Salads

Salads

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Puy Lentil Salad with Cranberries, Bacon & Gorgonzola Grilled Peach, Mozzarella & Prosciutto Salad with Orange Blossom Dressing Summer Salad with Toasted Pistachio Dressing Bread, Tomato & Olive Oil Salad Salad of Pickled Pears, Walnuts, Rocket & Gorgonzola Broad Bean & Peas with Mint & Feta French Beans & Mange tout with Hazelnut & Orange Couscous with Barbecued Calamari, Mint, Lemon & Chilli Couscous with Dried Apricots & Butternut Squash Red Onion, Pancetta & Balsamic Salad Green Bean Salad, with roast Red Onion & Parmesan Warm Spinach Salad with Pine Nuts & Balsamic Vinegar Chicory, Fennel & Orange Salad Rocket, Fennel & Blood Orange Salad Pan-fried Cavolo Nero, Salami & Borlotti Beans Artichoke, Lemon & Borlloti Bean Salad Radish & Broad Bean Salad Caesar Salad Fig, Buffalo Mozzarella & Basil Salad Figs with Young Pecorino & Honey Moroccan Broad Bean Salad True Summer Delight Summer Chickpea Salad Thai Watermelon Salad Watermelon & Ricotta Salad Seared Beef Slices with Plum Sauce & Mint Salad Shaved Fennel, Orange, Red Onion & Black Olive Salad Squid, Chorizo & Chickpea Salad Rocket, Fennel & Parmesan Salad Fennel & Lemon Salad Fennel & Feta with Pomegranate Seeds & Sumac

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

If someone was to ask me what my favourite type of dish was, I would immediately answer with salad. In my opinion salads are a complete meal. There is no end to the amount of ingredients that can be thrown together to constitute a salad. Growing up in Australia, we lived on salads in the summer. Most people think of leafy greens, diets or a rabbit when they think about salads, but today salads are fashionable and can contain a plethora of ingredients such as meats, seafood, pulses, cheeses, nuts and seeds. They can be served hot or cold and contain just about any fruit, vegetable or ingredient which you can think of.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Puy Lentil Salad with Cranberries, Bacon & Gorgonzola

Serves 4 as a starter Ingredients 125g Puy lentils 2 bay leaves 2-3 shallots, finely chopped 3 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp water 1 tsp castor sugar 60g dried cranberries 70ml red wine vinegar 8 streaky bacon rashes 80g baby spinach 120g creamy gorgonzola cheese Salt and pepper Method Wash the lentils under cold running water and then drain. Transfer to a saucepan and add enough water to cover them 3 times their height. Add the bay leaves, bring to the boil and then simmer for about 20 minutes, until the lentils are al dente. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Place the shallots in a pan with 2 tbsp of the olive oil and saut over a medium heat for about 10 minutes, until golden. Add the water, sugar, cranberries and vinegar and continue simmering over a low heat for 8-10 minutes, until you get a thick sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Drain the lentils well and immediately add them to the sauce so they can soak up all the flavours. Stir together, taste and adjust the salt again. it will need quite a lot, but remember you are adding bacon and gorgonzola later, which are salty. Set aside and cool down. Heat the remaining olive oil in a saucepan and fry the bacon in it for 3 minutes on each side, until it turns quite crisp. Transfer to a piece of kitchen paper to cool. Tear the bacon into large pieces and add the lentils, then add the spinach and stir well. Taste and see if the salad needs any more oil, salt and pepper. Transfer to serving plates and dot with broken chunks of gorgonzola.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Grilled Peach, Mozzarella & Prosciutto Salad with Orange Blossom Dressing
A substantial starter, this salad is just summer bliss, offering contrasting textures and aromas. Use the very best ingredients as it is crucial to this salads success. Taste the peaches; they mustnt be floury, but sweet and deliciously juicy. Yellow-fleshed peaches are normally less watery that the white variety, to they will char-grill more readily. Grilling though, is not essential. It will add to the presentation and give a slight smokiness but you can chose to skip this step and leave the peaches as they are. Serves 4-6 Ingredients 5 ripe peaches 1tbsp olive oil 2 red or white endives, leaves separated 50g watercress 50g baby chard leaves or other leaves such as rocket 100g thinly sliced prosciutto 1 large buffalo mozzarella, carefully ripped apart into small pieces Coarse sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper Dressing: 3 tbsp orange blossom water 1 tbsp good-quality balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp maple syrup 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Method Cut the peaches in half and remove the stones. Slice each half into 3 wedges, place in a bowl and add the olive oil and some sea salt and pepper. Toss well to coat each slice. Place a ridged griddle pan over a high heat and leave for a few minutes to heat. Place the peach wedges on the pan and grill for a minute on each side. You want to get nice charcoal lines on all sides. Remove the peaches from the pan and leave to cool. Place all the dressing ingredients apart from the oil in a bowl and whisk to combine. Trickle the oil in slowly while you whisk to get a thick dressing. Season to taste. On a serving platter, arrange layers of peach, endive, mozzarella, watercress, chard and the prosciutto. Spoon over enough dressing to coat all the ingredients but not to drench them. Serve straight away.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Summer Salad with Toasted Pistachio Dressing

