Whatever the weather, enjoy a taste of summer with these delicious salads
Avocado and lime salad (Serves 6)
Ingredients
50g watercress, washed and roughly chopped, 3 limes, juice only, 3 tbsp olive oil, 2 avocado pears, peeled, stoned and diced, 2 rings of pineapple (canned), cut into chunks, 1 crisp lettuce, finely shredded, 1 red pepper, diced, 1 bunch spring onions, sliced on the slant, 1 clove garlic, crushed, ½ cucumber, diced, Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste, Handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Method
Mix the shredded lettuce and watercress together and scatter over a serving platter.
In a bowl, mix the cucumber, pepper, spring onions, avocados and pineapple together and reserve.
Whisk the lime juice, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper together to make a dressing. Add to the chopped vegetable mixture and mix well. Spoon over the lettuce and watercress and scatter the coriander over the top. Chill the salad for about 30 minutes before serving.
Roasted tenderstem broccoli, grilled halloumi and cherry tomato salad (Serves 4)
Ingredients
300g tenderstem broccoli, 200g halloumi cut into 4 slices, 150g cherry tomatoes, 50g walnut halves, roughly chopped, 2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar/condiment (or white wine or cider vinegar), 2 tsp small capers, 1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed, Black pepper
Method
Heat oven to Gas 6/200C/400F. Place the Tenderstem, garlic and oil in a large roasting pan. Cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and walnuts and roast for a further 5 minutes. The broccoli should be tender by now and the tomatoes just beginning to split.
Take out of the oven and mix in the vinegar with the baking juices in the pan ensuring all the vegetables are coated and season with black pepper.
Heat a non stick pan and griddle the halloumi on both sides until golden.
Plate individually, placing the halloumi on the bottom, piling the salad with all its juices on top with the avocado and capers.
Warm avocado salad with roasted red pepper dressing (Serves 4)
Ingredients
150ml dry white wine, 50g ground almonds, 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, left whole with skins intact. 2 large ripe avocados, peeled and stoned, 1 packet mixed salad leaves, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp fresh coriander, 1 red pepper, Olive oil, to drizzle, Salt and freshly ground black pepper, Fresh coriander, to garnish.
Method
Place the red pepper and whole cloves of garlic on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast until the pepper skin is starting to blacken and char and the garlic is soft when pierced with a knife. Remove the skin and seeds from the pepper, retaining the juices and squeeze the garlic out of the skins.
Blend the red pepper flesh, reserved juice, garlic, ground almonds, 3 tablespoons of olive oil, mustard, balsamic vinegar and fresh coriander together until smooth. 3 Add the wine and blend until the desired consistency is reached. Season to taste, pour into a saucepan and set aside.
Cut the avocados in half and then into slices. Heat the remaining olive oil in a non stick frying pan and when hot quickly toss the avocados in the oil until heated through but not soft.
Heat the sauce gently over a low heat. Meanwhile, arrange the mixed salad leaves on four serving plates with the avocado slices on top. Drizzle the warm sauce over them and serve garnished with fresh coriander leaves.
