Basil pesto potato salad with pickled sundried tomatoes.

This potato salad in a nice alternative to the regular potato salad we grew up with. It is easy to make, especially if you use store bought ingredients instead of home-made ones. I always prefer the home-made ingredient for that healthy wholesome taste!

Ingredients:
{big salad}

1. 800 gr of baby potatoes
2. 80 gr of Basil Pesto - Home made or Store bought (ex: Ina Paarman)
3. 245 gr of Pickled Sundried Tomatoes. - Homemade or store bought (Woolworths has a nice one)
4. 2 wheels of black pepper feta cheese - broken into pieces.
5. 30 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
6. 15 ml Sesame Oil
7. 30 ml Balsamic Vinegar
8. Flaked Almonds
9. 1 tsp sugar
10. 1tsp crushed garlic
11. salt and pepper.

How To:

• Place the baby potatoes in a medium pot, add about 800 ml water and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and let it simmer for about 15-20 min OR until the potatoes are soft when poked with a knife.
• Drain off the water and let the potatoes cool down.
• Cut the potatoes in half/quarters, depending on how small they are.
• Pack one layer of potatoes in the salad bowl and sprinkle over a little salt and pepper. Then pack a second layer and sprinkle again...continue like this until you've added all the potatoes.
• Mix in the basil pesto, sundried tomatoes (with the sauce) and feta cheese.
• Roast about 60 gr of flaked almonds in a saucepan over low heat until golden brown.
• (you do not need to add anything - they won't stick - but watch them, they burn easily.)
• Mix together the olive oil, sesame oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar and garlic in bottle/cup. Shake well and pour over the salad BEFORE it is served.
• Sprinkle over the flaked almonds

Enjoy! - Can also be served with Parmesan shavings!

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1.03.01

Polenta Hake and Black Fig Salad

I read about a similar recipe in a magazine while I was waiting somewhere. I wanted to tear out the page...but decided to just try my own recipe. It was DELICIOUS, so please try it!

We had guests for dinner and between the cooking and the chatting I wanted to take a photo of my new creation...but oh no the battery was dead...so just use your imaginations!

Ingredients:
For 2

Fish:

1. 4 Hake fillets.
2. a pack of Polenta
3. Lemon/Lime juice
4. Salt
5. Pepper
6. Some Fish Spice
7. 2 Eggs

Drizzle some lemon juice over the fish. Beat the eggs in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and a few drops of lemon juice. Pour the eggs into a dinner plate. Take another dinner plate and add about5 tbs of dry polenta. Add a pinch of salt to the polenta as well. Roll the fish fillets in the egg - cover them good by turning them around a couple of times. Now roll them in the polenta until the whole fillet is covered in polenta.
Fry the fish in grapeseed oil on both sides. While you are frying, dust with fish spice. Frying does not take long - cut a piece of fillet to make sure its cooked.
Serve with the salad...
another option is to cut your fish fillets into little cubes of an inch, and then adding it to the salad.

Salad:

1. Butter Lettuce/Crisp Lettuce
2. 4-5 Black Figs - if you can't find, use regular figs
3. Goats milk Feta Cheese, cut into squares
4. Hazelnut - crushed smaller
5. +- 50 g Croutons
6. Balsamic Reduction
7. Olive oil
8. Fresh Parsley

Rinse and shred enough lettuce for 2. Cut the figs in half. Add the cheese squares, hazelnuts and croutons. Before serving, pour over some olive oil and balsamic reduction - garnish with fresh parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Another Salad!

I just love salad...And most of the time the salads in restaurants are soooo boring...So try this one:

• Rocket leaves - chopped
• a little salad leaves, chopped finely
• potato cubes - for a healthier option - don't fry them, steam them! Add a little salt.
• red pepper, sliced thinly/cubed
• pitted green olives
• onions, onions! sliced into rings and ad a spring onion or two - you want the leafy part!
• baby corn, diced and fried lightly in butter, little salt.
• Feta cheese/Parmesan shavings
• If you are very hungry, add some chicken or for a vegetarian option add chickpeas! If your appetite is that big, add both!
• roasted flaked almonds! (roast in a pan on stove - no need to add oil or anything - when they turn golden, they are done!)

For the dressing:

• little apple vinegar/white vinegar
• Virgin olive oil (very healthy if eaten raw!) - must be just a bit more than the vinegar
• tablespoon of whole grain mustard (more or less, depending how big da salad!)
• biiig teaspoon of crushed garlic!
• half a tspoon of sugar.... :)
• and a pinch o' salt

That will do...just grind a little black pepper over when served..mmmmmm

Chicken Salad ala Stef

I made the best chicken salad last night for a starter. There was so much salad - I thought there definately will be leftovers! The bowl was empty and we all wanted more!!!
What did I put in it?

• Left over chicken shreds
• Lettuce, sliced thinly
• Olives (Calamata)
• Lots of Feta
• Cherry Tomatoes
• Little blocks of Cucumber
• About a table spoon of thinly sliced pickled ginger
• Green/Red pepper -little blocks
• Roasted Sesame seed
• Baby corn sliced into pieces and fried in butter
• Onions - Fresh or fried
• Fresh basil leaves from my garden...mmmm

Two ingredients I did not have in stock:

• Fresh coriander leaves
• Toasted sliced almonds

And for the dressing? Ok! I'll tell you:

• half olive oil, half avocado/sesame oil
• little bit of balsamic vinegar
• some of of the pickled ginger sauce...sweet
• half a spoon of sugar
• little bit o' salt
• and big teaspoon full of crushed garlic...

Serve with fresh grounded black pepper!

Feel free to try this and tell me what you think!!!