Cheap and Easy recipes

The Chopping Block: Salad Days

Paul Lewis

And so, as is customary, term’s end and the warm weather are upon us, and summer, somewhere on the post-exam horizon, stretches tantalisingly out ahead. Salad will get us there, and when we arrive, keep us refreshed. Salad can be simply a few dressed leaves; alternatively, it need not contain any leaves at all. They can be cooked or raw or combine all the shades in-between. Salad is an appetiser, an accompaniment, an edible garnish, or a meal in itself. A world of temperatures, flavours and texture is at our fingertips. Salad is almost always best dressed and tossed in a bowl before serving – drizzling dressings and vinaigrettes over salads on the plate sells us short.

Washing Lettuce and Leaves

Avoid supermarket ‘washed’ bags of mixed leaves. Look around, make your own – radicchio, cress, rocket, butterhead, endive. Be gentle. Don’t run under the tap. Place lettuce leaves whole (in the case of tight heads such as iceberg, shred first) in plenty of cold water. Allow to soak in the fridge or with some ice-cubes awhile. Gently agitate to dislodge grit. As well as cleaning, this cold-soaking will refresh and replenish any tired leaf and increase crispness enormously. Don’t pour the water out of the leaves and return the grit to the leaf; take the leaves out of the dirty water and place to drain. If the salad was quite muddy to begin, repeat this process until almost clear water is left behind. Spin carefully, or cup a few leaves in your hand and carefully do the salad shake. The leaves will crisp up even more if placed in the fridge and drained further a while longer. This transformative crisping method can apply to any raw vegetables that have been sliced for a salad – carrot, radish, celery pepper, scallions.. Chop or tear washed leaves as required.

Salad Dressing

There are no rules when it comes to making a dressing. Take some time with it, maybe make it first. The principles are that it contains fat (olive oil, sesame oil, mayonnaise, yoghurt, crème fraiche) and acidity (any kind of vinegar or citrus, tomato juice even). Try grapefruits, orange, or pickle juice. Classic dressing contains three-parts oil to one-part vinegar, but this is not set in stone. Honey, sugar and any other kind of sweeteners balance out acidity, saltiness or perhaps spiciness in a dressing. The better the quality of the oil or vinegar, generally the less we intervene. Consistency is another factor when worth consideration – do we want a split or emulsified, a thick or a thin dressing – should it stick heavily to the salad ingredients (like honey-mustard on carrot, celery, apple and walnut), or just gently coat them (balsamic and oil on rocket). Unless we are making the likes of coleslaw, Russian salad or potato salad, usually we are dressing at the last minute. Noodle salad (chilli, peanut butter, lime, ginger, scallion, soy, honey, fish sauce..), or tabbouleh (herbs, spices, lemon juice, olive oil), both benefit from chilling and soaking up the dressing a little while. Dressing is about balance and bringing ingredients together.

Salad as Garnish

When we hear a dish is garnished, who doesn’t imagine the earnest chef, with a long tweezer, delicately placing upon the plate a wildflower petal or micro-herb in the manner of a cartoon Picasso in a chef’s hat instead of beret. This kind of garnishing is little more than decoration and should be avoided. Instead, decorate with something that adds texture and flavour, that enlivens the dish – a crisp little salad, made of combinations of leaves, raw vegetables, herbs and flowers, crushed, crunchy, salty and spiced things like nuts and seeds, dressed accordingly. You have made a delicious curry for example – slice very finely, at an angle, some spring onions and strips of red chilli. Soak in ice cold water with picked coriander leaves and chopped stalks. Drain and shake, lightly dress with a little sesame oil, rice vinegar and toasted sesame seeds, artfully place on top of your curry and rice. See and feel the flavours and colours of the dish lift up to new levels.

Salad Without Leaves

Roast a red pepper under the grill, until the skin is charred all around. Cool, peel skin, remove seeds, and tear into rough strips.

On a medium-hot pan, grill a courgette that has been cut into thick wedges and tossed in a small bit salt, pepper and oil.

Combine roast pepper and grilled courgette and dress with a little red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper, chopped toasted almond and mint leaves.

Eat alongside grilled meat and fish, or add grilled aubergine and have with fresh cheese, couscous and flat bread.

Cheap and Easy recipes

By Anastasia Burton

Hello again and welcome to cheap and easy recipes that we all can make on our humble student budget. Since this is our last piece of the year lets include a couple more for some future culinary experiments. Try these out and post some aesthetic pictures on your feed because this issue is going to get yummy.

