Tag Archives: prosciutto

Rucola, Spinach, Asparagus Salad

Lunch and Light Meals, , , , , , , , ,

Rucola, spinach, asparagus salad

The focus of our food philosophy is on prioritizing vegetables and fruit over other food groups, and making sure that we are feeding our bodies nutrient rich food. Living in the eternal heat that is Singapore has resulted in us eating a lot of salads, and having a salad for lunch is a great kick starter for the amount of vegetables that we are eating in a day.

This salad has become one of our favourites. Using both rucola and baby spinach leaves adds some interest to the lettuce base, while the beans or asparagus add a little more substance to the meal. The sesame seeds finish it off attractively, while also adding essential nutrients. You could also consider adding pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or pine nuts to the garnish, especially if you remove the parma ham to make it a vegetarian or vegan salad.

Ingredients

  • 150g rucola leaves
  • 150g baby spinach leaves
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • a few slices of parma ham (Prosciutto) (optional)
  • 75g green beans or small asparagus
  • coarse sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp black sesame seeds
  • 1 tsp white sesame seeds

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit)
  2. Lay the parma ham out on a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray. Cook in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until crispy
  3. Cook the beans or asparagus in a pot of boiling water that is lightly salted for 2-5 minutes until only just cooked. Remove from the pot and quickly wash under running water to cool them down and prevent further cooking.
  4. Wash the rucola and spinach leaves and place them in a salad bowl
  5. Spread the onion and beans or asparagus over the rucola and spinach
  6. Combine the sea salt, black pepper, olive oil and vinegar in a glass and stir well to combine. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad, and toss the leaves to coat them all.
  7. Stir the black and white sesame seeds together in a small glass or bowl to mix them up
  8. Spread the crispy parma ham over the salad, and top with a sprinkling of the sesame seeds to garnish.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Roadkill Ghost Choir – In Tongues

Persian Avocado Salad

Lunch and Light Meals, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Persian Avocado Salad

OK, so we can’t actually promise that this is an authentic Persian Salad. It isn’t. It was dreamed up in our kitchen while we were making Stuffed Poussin and needed a salad to go with it. But it is inspired by the tastes of the Middle East, and Persia in particular. The figs and dates combined with the nuts give a very rich salad, that is contrasted by the freshness of the salad. You can use whichever salad greens you happen to have in the house. Mesclun salad or rocket would be a good choice, but any other lettuce would also work. The parma ham / prosciutto can be omitted to make the meal vegetarian or vegan. 

Ingredients

  • 250g of lettuce greens – mesclun salad, rocket lettuce, or other lettuce of your choice
  • 3 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 150g pumpkin
  • coconut oil
  • 2 slices of parma ham / prosciutto, chopped (optional)
  • 25g cashews, chopped and toasted
  • 25g almonds, chopped
  • 25g pinenuts, chopped
  • 2 chopped dates, chopped
  • 2 dried figs, chopped
  • 2 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
  • 1 ripe avocado
  • pinch of coarse sea salt

Directions

  1. Heat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius (420 degrees Fahrenheit)
  2. Wash the lettuce greens and add them to a bowl
  3. Place the olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a glass and stir vigorously to combine into a vinaigarette. Pour over the lettuce greens and toss to coat all the leaves.
  4. Cut the pumpkin into roughly 1cm square chunks. Place on a roasting dish in the oven. Sprinkle with olive oil and sea salt and cook in the oven for 20 minutes until a fork pricks easily through the pumpkin and the edges have turned golden. Alternatively, toss the pumpkin in 1 tsp of coconut oil, sprinkle with sea salt and cook in an Air Fryer for 10 minutes on 220 degrees Celsius. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before adding to the salad to avoid the greens from wilting.
  5. Chop up the dates, all the nuts and the parma ham. Fry them together in a pan over a moderate heat with a little coconut oil until golden and crispy. Remove from the heat and sprinkle over the salad greens
  6. Chop the figs into small pieces and sprinkle over the salad as well.
  7. Fry the sesame seeds in a dry pan over a moderate heat until they turn golden, stirring all the time to avoid burning. It will take only 2 minutes.
  8. Sprinkle the sesame seeds and a little coarse sea salt over the salad.
  9. Enjoy on its own as a light meal, or serve together with Persian Stuffed Poussin

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Hills Like Elephants – The Endless Charade