Last Salad of the Season

So it turns out that blog-writing is not something a person becomes addicted to overnight...  It may have been a while, but I didn't forget, I just happen to possess mad procrastination skillz.


I made this (DELICIOUS) salad a few weeks (maybe months?) ago and thought I'd better post it before the sunny, salad eating weather leaves us.  *note to sunny, salad eating weather: Please leave us, it is well and truly Autumn and we have had enough of you.*

Panzanella Salad

Salad Ingredients:

Olive Oil

Ciabatta Bread (6 cups, cut into cubes)

2 Lebanese cucumbers 

Yellow Capsicum

Red Capsicum

Punnet of Cherry Tomatoes, halved

1/2 Red Onion

250g Feta Cheese, cubed

Handful of Kalamata Olives, halved

Salt

Vinaigrette:

1 Clove Garlic, crushed,

Pinch of Dried Oregano (I used this because I didn't have any fresh herbs on hand...it was yummy, but is also amazing with fresh basil!)

Tsp Dijon Mustard

1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar

1/3 cup Olive Oil

Method:

Slurp some olive oil into a large frypan.  When hot, fry ciabatta in batches (with a sprinkling of sea salt) until golden brown, adding more oil as required.

Halve the cucumbers lengthways, and scrape seeds out with a teaspoon.  Chop into slices that are about a centimetre thick.  Chop the capsicums into slices about 2cm by 2cm.  Slice the onion, I like to have fairly large slices so that the bits are easy to pick out.  I love the flavour the red onions gives the salad, just don't get too excited about chomping down on masses of red onion.  Throw the capsicum, onion, cucumber and tomatoes into a large bowl with the olives and feta.

Whisk all the ingredients of the vinaigrette together (or pop them all into a jar and shake!)

Pour the vinaigrette over the vegetables, then add the bread cubes.  Toss to combine and to spread the vinaigrette about, then leave to sit for about thirty minutes.  (This bit is tricky, but definitely worth it...the salad tastes amazing when all of the flavours have had a chance to mingle for a wee while.)

YUM!!!  Cannot get enough of this salad!  

Untitled (Or Warm Cauliflower Salad and I Can't Commit to a First Post Title)

Here I am.  Blogging.  Feeling altogether shy.

I have a new Mac (Hooray!!), an evening to myself, a glass of wine (complete with uncouth icecubes, as it is far, far too hot to keep wine drinkable any other way), the Isbells on my stereo, and no more excuses!

I think I might keep things simple (at least to start with!) and launch right into a recipe.  Focus more on the dinner at this stage, not so much with the dancing.  


I present to you tonight's dinner.....

 Warm Cauliflower Salad

Ingredients:

1.5 cups brown rice
Small handful pecans, chopped and toasted
Butter or olive oil
3 anchovy fillets
4 spring onions, sliced
1/2 head cauliflower
5 reasonably sized mushrooms, diced
tin of brown lentils (I find the organic ones hold their shape better)
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp kecap manis
2 tbsp rice vinegar
cracked pepper to taste

Method:
Cook brown rice according to the instructions on the packet.  It will take around half an hour to cook, so get it started first. 

Heat some olive oil or butter (which I used...it just tastes so goooood!) in a large heavy based pan, then add the anchovy fillets.  With some stirring, they should melt into the butter in a delightful bubbly brown manner.

Once the anchovies have dissolved in a satisfactory manner, turn down the heat a little, then add the spring onions, reserving some of the green part to fold through at the end.

Chop the cauliflower.  I broke off the florets and then sliced them, so that I'd have a mixture of teeny tiny bits which would completely absorb the buttery anchovy goodness and larger pieces which would retain their sweetness and contrast delightfully with the saltiness of the anchovies.  Throw it into the pan with the bay leaves.  Stir for a minute or so, then throw in the diced mushrooms and the lentils (rinsed and drained obviously...).

Stir for a wee while until just softened.  Hopefully, this should come close to coinciding with the rice timer going off (this will depend on how much time you spent chopping and cooking, and how much time you spent deciding on appropriate warm cauliflower salad background music).

Add the rice to the pan, along with light soy sauce, kecap manis, and rice vinegar, and stir well to combine.  Have a little taste to see if you need to add more of anything, then serve and throw spring onions and toasted pecans on top!