Fresh Hunger | create a little cookery magic

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10 summer side salads get a makeover – part 2

Have you been making the same side salads for barbecues, picnics and pot luck for years? In this two-part series we take humble side salads – bean, potato, coleslaw, pasta, Greek, zucchini, corn, broccoli, cucumber and carrot, and give them a bit of a makeover. Some more drastic than others but all totally delicious and simple to make…so let’s start with…corn salad in – 10 summer side salads get a makeover – part 2. 

10 summer side salads get a makeover - part 2

Fresh corn is blanched then shaved off the cob and tossed with fresh basil, peppers, black beans, bacon, jalapenos and tossed with a smoky, sweet dressing. I call this a “side salad” but it’s so good you’ll want to eat it – as is.

corn salad with smoky dressing
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Ingredients
  1. 5 ears of corn, shucked
  2. salt & freshly ground pepper
  3. 10 slices of bacon, cooked according to package directions
  4. 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
  5. 2 large red bell peppers, trimmed & diced
  6. 15.5oz (439g) can black beans, rinsed & drained
  7. 2 jalapeno peppers, trimmed, seeded & diced
  8. 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus extra to serve
  9. SMOKY SWEET DRESSING
  10. 1/3 cup olive oil
  11. 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
  12. 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  13. 2 tablespoons water
  14. 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  15. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  16. 1 garlic clove, minced
Instructions
  1. To make the dressing: Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Add corn and cook, uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes or until corn is bright yellow. Remove corn from pot and place in large bowl of cold water; drain. Run knife down each corn cob to remove kernels. Place corn in a bowl.
  3. Dice cooked bacon and add to corn.
  4. Add green onion, peppers, black beans, jalapeno and chopped basil; toss to combine.
  5. Drizzle with dressing just before serving. Top with extra basil leaves. Serves 8.
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There’s few salads better than a really good Greek salad

10 summer side salads get a makeover - part 2

It’s a little harder to give a Greek salad a makeover because certain elements have to remain to retain its name and the true essence of the salad. I used sheep feta, some tiny capers, fresh oregano, small campari tomatoes, little cucumbers and a lemony dressing. This one is a definite keeper.

greek salad
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Ingredients
  1. 12 Campari tomatoes*, quartered
  2. 4 small cucumbers, sliced
  3. 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
  4. 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
  5. 6 oz (170g) sheep feta cheese, drained and thinly sliced
  6. 2 tablespoons drained capers
  7. small oregano leaves for garnish
  8. LEMON OREGANO DRESSING
  9. 1/3 cup olive oil
  10. 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  11. 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  12. 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh oregano
  13. 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  14. 1 garlic clove, minced
  15. pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
  1. To make the dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a jar with a screw-top lid; shake until well mixed.
  2. Place all ingredients in a serving bowl and carefully toss. Drizzle with dressing just before serving.
Notes
  1. Notes: * Campari tomatoes are about my most favorite. Known for their low acidity and sweetness I find they’re constantly of excellent quality with no mealiness. They’re also a beautiful deep red color and their size is larger than a cherry tomato and smaller than a regular-sized vine-ripened tomato. If you can’t find campari tomatoes, use vine-ripened tomatoes or large cherry tomatoes. As with all tomatoes, don’t store them in the fridge.
Fresh Hunger | create a little cookery magic https://freshhunger.com/
The first time I ate broccoli salad in North America I wondered why. Why would anyone want to serve raw broccoli tossed in a nasty creamy dressing with a few raisins added for good measure. It was vile. So I came up with my own…

10 summer side salads get a makeover - part 2

Broccoli chop salad – I roasted the broccoli in a hot oven for the briefest time, but enough to make it go bright green and take away the rawness. Then I tossed it with some carrot, apple, dried cranberries and drizzled it in the yummiest satay dressing ever. Much better!

