Kimchi salad

When you have to whip up a salad which does not need much of stress and which would satisfy any taste buds. I am sure if served to a European he/she would find it palatable. I designed this simple recipe so that you could work on it and innovate on it.


INGREDIENTS

1 kg cabbage
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp spring onions-chopped
1 tbsp garlic-chopped
1 tbsp ginger-chopped
1 cup soya sauce
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1 tbsp chilli flakes
Sesame (til) oil


METHOD

1. Chop cabbage, place in a bowl and sprinkle salt over it, mix well. Leave for 2-3 hours, till the cabbage is wilted. Squeeze it till cabbage has softened.

2. Mix in the rest of the ingredients mix well and transfer into jar/plastic container for storage. Seal and leave for minimum an hour, before using.

Garnish with some sesame oil.

Beef Carpaccio

Beef is considered to be holy in parts of India, being a globalised country there are vast changes that are keeping us in tune with the rest of the world. Here is one of a kind appetizer that is well known in the western countries but has found it's way to our beautiful India. Being a huge fan of beef myself, I would say this is a wonderful treat.


Ingredients:

453 gms Beef, tenderloin or flank steak
250 gms Baby Arugula, large stems removed
120 gms Parmesan Cheese
Balsamic Vinegar, aged

Preparation:

Heat up a small skillet with a tablespoon of oil. Briefly sear the beef on all sides. You want the outside of the beef to brown, but the inside should remain very rare.
Place the beef on a plate and put in the freezer for 15 minutes. This will make it easier to slice. Slice the chilled beef as thin as possible against the grain.
On chilled plates, place the sliced beef, arrange in a round fashion and place a small handful of arugula in the center. Shave some Parmesan over the beef. Drizzle a teaspoon or so of balsamic vinegar over the whole thing and serve.

ENJOY!

Chicken salad

Having a chicken salad just for dinner or having this great chicken salad stuffed into a sandwich just makes a wonderful treat for the taste buds and it is also filling. I tried it out with some chilly flakes (I am into some spicy food these days) made me want for some more, but i have become more diet conscious.

Ingredients:

½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup salad dressing
½ cup yogurt
½ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh dill
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon fresh chives
1 cup cook cubed chicken
1 cup cooks Cubed turkey
1 cup celery1 cup carat
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup raisins
cup dried cranberries
cup dried cherries
cup apple cubed
½ cup grapes

1. In a lage bowl mix together everything
2. Refrigerate for at least one hour to allow flavors to blend.

Potato salad with chilli dressing

2 lbs. Boiling potatoes

1 Fresh jalapeno pepper chopped

2 small Garlic cloves chopped

1 Tbs Sugar

1 Tbs White-wine vinegar

1 1/2 Tbs Fresh lime juice

1 Tbs Anchovy paste

1 1/2 tsp oliveoil

1/4 cup packed fresh coriander chopped

1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves chopped

2 ribs celery; sliced thin
Cut the potatoes lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 3/4-inch pieces. In a steamer set over boiling water steam the potatoes, covered, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are just tender, transfer them to a bowl, and let them cool to room temperature. In a small bowl whisk together the jalapeno, the garlic, the sugar, the vinegar, the lime juice and the anchovy paste add the oil, and salt to taste and let the dressing stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add the dressing to the potatoes with the coriander, the mint, and the celery and combine the salad well.

Mixed lettuce salad with Vanilla Balsamic Vinegratte

This salad consists of four varieties of lettuce (mache, arugula, frizze, watercress). The lettuce has to be individually washed and spin dried to remove all the water. Keep the mixed lettuce aside. Now it is time to prepare the dressing, the ratio that needs to be followed is 1 part Balsamic Vinegar, 3 parts oil, vanilla essence or fresh vanilla beans (use two beans for each part vinegar), ½ tsp sugar, salt and white pepper to taste.
Now first add the oil and balsamic vinegar and blend it, add the vanilla essence/beans, and finally add salt, sugar, white pepper and blend it, until it coats the surface of the spoon. In a mixing bowl, place the mixed lettuce and add the dressing according to the quantity of the lettuce. The dressing should be just enough to coat the lettuce.
Serve with candied walnuts (walnuts, 1cup sugar, 1 egg white, roasted in a preheated oven), strawberry halves and crumbled blue cheese.

Spinach salad with berry vinaigrette

Spinach is available throughout the year. It has a delicate texture and is high in nutrients. Scientific research has shown that spinach contains anti-cancer agents and antioxidants. If this is not enough for anybody to get influenced by this simple green leaf, it should be given a try. This leafy green can be converted into a healthy salad.
There are rows of spinach products in the market today; among them it would be impossible to miss the plastic bags containing fresh spinach leaves. You can find them cleaned and trimmed on the selves. Just a handful of this green can be just right for a serving. Once out of the bag, it needs to be used at the earliest.
Place one handful of spinach in a bowl sprinkle with salt and pepper toss with about two table spoon of berry vinaigrette which consists of blueberry, raspberry, corn oil, Apple cider vinaigrette ( mix the apple cider and the corn oil, once it emulsifies add in the berries and season, and strain through a fine chinois). You can garnish the salad with feta cheese, toasted sliced almonds, onion rings and quarters of oven-baked tomatos.

Handpulled Mozzarella with Heirloom tomato salad

When there is a combination of harmony with respect to color, taste, presentation, this is the right salad that I prefer. I prefer hand pulled mozzarella to the one’s that you can get at the supermarket, as this is more soft and can be salted to your satisfaction. To have a soft mozzarella on your plate you need to boil a pot of hot water (roll boil), pour half the quantity of water into a flat pan and crumble the mozzarella curd into this hot water. The remaining hot water needs to be kept on the stove top with the gas burning so that you have some reserve if you need, leave the curd in the hot water for about 4 minutes and let it loosen. Before you can start doing anything with the curd, wear about 3 layers of vinyl gloves to protect your hand form the hot water. Once you are ready gently pull the mozzarella and roll them into equal round balls. Make sure to release the air trapped inside them when you are rolling, by gently spreading the surface with you thumb. Once that is done immerse them in cold water (not good to put in ice water as it will become hard), so that it retains the shape. The heirloom tomato has to be cut into quarters and marinated in olive oil, sea salt & pepper. The mozzarella cheese also has to be cut into equal quarters once it is set. The cheese has to get the same marination. On the plate spread basil pesto and around the pesto sprinkle aged balsamic vinaigrette. Both the cheese and the heirloom tomato that is marinated needs to be placed alternatively on a plate. It can be garnished with brioche croutons and also pieces of basil.