Serves 4 Ingredients 2 Lebanese (short) cucumbers, finely sliced 90 (1 cup) bean sprouts 1 red capsicum, julienned 1 orange, segments removed and finely sliced in half lengthways 30g (1 bunch) chives, chopped into 2cm lengths 2 handfuls baby rocket leaves 1 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger 1 teaspoon honey 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 teaspoons wasabi 4 tablespoons olive oil 130g (1 cup) raw pistachios, toasted and roughly chopped Method Put the cucumbers, bean sprouts, capsicum, orange, chives and rocket into a large serving bowl and toss to combine. To make the toasted pistachio dressing, put the ginger, honey, lemon juice, wasabi and olive oil into a small bowl. Stir well to combine the ingredients and season with a little sea salt and cracked pepper. Add the pistachios then pour over the salad.

Bread, Tomato & Olive Oil Salad

Serves 4 Ingredients 500g ripe tomatoes 1 large red onion, halved and finely sliced 500g 2 day old white, country style bread 2-3 stalks celery, about 250g using pale inner stalks, trimmed and finely sliced 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley About 10 basil leaves, roughly torn About 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 5 tablespoons of red vine vinegar Method Cut the tomatoes into small chunks and put them into a colander sprinkled with a little salt for about 10 minutes to drain away their juices. Put the onions into a small bowl of cold water sprinkled with a little salt and a splash of vinegar. If your bread is not already in slices, break it up into chunks and put into a bowl with enough cold water to just cover the bread. Leave it for about 10 minutes to soften. Squeeze the bread thoroughly with your hands, and finely crumble it into a large serving bowl. If the bread is not squeezed enough the salad will be soggy. Put the tomatoes, drained onions, celery, parsley and the basil into a separate smaller bowl and dress with salt and pepper. Mix well and then add to the bread. Mix through well, adjusting any seasoning to taste and serve. Panzanella

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Salad of Pickled Pears, Walnuts, Rocket & Gorgonzola

Serves 6 Ingredients 200ml red wine 2 bay leaves 1 small thyme sprig 4 juniper berries 50g castor sugar 2 firm, ripe pears (comice or conference) 100g freshly shelled walnuts Bunch of rocket leaves 200g young gorgonzola cheese 3 tbsp balsamic roasted red onions Method Pour the red wine into a saucepan and add the bay leaves, thyme, juniper berries and sugar. Slowly bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Meanwhile peel, quarter and core pears then cut each quarter in half lengthways. Add to the pan and poach for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave the pears to cool in the liquid. Their flavour and beautiful ruby colour will intensify as the poaching liquid cools. In the meantime, shell the walnuts, wash and pat dry the salad leaves. Slice the gorgonzola into long, fine shards. For the dressing, put the mustard, wine vinegar and some salt and pepper in a bowl. Whisk in the walnut oil, followed by the olive oil. To assemble, dress the salad leaves lightly with 1 tbsp or so of the dressing. pile into the centre of each serving plate and arrange the cheese, pears and roasted red onions attractively around the top of the leaves. Scatter over the walnuts and drizzle a little more of the dressing over the top. Serve.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Broad Bean & Peas with Mint & Feta

