Cranberry and Wensleydale Cheese Salad

A bargain wedge of Cranberry and Wensleydale cheese from the local co-op prompted this simple dish, made with halved baby plum tomatoes, green pepper, Iceberg lettuce, and potato, plus the Wensleydale cheese.

The lettuce was chopped and decanted into a glass bowl, along with finely sliced green pepper, and drizzled with olive oil and vinegar. Plus a squeeze of lemon juice. The salad leaves were tossed several times before serving.

The potato salad came from the fridge (commercially bought, and flavoured with chives). Refreshed with a couple of spoonfuls of fresh mayonnaise.

That's essentially it. The dish was dressed with some coriander leaf before serving. .

Ham Salad with a Garlic, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice Dressing

Scottish mature ham from Asda, served with a four leaf salad (chard, spinach, green and purple lettuce), sliced red onion and spring onion, yellow and red pepper.

The dressing was made with one minced clove of garlic, a squeeze of lemon juice, and a teaspoonful of olive oil, and a dash of white pepper.

The dressing was placed in a glass bowl, followed by the vegetables, and the mix tossed together for several minutes. Allow to stand for a couple of minutes, and toss again.

Served with a garnish of sliced lemon. Takes around ten to fifteen minutes to prepare!

Egg and Sweetcorn Mayonnaise Salad

A simple salad made with two boiled eggs (five minutes in boiling water), 100g of chopped green beans (seven to ten minutes in a separate pan and brought to the boil in slightly salted water); plus two thirds of a standard tin of sweetcorn, drained of water.

Peel the eggs once they are cold, and slice. Add to a bowl, and mash up with the edge of a wooden spoon or a spatula. Add the drained sweetcorn, plus three dessert spoonfuls of mayonnaise. Stir together thoroughly.

Cool the chopped green beans in cold water, drain, and add to the bowl. Stir together. Add some white pepper and stir again. Cover the bowl, and put in the fridge for an hour or so.

Chop up part of an iceberg lettuce and dress the leaves with freshly ground black pepper, and some lemon juice (about one quarter of a small lemon).

A versatile dish. Serve together as is, or with chopped cherry tomatoes, or finely grated carrot.

Chicken Dopiaza

Made with 3 cardamom pods, chopped chicken breast, or chicken legs, chicken stock, coriander leaf (desert spoonful), cumin (tsp), hot Madras curry powder (desert spoonful), garlic, ginger (tsp), honey, lemon juice, onion, Peanut Butter, Tomato, Turmeric (a dash), Yoghurt. Served with white basmati rice, black pepper, and yoghurt. 

Make the sauce/marinade first. Mix together the contents of the cardamom pods, the coriander, cumin, curry powder, powdered ginger, garlic, and the turmeric. Open a can of chopped tomatoes and decant into a pan. Add the spices to the pot, and the chicken stock. Add a dessert spoonful of peanut butter, a dessert spoonful of honey, and three dessert spoonfuls of yoghurt. Stir thoroughly. Add the juice of half a lemon, or a whole lime. Bring to the boil and simmer. 

The chicken should be precooked. Chop into chunks, and add to the sauce. Simmer the chicken and sauce for at least thirty minutes under glass. 

Caramelise three large chopped onions in goose fat, or sunflower oil if you prefer, stirring continuously in a skillet for fifteen minutes, until golden brown. Add the onions to to the curry sauce, and stir thoroughly. Cook for a further fifteen minutes at a low heat, and serve. Utterly delicious! 

Feta Cheese and Rocket Salad

Feta cheese, pitted olives, turmeric rice, chopped red pepper, vine tomato, baby leaf rocket salad, olive oil dressing, crushed garlic, black pepper and a twist of lemon. That might be worth doing with spelt grain instead of, or in addition to the rice.

Feta Cheese and Rocket Salad

Smoked Ham and Leaf Salad

Smoked ham salad. The ham came from Sainsbury's, and was served with sweetcorn, tomato, and a leaf salad dressed in olive oil and lemon juice. Condiments were ground white pepper, Mayonnaise,  and Tabasco sauce. I'm trading on my mother's food preparation skill here :-). A simple al fresco meal, accompanied by Pimm's and lemonade.

Smoked Ham and Leaf Salad

Beetroot and Cherry Tomato Salad

Quick and simple salad, which can have various permutations. according to what ingredients you have available. Six whole chopped beetroot, soused in vinegar, two finely chopped spring onions, half a dozen quartered cherry tomatoes, about thirty grammes of grated cheddar cheese, and a couple of twists of freshly squeezed lemon. Served with chopped iceberg lettuce, and freshly ground black pepper. Serves two. 

Plain beetroot is an alternative, and other kinds of cheese. Can also be served with a dusting of herbs. 

Beetroot and Cherry Tomato Salad