Casear Salad with Wholemeal Croutons

 

I couldn't make up my mind on what to eat for dinner one evening that I decided to make do with a simple salad. A simple salad doesn't necessarily means I have to succumb myself to a boring or blant dinner. I ran out of white bread and made do with my leftover wholemeal instead. It was nonetheless a healthy pleasant alternative. Alright, maybe not so healthy with all the butter that's been added but it was good I have to say.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 bunch                   lettuce, rinsed and dry

2 tablespoons          grated parmesan cheese

1/2                           roasted chicken breast, sliced or 5 slices of smoked salmon (optional)

 

For the croutons:

 

2 slices                     wholemeal bread or 1/2 small baguette, cut into cubes

1 tablespoon             butter

1/2 teaspoon             garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon             paprika

dash                          black pepper

 

For the dressing:

 

1 fillet                       anchovies in oil  

3 cloves                    garlic, minced

1/2 tablespoon          dijon mustard

1/2 tablespoon          vinegar

(I used red wine vinegar but you can also replace it with other vinegar except for cider or balsamic vinegar)

1 heap tablespoon     mayonnaise

4 tablespoons           extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tablespoon          lemon juice

                                  salt & pepper to season

 

 

Method:

 

Mix all the ingredients for the dressing thoroughly, making sure to mince the anchovy. Set aside.

 

Heat a small pan with a tablespoon of butter. Add in the cubed bread and sprinkle with garlic powder, black pepper and paprika. Toss them evenly until the bread turns crispy or golden brown for white bread.

 

Combine all other ingredients together, adding smoked salmon or roasted chicken breast if desired.

 

Tomato Bruschetta

I've always loved a good nice bruschetta. The sweet tangy taste of those tomatoes coupled with the hot cripsy pungent garlic bread are just about the most perfect combination around, in my opinion. I've had many recipes for bruschetta over the years and it just keeps improving, a little at a time though. You can use cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes or whichever type of tomatoes you can lay your hands on, it really doesn't matter. A combination will be nice, I think.

Serves 2 (sometimes only 1 if you are famished)
Ingredients:

1 packet                     cherry tomatoes or 3 large tomatoes
3 tablespoons             extra virgin olive oil or grapeseed oil
1 clove                       garlic
1/2 teaspoon              dried italian herbs or just a handful of basil leaves
1                                 baguette
                                   sea salt and black pepper

Method:

Give the tomatoes a good dice. If using large tomatoes instead of cherry tomates, remove the seeds and pulp before dicing.

Add in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive, sea salt, black pepper and the herbs. Give it a good mix and set aside.

Slice the baguette diagonally. Toast them in an oven or grill them on a pan until hot and crispy. Cut off the end of the garlic and rub it onto the freshly toasted bread. The more you rub, the more garlicky your bread gets.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon (or more) of extra virgin olive oil over the bread and serve with the prepared tomatoes.

Tomato and Cheese Panini

I have to clarify that this sandwich tastes MUCH better than it looks here. Pardon me for my poor photography, but I'm no professional anyway. Unbelievably easy, I made this for breakfast one morning and decided that I just HAD to share this recipe even though the pictures looked horrendous. The easiest way to do this is to ensure that you've got a good nice herb foccacia. A good bread already ensures that the sandwich will taste superb nonetheless. I used the common packet cheddar cheese here but please feel free to substitute it with gruyere or any of your favourite cheese.

Ingredients:

1 individual portion                         foccacia bread (you can also substitute it with a cabiatta instead)
1                                                    tomato, sliced thinly
2 pieces                                         cheese

Method:

Heat a grill or a frying pan on medium heat.

Sliced the bread lengthwise and place the cheese and sliced tomato evenly in it.

Place the bread with the filling on the grill or pan and press it down, using the bottom of another clean pan. The trick to a panini is to ensure that the bread is compressed enough. Fry for a good 2 to 3 minutes and repeat on the other side.

There, here's a panini for you!