Serves 4 Ingredients 175g freshly podded broad beans 175g freshly podded peas Small bunch of mint Juice of lemon 50ml extra virgin olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 175g Greek feta cup balsamic roasted red onions 2 tbsp basil oil Finely grated zest of lemon Method Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the broad beans, allow the water to come to the boil and cook for 45 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon to a colander and refresh under cold water. When cool, slip off the dull greenish grey skins to reveal the limey green beans inside and place these in a bowl. To blanch the peas, drop them into the same boiling water, return to the boil and cook for 1 minute. Drain and refresh under cold water, then pat dry and add to broad beans. Tear the mint and toss through the peas and beans. Squeeze over the lemon juice and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Toss to combine and season with a grinding of pepper and perhaps the tiniest amount of salt (as the feta will be salty). Slice the feta into long shards, or crumble it between your fingers if you prefer. Pile the salad into serving bowls and surround with the feta. Spoon the roasted onions over the salad. Drizzle with basil oil and sprinkle with lemon zest to serve.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

French Beans & Mange tout with Hazelnut & Orange

Serves 6 Ingredients 400g French Beans 400g Mange tout 70g un-skinned hazelnuts 1 orange 20g chives, roughly chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 3 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp hazelnut oil (or another nut oil) Seas salt and black pepper Method Preheat the oven to 180. Using a small sharp knife, trim the stalk ends off the French beans and the mange tout, keeping the 2 separate. Bring plenty of unsalted water to the boil in a large saucepan you need lots of space for the beans, as this is crucial for preserving their colour. Blanch the French beans in the water for 4 minutes, then drain into a colander and run them under plenty of cold water until cold. Leave to drain and dry. Repeat with the mange tout, but blanch for only 1 minute. While the beans are cooking, scatter the hazelnuts over a baking tray and roast in the oven for 10 minutes. Leave until cool enough to handle, and then rub them in a clean tea-towel to get rid of most of the skin. Chop the nuts with a large sharp knife. They should be quite rough, some can even stay whole. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the zest from the orange in strips being careful to avoid the bitter white pith. Slice each piece of zest into very thin strips. You could also just use a citrus zester. To assemble the dish, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, toss gently, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve at room temperature.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Couscous with Barbecued Calamari, Mint, Lemon & Chilli

Serves 6 Ingredients 1 cups instant couscous 100ml extra virgin olive oil 3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced 2 small red chillies, sliced 2 spring onions, sliced 10 sprigs mint, torn 8 sprigs flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped 2 tablespoons gherkins, chopped 1 tablespoon capers, chopped 1 bunch asparagus, char grilled for 3-4 minutes and slices 1 lime, juiced and zested 1 lemon, juiced and zested Sea salt and cracked black pepper 500g calamari, cleaned, scored and cut into diamonds 60ml olive oil, Method Place couscous in a large bowl, sprinkle with 2 tablespoons olive oil and pour over 500ml boiling water. Stir, cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 5 minutes. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small pan over low heat. Add garlic and chilli and cook for 2-4 minutes or until aromatic. Add garlic mixture to couscous and stir with a fork to break up grains. Add spring onions, mint, parsley, gherkins, capers and asparagus. Combine lime zest and juice and lemon zest and juice in a small bowl with remaining olive oil. Mix well and season. Toss calamari in extra olive oil. Cook on a preheated char grilled or barbeque plate over high heat for 3-5 minutes or until cooked and lightly coloured. Pour citrus dressing over calamari, toss well and combine with couscous. Serve immediately.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Couscous with Dried Apricots & Butternut Squash

Serves 4 Ingredients 1 large onion, thinly sliced 6 tbsp olive oil 50g dried apricots 1 small butternut squash (about 450g) peeled, seeded and cut into 2cm dice 250g couscous 400ml chicken or vegetable stock A pinch of saffron strands 3 tbsp roughly chopped tarragon 3 tbsp roughly chopped mint 3 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 tsp ground cinnamon Grated zest of lemon Sea salt and black pepper Method Preheat the oven to 180. place the onion in a large frying pan with 2 tablespoons of the oil and a pinch of salt. Saut over a high heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until golden brown, set aside. Meanwhile pour enough hot water from the tap over the apricots just to cover them. Soak for 5 minutes, then drain and cut into 5mm dice. Mix the diced squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil and some salt and pepper. Spread the squash out on a baking tray, place in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes, until lightly coloured and quite soft. While waiting for the butternut squash, cook the couscous. Bring the stock to the boil with the saffron. Place the couscous in a large heatproof bowl and pour over the boiling stock, plus the remaining olive oil. Cover with cling film and leave for about 10 minutes, all the liquid should have been absorbed. Use a fork or whisk to fluff up the couscous, then add the onion, butternut squash, apricots, herbs, cinnamon and lemon zest. Mix well with your hands, trying not to mash the butternut squash. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve warmish or cold.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Red Onion, Pancetta & Balsamic Salad

