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  • The Summer Salad

    The Summer Salad

    I would like to blame jet lag as the reason I didn't really post last week, but it was really down to pure laziness! But I'm back and that's what really counts. Saturday gave us the last sun, Ireland will probably see for the next 7 months, so we made the most of it and had a lovely salad on the balcony, which was actually the first time we have used it since we moved in!

    I made a lovely salad with a dressing that I just had to share here!

    Classic Dijon Balsamic Dressing

    1. 1/4 Cup of Olive Oil
    2. 3/4 Cup of Balsamic Vinegar
    3. 1 Tablespoon of Dijon Mustard
    4. 1 Clove of crushed Garlic
    5. A good pinch of Sea Salt and Black Pepper
    I used to have a handy little plastic dressing mixer, but it's gone walking so if you don't have one like me, just place all the ingredients in a small glass cover tightly with some cling film and give it a good shake. It's ready to serve or you can store it in the fridge!

    It can really bring out the flavours in a plain old salad and put a SMILE ON YOUR FACE!

    I can't guarantee the smile... but maybe!

    Summer Salad

  • ::SPICY CHICKEN AND CUCUMBER SALAD

    ::SPICY CHICKEN AND CUCUMBER SALAD

    This is still a fairly experimental dish, but the idea is similar to the duck salad I posted earlier this month, but without the noodles. It's really easy, quick and spicey! If you have a cold this will really clear those sinuses!

    Spicy Chicken and Cucumber Salad

    1. 2 Chicken Breasts finely sliced
    2. Enough flour to coat the chicken slices
    3. Salt and Pepper
    4. 1/2 Cucumber finely sliced length ways
    5. 2 Peppers finely sliced
    6. 1 Red Onion finely sliced
    7. 6 Radishes finely sliced
    8. The juice of 1 Lime
    9. 3 tablespoons of Rice Wine Vinegar
    10. 1 tablespoon of Fish Sauce
    11. 1 Teaspoon of sesame oil
    12. 2 Cloves of Garlic very finely chopped
    13. Half a red chili very finely chopped
    14. Thumb sized piece of ginger peeled and very finely chopped

    Wow fourteen that's a lot! STAY WITH ME! Mix the flour with salt and pepper and coat the thinly sliced chicken. Fry them in a very hot pan with vegetable oil until nice and brown, leave to the side.

    In a large bowl, combine the lime juice, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil, garlic, chili, and ginger. This should be to your taste so add something, subtract something be my guest! Add to the bowl, the cucumber, radish, red onion and red pepper. Mix the all the ingredients together in the spicy dressing.

    Serve the spicy cucumber salad with the chicken strips on top and enjoy!