broccoli chop salad with satay dressing
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Ingredients
  1. 6 generous cups chopped broccoli, approximately
  2. pinch of salt & freshly ground pepper
  3. 1 cup dried cranberries
  4. 1 cup toasted sliced almonds
  5. 1 cup coarsely grated carrots
  6. 1 cup thinly sliced green onions
  7. 1 large apple, with peel, chopped
  8. SATAY DRESSING
  9. 1/3 cup peanut (or nut) peanut butter
  10. 2 tablespoons lime juice
  11. 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  12. 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  13. 2 tablespoons brown sugar (or honey)
  14. 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  15. 1 tablespoon chopped peeled ginger
  16. 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (chili paste)
  17. 1 garlic clove, peeled
  18. pinch salt
Instructions
  1. To make the dressing: Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor; blend until smooth; set aside.
  2. Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Toss with salt & pepper on the prepared baking sheet. Spread broccoli into a single layer. Roast for 5 minutes or until bright green; transfer to a large bowl to cool.
  4. Add cranberries, almonds, carrot, green onion and apple to a large bowl; toss to combine.
  5. Drizzle with dressing; toss to coat.
Fresh Hunger | create a little cookery magic https://freshhunger.com/
For the carrot salad I kept the creamy mayo dressing everyone knows and loves…

10 summer side salads get a makeover - part 2

I added chopped apple, dried cranberries and toasted pecans. This is really delicious with smoked meats, grilled pork and chicken.

creamy carrot & pecan salad
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Ingredients
  1. 4 cups coarsely grated carrots
  2. 2/3 cup dried cranberries
  3. 1 cup diced apple
  4. 1/3 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
  5. DRESSING
  6. 1/3 cup whole egg mayonnaise
  7. 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  8. 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  9. pinch salt
Instructions
  1. To make the dressing: Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined.
  2. Toss carrot, cranberries, apple and pecans together in a medium bowl. Drizzle with dressing and stir to coat.
Fresh Hunger | create a little cookery magic https://freshhunger.com/
It was pasta salad that inspired me to write this feature for my website. Recently I was at a party and there were three pasta salads that people had brought and they were all the same. Not this one…

10 summer side salads get a makeover - part 2

grilled veggie pasta salad with basil dressing
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Ingredients
  1. 2 small eggplants, cut lengthways into thin slices
  2. 2 large bell peppers (capsicum), halved & seeds removed
  3. 1 large red onion, peeled & thickly sliced
  4. olive oil for brushing on veggies
  5. 14 oz (396g) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
  6. salt & freshly ground pepper
  7. 1 lb (453g) box penne brown rice pasta (or pasta of your choice)
  8. 1/2 cup diced Asiago cheese
  9. 1/2 cup small basil leaves, to serve
  10. 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts, optional
  11. BASIL DRESSING
  12. 1 cup packed basil leaves
  13. 1/2 cup finely grated fresh Asiago cheese
  14. 1/3 cup olive oil
  15. 3 tablespoons water
  16. 2 tablespoons white balsamic
  17. 1 tablespoon honey
  18. 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  19. pinch salt & freshly ground pepper
Instructions
  1. To make the dressing: Place all ingredients in a blender; blend until mixture forms a thick dressing. Add a little extra water if dressing is too thick; check the seasoning; set aside.
  2. Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush veggies with a little olive oil. Cook eggplant about 3 minutes each side until softened & grill marks appear. Chop into 1-inch (2.5cm) pieces. Place in medium bowl.
  3. Cook peppers, skin-side down, 3 to 4 minutes until blackened & blistered. Peel away skin & discard. Cut flesh into thin strips. Add to other eggplant. Cook onion slices about 3 to 4 minutes each side until softened and grill marks appear. Chop onion or separate into rings; add to eggplant. Add artichokes and half the dressing and stir to coat. Cover & refrigerate 1 to 3 hours, if time permits; stirring occasionally.
  4. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water 10 to 12 minutes or until al dente. Cool under cold running water. Drain thoroughly. Drizzle with a little oil to prevent pasta sticking together, if desired.
  5. Toss pasta, marinated veggies, cheese and remaining dressing. Arrange in a serving bowl. Top with basil leaves and pine nuts if desired.
Fresh Hunger | create a little cookery magic https://freshhunger.com/
Maybe it’s a little egocentric of me to think you might prefer this over the same old same old. I’m not saying anything is wrong with the garden variety pasta salad but it’s good to try new things people! This pasta salad has lots of seasonal grilled veggies, artichokes all tossed with a pesto dressing. Yes, it was delicious. They all were. Get part 1 of the side salads here. Until next time, toodles xo. 

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10 summer side salads get a makeover - part 2

 

 

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