Serves 6 Ingredients 10 small to medium red onions 3 thick slices of pancetta, diced 4 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar cup pine nuts 2 handfuls rocket leaves Method Slice the end off the red onions, trying to keep the stalk still intact so the onions will keep hold together when cut. Cut onions in half and then peel the skin off. Cut halves into 2 or 3 pieces depending on the size. Place onions, pancetta and balsamic in a baking tray and roast in over for 20 minutes. Keep checking onions dont burn, you may want to cover with foil. Meanwhile, toast the pine nuts in a small pan, stirring constantly. When onions are soft, combine with pine nuts and rocket in a serving platter, toss together and serve with parmesan shavings if preferred although optional.

Green Bean Salad, with roast Red Onion & Parmesan

You can prepare the onions for this salad a few hours before you need them or even the day before to improve the flavour. It is important that they are quite soft, not crunchy.
Ingredients 2 large red onions 300ml red wine vinegar 1 tbsp sugar 100ml extra-virgin olive oil 240g fine green beans 2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan, plus extra for shavings 2 banana shallots, sliced thinly Small bunch of chives, chopped Salt and pepper Method Preheat the oven to 220. Leaving their skins on. Wrap the onions in foil and bake in the oven for about an hour until soft. While the onions are cooking put the vinegar into a small pan and boil until reduced by a third. Remove from the heat, stir in the sugar until dissolved, then stir in the extra-virgin olive oil to make a vinaigrette. When the onions are cooked, unwrap them and peel off their skins. While they are still warm, cut them in half, separate the layers and season with salt and pepper, and then put them into the vinaigrette. Blanch the beans in plenty of salted boiling water for about 5 minutes, then drain. Place in a bowl, sprinkle with grated parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the onion layers on your serving plates. Place the beans on top and sprinkle over the chives and shallots, drizzle some more red wine vinegar over the beans and then shave over some more parmesan. Serve.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Warm Spinach Salad with Pine Nuts & Balsamic Vinegar

Serves 2 Ingredients 1 large bunch of spinach 2 tbsp olive oil 1 small onion, finely sliced 1 clove garlic, finely sliced 1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped 1 tbsp pine nuts 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar Method Rinse the spinach thoroughly in cold water, then drain and set aside. Select a large frying pan or wok. Heat the oil over a low heat. Saut the onion, garlic and chilli until the mixture is soft and translucent. Raise the heat to medium. Add the pine nuts and cook until golden. Turn the heat to high and add the spinach. Cook very briefly, just until the leaves begin to wilt. Then add the balsamic vinegar. Stir to ensure the leaves are coated well with the vinegar. Transfer the spinach to a bowl and serve warm as a starter or side dish.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Chicory, Fennel & Orange Salad

Serves 6 Ingredients 1 lemon, juice only 35 ml extra-virgin olive oil 1 young chicory or endive unpeeled orange, thinly sliced baby fennel bulb, thinly sliced Method Whisk lemon juice and olive oil in a small bowl, season to taste, set aside. Wash chicory or endive, drain well, coarsely chop, set aside in a serving bowl. Scatter with orange and fennel slices, drizzle with lemon dressing, season to taste and serve.

Rocket, Fennel & Blood Orange Salad

Serves 2 Ingredients 1 blood orange fennel bulb 2 handfuls rocket 10 mint leaves 10 flat-leaf parsley leaves 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Sae salt and cracked black pepper Method Grate the orange zest using a zester. Squeeze the orange just enough to release a little juice and add the zest to the juice. Peel the pith from the orange and cut the flesh into segments. Remove the outer touch layers of fennel. Slice the fennel as thinly as possible you can use a potato peeler for this then soak the pieces in iced cold water. Rinse the rocket, mint and parsley leaves. Dry the leaves. To make the dressing, place the olive oil, orange juice and zest and salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and stir gently to combine. Place all salad ingredients into a bowl and then drizzle the dressing over the leaves, toss and serve.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Pan-fried Cavolo Nero, Salami & Borlotti Beans

