Prawn Salad with baby potatoes

Shrimp/Prawn Sesame Salad

Hello Friends, it’s been another Salad dinner night (J yes, we are still managing to have just Salad for dinner). So I decided to get something more than just vegetables.But just three nights down, I am already craving for nice complete meal warm and hot.

Prawn is something which you can throw in the vegetables and it works brilliant.

Frozen prawn is easily available in almost every supermarket and is like secret ingredient for me as they are peeled, cleaned and cooked ones. Oh life is so easy with the frozen prawns. Whenever I am short of ideas for dinner or lunch, I cook something or other with prawns. Quick and Easy!

I served the Prawn Salad with warm baby potatoes. So it is a mix. Cold and Warm!

Ingredients

250 grams –small prawns/shrimps, peeled, washed and cooked.

4-5 small radish-cut into 4 halves

1 small beetroot- cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tomatoes- sliced into big chunks

1 Medium Onion sliced roughly

Baby Potatoes, washed and skin on

1 celery stick sliced

Bunch of basil leaves, I used Greek basil as it is growing in my kitchen window

A bunch of coriander leaves chopped finely
Spring onions few twigs chopped roughly

2 tbsp of butter

Dressing

Juice of 1 lime

1 tsp white sesame seed

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp sesame oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Process

1.

Pre heat your Oven.

2.

Put a deep bottom pan with water on full high and let the water come to boil.

3.

Put the baby potatoes and cover with a lid and let it boil.

4.

When they are soft enough, drain the water.

5.

In a bowl, put the potatoes, butter, salt & pepper, a pinch of coriander leaves and mix it well.

6.

Put the potatoes in the oven for about 15 minutes at 250 degrees Celsius.

7.

Meanwhile heat 2 tbsp sesame oil and add the sesame seeds to it.

8.

Don’t let it go dark and add the prawns to it. Sprinkle some salt and pepper to it and stir it so the prawns are coated well.

9.

Fry the prawns for 2-3 minutes and set aside.

10.

On another deep bottom pan, boiled the celery, radish and beetroot for 3-4 minutes. They should be chunk.

11.

When done, drain.

12.

Take a big bowl, add the vegetables, prawns and give it a little mix.

13.

Prepare the dressing with the remaining sesame. Add the coriander leaves in it and give it a good whisk. Adjust the seasoning if needed.

14.

Dress the salad with the fresh dressing and we are done with the salad.

15.

The potatoes done, nicely crisp on outer and soft inside. Serve them hot. If needed sprinkle some sea salt and pepper and straight on the table.

Happy Cooking!!!

Chickpea salad with baby spinach and hint of mint...summer special

Hello Friends...
It is summer time in Britain....and it is lovely with some showers and clouds...
Summers and Salads...they go together.....
We ( my hubby and I) decided to have salads as dinner for this entire week...Different kinds and varieties...so yes, this inspired me to cook up some ideas and serve him as supper/dinner.
Started with a very simple salad with load of greens and chickpea...sprouted. Turned out very nice with the simple dressing of lime juice and olive oil...'Heaven'....my hubby said while whisking the dressing imitating Jamie Oliver :). There is something with Jamie and olive oil...well we will talk about that some other day....now is the simple veg chickpea salad with baby spinach.

Chickpea Salad with plums and hint of mint

Ingredients:
Chickpea sprouted for a two days or more more than a cup.
Fresh baby spinach a handful
2 big chunky carrots grated
1 cucumber grated
3 red plums chopped
7-8 cherry tomatoes sliced in 4 pieces
1 celery stick sliced
1 inch of fresh ginger grated
Half of a baby cucumber chopped
One big red onion sliced thinly
Handful of mint leaves chopped
Handful of coriander leaves
Handful of Greek basil

For the dressing

2-3tbsp of Olive Oil
Juice of 2 limes
1tbsp of sea salt
Fresh grind pepper

Honey to drizzle
Salt to adjust.


Process

In a big salad bowl, mix all the veggies except the spinach leaves.
Add salt to it and give it a good mix. The dressing should be properly whisked. Adjust the taste and add more lime juice or olive oil if required. Pour it in the salad bowl and give it a good mix and toss...you can do that with clean hands too..:)...

On table

On a plate, make a bed with handful of baby spinach leaves.
On the top, serve the salad anD spread a little. Spoon in the extra juice at the bottom of the bowl over the salad. Drizzle honey on top.

The ginger adds a lot of flavour to the salad and so does the mint. Just wonderful. The sweetness from the plums and the crunchiness of the carrots are amazing.
Many do not like celery in veg salads, you can avoid in that case.


One can add other vegetables too...like radish, baby courgettes, tomatoes, boiled baby potatoes and many others...

So enjoy salads and summers with us...in Haldarskitchen...
Happy Cooking!!!

Julienne salad with pea nuts and sesame seeds

A little fact:

Roman introduced the salad preparation to the world. They use to call it “herba salata”. The word herba referred to greens and the word salata referred to salad.  The greens were served raw with vinegar, oil and little salt. Very healthy. Over time, the salad preparation has changed tremendously. The simple dish took on variety of color, texture, flavour and aroma with the use of different vinegars and ingredients, raw or cooked. 

I love eating salads. This very simple and satisfying salad with one of the simplest dressing is my all time favourite. Reasons- One, quick and easy to make, two the leftovers can be easily used as a filling for sandwiches or wraps, the next morning. Third if you have a little time, you can transform this simple salad gorgeous by adding grilled chicken stripes or lightly fried prawns to it…

Ingredients:

1 English cucumber peeled

1 Carrot peeled

1 medium onion

1 hand full of rocket leaves mixed with baby leaf

Hand full of roasted peanuts with skin

2 tsp roasted sesame oil.

Pan roast the peanuts and sesame seeds.

Dressing: Ratio 3 parts of oil to 1 part of acid

3 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive oil

1 Tbsp of lemon juice +1/2 tsp of Vinegar

1tsp of salt

1tbsp of brown sugar

A pinch of freshly ground black pepper

This is a very simple dressing. A lot of variation can be done.  

For example, Mustard paste can be added with the above dressing to give it a little heat.

Directions:

Pan roast the peanuts and sesame seeds.

Cut all the veggies except the leaves into long thin strips. Mix them with leaves.

 Mix all the dressing ingredients in a bowl and give it a good whisk. 

Check and adjust the seasoning, if needed add a little salt or vinegar.  

Pour the dressing and the roasted nuts over the julienne cucumber, carrots, onion and rocket and baby leaves and mix well. And the salad is done and ready to go on the table.

P.S Left over salad can be used for baguette filling or making sandwich.

Happy Cooking!!!