Cauliflower and Bacon Salad

Still trying out more salads this week and decided on giving cauliflower a go. Although I do like raw cauliflower, with this recipe I like to cook it for just a few minutes to let the dressing really get into it.

You can use bacon, pancetta, speck, whatever you have in the fridge. I had some serrano ham so used that. The juices from cooking it, makes the dressing delicious either way.

I served this with some spicy chicken kebabs which were simply marinated in a mix of peri peri sauce and Franks sauce. Then put the meat on the skewers and painted on more marinade whilst the kebabs were grilling. Delicious!

Cauliflower & Bacon Salad

Ingredients:         

1 small head cauliflower
1 tbsp. olive oil
5-6 slices bacon (serrano, speck)
1 roasted red pepper, chopped
half tsp dried parsley

1 small clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
salt & pepper


Method:

Cut the cauliflower into the smallest florets you can, it takes a bit of patience, but will taste better if smaller. Pop into a saucepan with boiling water and cook for approx. 5-6 minutes, until tender. Drain and let dry out on a clean tea towel.

Fry the bacon in a hot pan with a little oil until crispy. Remove the bacon and set to one side. Pour the flavoured oil into a small bowl and add the garlic, mustard, vinegar and 2 tbsp. olive oil. Season and whisk well.

Put the cauliflower into a bowl. Add the red pepper, parsley and crumble in the crispy bacon. Add the dressing and mix thoroughly. Serve and enjoy!

I had mine with spicy chicken kebabs. Delicious.

Spicy Chicken Kebabs

 

Chickpea Salad with Grana Padano

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are a staple in my pantry and good for you as they are high in protein, fibre and vitamins. I generally tend to use them mostly for hummus or curries but I wanted to try something else with them.

This is a lovely creamy salad which goes with pretty much everything. In this case we had chicken wings and as its been hot recently I am getting really bored with eating leaf salads (most days). This is a lovely side dish and its filling too.

Ingredients:                 (Serves 4)

1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1 red chilli, seeds removed and thinly sliced
juice of 1 lemon
5-6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 red pepper, roasted (fresh or jar) and chopped
400g tin chickpeas, rinsed
50g Grana Padano cheese, finely grated (or parmesan)
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt & pepper
a little parsley, chopped

Method:

Gently heat the rinsed chickpeas on a low heat, and then put 80% of them into a large bowl. Mash the remaining chickpeas with the back of a fork in the saucepan, and then add to the bowl. This helps makes the dressing creamy.

Then add the onion, garlic, chilli, lemon juice, tomatoes and peppers and mix well. Add the grated cheese and stir gently along with the oil and season to taste. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Delicious!