This is perfect as a side to roast chicken but also hearty enough to enjoy as a meal in its own right. Youll need to begin this recipe a day ahead.
Serves 4 Ingredients 200 gm dried borlotti beans, soaked overnight in cold water 60 ml ( cup) olive oil 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 80 gm piece of Italian salami, cut into 1cm pieces 1 small dried red chilli, finely chopped 200 gm young cavolo nero Method Drain borlotti beans, place in a saucepan, cover with cold water, bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until tender (45-50 minutes). Drain, set aside. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat, add garlic and saut until golden (2-3 minutes). Add salami and chilli, saut until salami colours (3-4 minutes), add cavolo nero and cook until wilted (3-4 minutes). Toss through beans, season to taste and serve immediately.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Artichoke, Lemon & Borlloti Bean Salad

For 12 Ingredients 6 Sicilian lemons + juice of 4 lemons 18 small or 10 large artichokes 300g blanched almonds, toasted 8 tbsp runny clear honey 200ml extra virgin olive oil 4 tbsp thyme leaves Method Put 5 of the lemons in to a snug fitting pan with 100g sea salt and cover with water. Put a lid on, upside down to keep the lemons submerged and bring to the boil. Boil for 20 mins or until the lemons can be pierced easily with a fork. Drain and cool. Halve the other lemon and add to a large pan with your artichokes and cover with boiling salted water. Boil for 20 mins or until the inner leaves can be easily pulled from the stem. Drain and cool. Remove the tough outer leaves and then slice in to halves or quarters, depending on size and remove any chokes (furry bits!). Put in a large serving bowl and season. Cut the lemons in half and scoop out the flesh. Tear the peel in to quarters and add to the artichokes along with the toasted almonds. Combine the honey, lemon juice and olive oil with some salt and pepper and the thyme leaves and stir this in to the salad.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Radish & Broad Bean Salad

Serves 4 Ingredients 500g shelled broad beans, fresh or frozen 350g small radishes red onion, very thinly sliced 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander 30g preserved lemon, finely chopped Juice of 2 lemons 2 tbsp chopped fla-leaf parsley 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp ground cumin To serve: 200ml green tahini sauce (see basics) 4 think pita breads Salt and black pepper Method Place the broad beans in a pan of boiling water and simmer for 1-2 minutes, depending on size. Drain through a large colander and rinse plenty of cold water to refresh them. Remove the beans from their skins by gently squeezing each one with your fingertips. Cut the radishes into very thin circles and mix with broad beans, onion, coriander, lemon juice and preserved lemons, parsley, olive oil and cumin. Season with salt and pepper to taste. To serve, pile a mound of salad in one corner of each serving plate, pour the tahini sauce into a small bowl and stand it next to the salad. Set a pita bread next to them and Enjoy!

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Caesar Salad
Serves 6 Ingredients 250 gm piece flat pancetta or smoked bacon, cut into lardons 3 slices sourdough bread, crusts removed, cut into 2cm pieces 3 baby cos lettuces, leaves separated 150 gm parmesan, shaved using a vegetable peeler 6 drained anchovy fillets, halved lengthways Caesar dressing 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped 2 egg yolks 2 tbsp white wine vinegar 2 tsp Dijon mustard 4 drained anchovy fillets 3 tsp Worcestershire sauce 1 cup olive oil Method For Caesar dressing, process garlic, 1 tsp of sea salt, yolks, vinegar, mustard, anchovies and Worcestershire sauce using a food processor until combined. With motor running, add olive oil in a slow steady stream until dressing is thick, then season to taste with a pinch of sugar, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fry pancetta pieces in a large frying pan over high heat until crisp and golden, then, using a slotted spoon, transfer to an absorbent paper-lined plate. Add bread to pan and fry in the pancetta fat until golden, then transfer to plate with pancetta. Place lettuce leaves, parmesan and enough dressing to coat in a large bowl and toss well to combine. Divide among serving bowls and scatter with pancetta and croutons and top with anchovies. Serve immediately.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Fig, Buffalo Mozzarella & Basil Salad