Cilantro, Lime and Pasta

INGREDIENTS: • 8 oz. farfalle pasta, cooked (use gluten free if needed) • 1 1/2 cups corn, cut off the cob (this can be fresh or frozen) • 1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced • 1/2 of a red onion, chopped • 2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped • 1-2 small avocados, diced

Cilantro Lime Dressing Blend together: • 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt • 1/4 cup lime juice • 1/4 cup cilantro • 2 garlic cloves • 1/2 tsp salt • 1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne STEPS: 1. Add all of your salad ingredients to a bowl & toss it with your desired amount of dressing. Keep it chilled in the fridge until you’re ready to eat!

Toasted chickpea crunch sandwich

INGREDIENTS: Chickpea crunch filling: • 1 tin chickpeas, mashed with a fork • 1/4 red pepper, finely diced • 3-4 tbsp yogurt • 1/2 lemon’s juice • 1/2 tsp mustard • salt + pepper • handful of fresh dill

Mix all those ingredients together in a bowl and season to taste

Toasted bread: • 2 slices sourdough (or any bread) • A dollop of butter

down, on the pan and press lightly on to them so you hear them start to sizzle 3. When they’re golden underneath, add the chickpea filling.

Banana Pancakes

INGREDIENTS: • 2 ripe mashed bananas • 2 tsp baking powder • 2 cups almond milk • 2 cups flour (oat flour OR Gluten Free

All Purpose 1:1 Flour) • Dairy free butter or coconut oil for frying

Add-Ins: • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract • 1 tsp Cinnamon • 2 tbsp maple syrup

STEPS: 1. In one bowl, mash the ripe bananas, mix with baking powder, almond milk, and any optional add ins. 2. Stir in flour and mix until combined.

Batter will be slightly lumpy. 3. Heat a skillet on the stove to medium and once it’s hot, add a little butter and spoon in about 3-4 tablespoons of batter per pancake. 4. Cook until bubbles form and then flip the pancakes until both ides are golden brown.

Gluten-free oatmeal raisin breakfast baskets

INGREDIENTS: • 1 tbsp coconut oil • 2 ripe mashed bananas • 1 1/2 cups gluten free rolled oats • 1 tsp cinnamon • 1 tbsp maple syrup + 1/2 tsp vanilla extract • pinch salt • 1/3 cup raisins

STEPS: 1. Preheat oven to 180C. Mash the bananas, add coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, salt and mix well. 2. Mix in the oats to the batter and stir well. Stir in raisins. 3. Using a tablespoon fill in a muffin cup and then press down with your fingers to make a basket shape. 4. Bake for 15 minutes. 5. Let it cool and fill in with yogurt and bananas for bananas and cream basket, peanut butter and jam (mashed & microwaved raspberries for jam), bananas, yogurt and blueberries.

Salad as a Meal

Steam waxy potato, cool, cut into good-sized cubes and season with salt and parsley.

Boil quickly in salted water some green/runner beans or mangetout that have been cut in half. Plunge into cold water to instantly cool.

Consider using cucumber –it is always better finely sliced and crisped or lightly salted awhile.

Open a can of fancy tuna and a tin of anchovy.

Chop your favourite black olives.

Dice a ripe tomato into cubes and season with sea salt.

Remove some crisp lettuce leaves from the fridge. Do the salad shake.

In a spacious bowl, place together potato, beans, flaked tuna (and some of its oil), a few torn anchovies (and some of their oil), olives, tomato, lettuces and leaves and possibly cucumber (or fine red onion, carrot or radish).

A simple dressing of olive oil, a touch of Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar and lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper is applied. The elements of this Salade Nicoise are gently tumbled around in it and the bowl is brought to table. A roll is buttered, wine and water are poured..

Pesto, tomato and mozzarella pasta salad

INGREDIENTS: • Rotini pasta, cooked & cooled (use gluten free if needed) • Cherry tomatoes, halved • Mozzarella pearls • Red onion, sliced thin • Fresh basil, sliced • Salt & pepper, to taste

Kale pesto Blend together: • 1/2 cup basil • 1/2 cup chopped kale leaves • 1/4 cup grated parmesan • 3-4 tbsp olive oil • 2 tbsp pine nuts • 1 tbsp lemon juice • 1 garlic clove along with salt and pepper, to taste

STEPS: 1. Add your pasta, tomatoes, mozzarella, onion and basil to a large bowl and pour your desired amount of pesto over the top. Toss the salad until it’s fully coated. Season with salt & pepper to taste & chill until you’re ready to eat!