all-garden cooking skills. But that won't lessen the dish's impact.  

There's no substitute for the fresh parsley & coriander -- they're important for maximum flavour.  Use up the rest of the herbs in vegan summer burgers or the easy-peasy lettuce salad with green herb dressing. 

The salad does not sit well; it's best assembled at the last minute.   

Cost: £2.50'ish

Feeds: 6-8

Ingred:

   1/3 cup pumpkin seeds 

   1/2 tbsp olive oil

   pepper & salt

  1 cardamon pod (opt)

  1 tsp cloves

  1/2 tsp dried coriander

  1/2 tsp cumin

  1 med red chilli, de-seeded & membranes removed) finely diced

  1 med garlic clove, grated

  3 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped

  3 tbsp fresh coriander, leaves & stems, 

finely chopped

  3-4 tbsp lemon juice

  about 14 in/30cm (about 1 1/2 cucumbers) de-seeded 

  4 yellow peaches or nectarines

  1 avocado

  Garnish: 1 tsp toasted sesame, pumpkin seeds, a few tender cilantro leaves on stems 

Method:

GRAPEFRUIT & MINT SALAD, Dieter's Delight, Triple Duty: vegans & meat & fish eaters, healthy

A juicy, refreshingly tasty low-fat, low-carb accompaniment to cold meat, fish & avocado

Frugal Dieter's Delight: Grapefruit & Mint Salad with Leftover Chicken

This juicy, refreshing salad* goes with everything and is a doddle to put together.

67 tested it with chicken, smoked mackerel and avocado.  67's favourite is the chicken but in all cases, the tangy grapefruit and sharp mint provided a lively counterpoint.  For vegetarians and vegans, a well-flavoured firm tofu could replace the avo.  (Try a 20-minute marinade of 1-1 of soy sauce & sherry, and 1/2 to 1/2 minced ginger & garlic.)

Wallet-friendly, the salad uses up leftovers nicely.  It doesn't need exotic cupboard ingredients but is still full of flavour.   

Fresh mint is best (a small pack will set you back about a pound) but can be used in fruit smoothies or the absolutely gorgeous home-made felafel.

Cost: £1.50

Feeds: 4 - doubles easily

Ingred:

  1/2 round lettuce

  1/2 cos lettuce

  1 grapefruit (pink is fine)

  1 tsp lemon juice

  1 tsp dry white wine/grape juice

  2 1/2 tbsp olive oil

  pepper & salt

  4-5 good-sized leaves mint, finely chopped

Method:

PEAR, SPINACH AND HAZELNUT CHICKEN SALAD, Almost Instant, vegetarian option, leftovers,

Take advantage of the lovely glossy spinach leaves and crisp juicy pears now available in supermarkets

Cooked chicken makes this supper very quick and easy....and much better
than processed food.

Fruit, leaves, nuts and cooked protein make a refreshing, satisfying low-calorie meal -- almost instantly.

As good for you as this recipe is, Chicken, Pear & Hazlenut Salad is delicious in a beautifully understated way.  The sweet crisp juiciness of ripe pears, crunchy nuts, succulent chicken and soft leaves are generously cloaked in a delicate creamy sauce.  It's main appeal will be female singletons, kids and the older generation but 67 knows some Australian males also love fruit/protein combos.

Lovely Rocha pears (the fat, dearer ones) were used in this recipe, mainly because they were on sale, but any pear will do. The spinach leaves can be replaced by a soft leafed English lettuce.  For vegetarians, pears, nuts and soft blue Cambazola cheese is a perfect combination. 

Check the pear skins.  Thick skins are unpleasant to eat and need to be removed by peeling; the taste and texture of the final result are so much better.  

Cost: min £1.50'ish, more if you have to buy cooked chicken 
Serves: 1

Ingred:
   handful of washed, de-stemmed spinach OR soft English lettuce
   1/2 large pear, core removed, peeled 
   50-100 gms cooked chicken meat
   2 tablespoons coarsely chopped hazelnuts

Dressing:   

   2 tbsp strained yoghurt
   1 tbsp mayonnaise
   1/2 tsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice
   1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest (opt)
   pepper & salt

Method:

1. Toast hazelnuts in a frying pan over med heat until light brown
2. Mix yoghurt, mayo, white wine vinegar/lemon juce & light seasoning in a bowl to a pouring consistency; set aside
3. Cut pear into thin vertical slices
4. Shred chicken into long pieces about the same size as pears
5. Heap leaves on a plate
6. Arrange pear slices on top
   
   in a pinwheel shape with thin end in the middle; sprinkle hazelnuts over, leaving a few for garnish
7. Arrange shredded chicken similarly 
8. Garnish with hazelnuts
9. Generously pour over dressing 

 Tips

• toast double the amount of hazelnuts and store half in an air-right container for next time
• soft blue cheeses are high in fat but big on flavour; a small amount goes a long way
• if carbs are required, serve with fresh easy-peasy almost instant bagels

                              More summer salads on Nav Bar/RecipesII/Salads...

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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.