Figs are my favourite thing to put in salads. They are a flavour I associate my childhood with. Used to pick my Nonnos figs straight off the tree in his backyard and devour it before it had even been in my hand 1 minute. The sweet flesh, still warm from the heat of the day would burst into my mouth and I would grin, ear to ear with my Nonna and Nonno, proud as punch next to me.
Serves 6 Ingredients 12 fresh, ripe purple or green figs 1 bunch fresh basil leaves 6 buffalo mozzarellas or 2 large Buffalo mozzarella 50g Rocket or chard Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Juice of 2 lemons Extra virgin olive oil Method Wash the figs and cut off the stem. Break each fig in your hands into quarters. Pick the best basil leaves from their stalks and wash, then dry them. Tear the mozzarella into pieces. Place the fig, rocket, mozzarella and basil on individual plates then season with salt and pepper. Mix the lemon juice and 3 times the volume of olive oil. Pour over each plate and serve immediately.

Figs with Young Pecorino & Honey

This is a recipe that is not worth making without perfectly ripe figs. Use black or green figs or a mixture, just as long as they are ripe, sweet and heavy. Remember figs are very illusive. Somehow, the better they look, the more tasteless they are. Fresh young pecorino is a subtle delicate flavour. Its soft texture complements that of the figs well. Equally a good quality Mozzarella will do for this recipe.
Serves 4 Ingredients 2 tbsp good quality honey 3 tbsp olive oil 600g ripe green or black figs 300g young pecorino or mozzarella 15 thinly sliced prosciutto 80g rocket, preferably wild 10g basil leaves Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Method Whisk together the honey and olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper to taste. Cut the figs into quarters. Use your hands to tear the cheese into large chunks. Arrange the figs, prosciutto, cheese, rocket, basil in layers on individual serving plates or a large platter. Drizzle over honey dressing and finish with some freshly cracked black pepper.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Moroccan Broad Bean Salad

This is a really great combination of flavours, colours and textures and, of course its best made with fresh broad beans in season. The smaller beans can be used as they are, but the mid to large ones, with tougher skin, will have to be peeled after cooking. Just pinch the skin between your nails and the bean will pop out simple! I think my broad bean combination is pretty much perfect, but you can try it with fresh cannellini beans as well if you fancy a change.
Serves 4 Ingredients 4 large handfuls of podded broad beans 2 lemons Extra virgin olive oil sea salt and freshly ground black pepper a handful of fresh mint, leaves picked 1 small red onion, peeled and finely chopped 1 tsp cumin seeds, bashed A pinch of dried chilli A handful of stale breadcrumbs 285ml creamy live yoghurt or sour cream Method First of all pod your beans, put the larger beans in a different bowl as they will need different cooking times to the smaller ones. Blanch the beans in unsalted boiling water of a couple of minutes, giving the larger ones a bit longer (dont add salt, as this will toughen the skins). Drain the beans and lay them flat on a tray to cool down slightly. This salad always works best when the beans are eaten slightly warm. If your making it in advance though, you could always give them a quick flash in the microwave just before serving. Remove the skins from the larger beans if necessary. Place in a bowl and dress with the juice of 1 lemon and 3 times as much olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add a little more lemon juice if needed feel free to adjust to your taste. At this stage I like to finely slice half the mint and add it to the beans while they sit and marinate for a little while. In a shallow pan, on a medium heat, fry the chopped onion, cumin seeds and chilli in a little olive oil. Stir and cook until softened. As the onions start to colour, add your breadcrumbs and mix these really well into the onions. Continue to cook until the crumbs are crispy and golden, them season them to taste and put to one side. To serve, divide the yoghurt or sour cream between four plates or bowls. Give the broad beans a final toss, add the rest of the mint leaves and divide between plates on top of the yoghurt. Finally sprinkle over the warm spiced crunchy bits. Sometimes I like to zest a bit of lemon over the top to give it a little edge. Fantastic served with grilled chicken or as a tapas or antipasti. Also goes great with flat breads such as pita.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

