1^st August, 2012-08-02

                                      

                                     A LIGHT SUMMER SALAD 

          This is a lovely salad for a hot day.   You can raid your fridge and use any left over chicken, boiled rice, grilled peppers, fresh mushrooms, crisp salad leaves, to "create" this salad!   And incidentally, it can be prepared up to 12 hours in advance. 

1 cup boiled rice
250 g (about 8 oz) boiled chicken breast, cubed

1-2 tbsp light mayonnaise (optional)

2 large carrots, coarsely grated, sprinkled with salt

5-6 fresh mushrooms sliced

1 bunch rocket, leaves only

1 romaine lettuce, the crisp inner leaves only

10 or more cherry tomatoes

2 spring onions finely chopped

1 cup parsley, leaves only

1 tbsp chopped estragon leaves 

Garlic croutons

1 cup shaved Parmesan

Vinaigrette:

4 tbsp garlic scented olive oil

2 tbsp estragon vinegar

2 tsp light Dijon mustard

1 scarce tsp ginger powder (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

          In a large salad bowl place a layer of rice, cover with half the chicken cubes, smothered with mayonnaise (optional) and sprinkled with half the estragon and parsley.  Then add, in layers, half the carrots, half the mushrooms, all the lettuce leaves cut into pieces with you fingers and half the spring onions.  Proceed by layering the remaining carrots, mushrooms, chicken cubes, estragon and parsley.  Arrange all the rocket leaves on top, sprinkle with the remaining spring onions and garnish with the cherry tomatoes.  Cover tightly with cling film and refrigerate.

          Prepare the vinaigrette by whipping all the ingredients together, taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.  Just before serving, toss the salad with the vinaigrette, taste again, and serve with the garlic croutons and Parmesan shavings sprinkled on top.

                                               CROUTONS

          For the above salad we need:

4 slices of wholemeal sandwich bread, cubed

Salt, pepper and garlic powder

Olive oil

         Sprinkle the bread cubes with salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Line a baking tin with baking parchment and brush with olive oil.  Place the seasoned bread cubes, in a single layer in the tin and brush over with olive oil.     Bake them in an oven preheated to 180C (375F) for about 12-15 minutes or until crisp and golden.