True Summer Delight

Only make this salad when the mangoes are silky smooth and not at all stringy. You should be able to cut through them like butter.
Serves 4 Ingredients 1 coconut 2 red peppers 4 punnets of cress 1 bunch of spring onions 2 ripe mangoes, peeled For the dressing: A thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled Zest and juice of 3-4 limes 7-8 tablespoons of olive oil sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Method First of all crack open the coconut. Once you have got into your coconut, cut the peppers into quarters, remove the stalks and seeds, then finely slice. Trim your cress directly from its punnet. Trim your spring onions and finely slice them. Cut the mango flesh off the stones and finely slice it. get your pieces of coconut and grate them finely. Put all these ingredients into a large salad bowl. Finely grate the ginger and lime zest into a small bowl, and then add the lime juice and olive oil. Season to taste and add more oil as necessary to balance the flavours of your dressing. Limes can be different strengths depending on their size and juiciness. Dress the salad just before serving, saving a little extra dressing for another day. Serve onto plates with a little extra grated coconut on top and eat straight away. Great just as it is or with some grilled prawns or satay chicken.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Summer Chickpea Salad

Serves 4 Ingredients 1 small red onion, peeled 1-2 fresh red chillies, deseeded 2 handfuls of ripe red or yellow tomatoes 2 lemons Extra virgin olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1x410g jar of tinned chickpeas, drained or around 4 large handfuls of soaked and cooked chickpeas A handful of fresh mint, chopped A handful of fresh green or purple basil, finely ripped 200g feta cheese Method First of all, finely slice the red onion. Then finely slice the chillies then roughly chop the tomatoes, mixing them in the onion and chillies. Scrape all of this and the juice into a bowl and dress with the juice of 1 lemons and about 3 times as much good olive oil. Season to taste. Heat the chickpeas in a pan, then add 90 per cent of them to the bowl. Mush up the remaining chickpeas and add these as well. they will give a nice creamy consistency to the salad. Allow to marinate for a little while and serve at room temperature. Just as your ready to serve, give the salad a final dress with the fresh mint and basil. Taste one last time for seasoning you may want to add the juice from your remaining lemon half at this stage. Place on a nice serving dish and crumble over the feta cheese.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Thai Watermelon Salad

Ingredients Quarter of a Watermelon 2 handfuls of fresh coriander, leaves picked 2 handfuls of rocket 2 handfuls of fresh mint, leaves picked 1 small bunch of radishes, finely sliced A handful of peanuts or sunflower seeds 115g feta cheese or ricotta For the dressing: A thumb sized piece of ginger, finely grated 1 red, 1 yellow and 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely sliced 2 tablespoons soy sauce 6 tablespoons olive oil 1 tsp sesame oil Juice of 3-4 limes Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Method Remove the skin from the watermelon and cut the flesh into small cubes, removing as many seeds as you can be bothered to. Place coriander, rocket, mint, watermelon and radishes into a bowl. Put the ginger, chilli, soy sauce, olive oil, sesame oil into a smaller bowl and add just enough lime juice to cut through the oil. Season to taste and make sure the dressing is well balanced. Place the peanuts or sunflower seeds in the oven or in a pan and warm through, then roughly pound them up in a pestle and mortar. Dress the salad really quickly. Divide between the plates, sprinkle over the hot peanuts or sunflower seeds and crumble the feta or ricotta cheese over the top.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Watermelon & Ricotta Salad

Serves 4 Ingredients of a watermelon, cut into 2cm pieces 2 large kiwifruit, cut into wedges small red onion, sliced 60g baby rocket leaves 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar 2 tablespoons hazelnut oil teaspoon Dijon mustard Salt and pepper 200g ricotta Method Combine watermelon, kiwifruit, red onion, and rocket leaves in a large bowl. Whisk sherry vinegar, hazelnut oil, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Pour dressing over the salad and toss gently. Divide the salad between plates and crumble ricotta over.

Seared Beef Slices with Plum Sauce & Mint Salad

Serves 4 Ingredients 4 tablespoons plum sauce 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns 4 spring onions, finely sliced 400g sirloin steak, trimmed 100g bean sprouts 1 butter lettuce 80g mint leaves 2 tablespoons finely chopped raw cashews Method Put the plum sauce, olive oil, vinegar, ground Sichuan peppercorns and spring onions into a bowl. Stir to combine. Heat a frying pan over a high heat and sear the steak for 2 minutes on both sides. Remove from the heat and allow to rest in the pan. Divide the bean sprouts and butter lettuce between 4 plates. Top with a scatter of mint leaves. Finely slice the beef and lat it over the salad. Spoon over the plum sauce mixture and scatter with the cashews. Serve with a warm baguette.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Shaved Fennel, Orange, Red Onion & Black Olive Salad

Serves 4 Ingredients 1 large fennel, trimmed and very finely sliced 1 orange, zested, cut into segments and juice reserved 2 large blood oranges, zested, cut into segments and juice reserved 1 small red onion, finely sliced Cup of black olives 4 small gherkins, finely chopped 100ml olive oil Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper 6 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, chopped Method Combine fennel, orange segments, onion, olives and gherkins in a large bowl. Combine orange zest and juice, olive oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour dressing over the salad and set aside for 15 minutes. Serve with scattered parsley.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Squid, Chorizo & Chickpea Salad

Serves 4 Ingredients 8 small squid (about 40gm each) 70 ml olive oil 1 small Spanish onion, thinly sliced 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 tsp smoked paprika Juice of 2 lemons 400 gm canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed 4 chorizo, thickly sliced diagonally 2 cups (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley leaves, coarsely torn 25 ml sherry vinegar Method Remove and discard head and insides of squid, including cartilage, then rinse well under cold running water. Use a sharp knife to open out body lengthways. Scrape out and discard membrane, then score flesh lightly in a cross-hatch pattern and cut into strips. Combine squid, 50 ml olive oil, onion, garlic, paprika and lemon juice in a bowl and marinate for 20 minutes. Place chickpeas in a heatproof serving bowl. Heat remaining olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat, add chorizo and cook, tuning once, until crisp (2-3 minutes). Add to chickpeas and return pan to heat. Drain squid from marinade, add to pan and cook quickly until squid just turns opaque (1-2 minutes), then add to chorizo mixture. Add marinade to pan, cook briefly until onion is tender (1-2 minutes), season to taste, then pour over squid and chorizo mixture. Add parsley and sherry vinegar, toss to combine and serve immediately.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Rocket, Fennel & Parmesan Salad

Serves 10 Ingredients 2 tbsp white wine vinegar 80 ml (1/3 cup) extra-virgin olive oil 4 bulbs of fennel, thinly sliced lengthways on a mandolin or V-slicer 200 gm wild rocket 200 gm shaved Grana Padano Method Place vinegar and 1 tbsp sea salt in serving bowl and, using a fork, mix to combine and dissolve salt then add olive oil, a little at a time, whisking to emulsify. Season to taste with freshly ground back pepper. Add fennel, rocket and Grana Padano, toss and serve immediately.

Fennel & Lemon Salad

Fennel and lemon mixed with cumin make a startlingly different tasting salad. Ingredients 1 lemon 3 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced crosswise. 2 tablespoons cumin seeds Salt Freshly ground green peppercorns 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil Method Peel the lemon, carefully removing all the white membrane. Cut crosswise into very thin slices and remove any seeds. Combine the fennel and lemon slices in a salad bowl. Add the cumin seeds and salt and ground green peppercorns to taste; mix well drizzle the olive oil and mix well let stand for 10 minutes for flavours to blend then serve.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

Fennel & Feta with Pomegranate Seeds & Sumac

Ingredients pomegranate 2 medium fennel heads 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp sumac, plus extra to garnish Juice of 1 lemon 4 tbsp tarragon leaves 2 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley 70g Greek feta cheese, crumbled Sea salt and black pepper Method Start by releasing the pomegranate seeds. The best way to do this is to halve the pomegranate along its belly (you only need half a pomegranate here), then hold the half firmly in your hand with the seeds facing into your palm. Over a large bowl, start bashing the back of the fruit with a wooden spoon. Make sure you dont hit it too hard, as you will bruise the seeds and break the skin. Magically, the seeds will just fall out. Pick out any of the while seeds which fall into the bowl. Remove the leaves of the fennel, keeping a few to garnish later and trim the base, making sure you leave enough of it still attached to hold the slices together. Slice very thinly lengthways. In a bowl mix the olive oil, sumac, lemon juice, herbs, and some sea salt and pepper. Add the fennel and toss well. Taste for seasoning but remember, the feta will add saltiness. Layer the fennel, then the feta and then the pomegranate seeds onto individual plates. Garnish with fennel tips, sprinkle over some sumac and serve immediately.

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons

Salads

My Travelling Kitchen

Kimberly Parsons