Cucumber, Radish and Melon Salad Serves 4 Ingredients

1 pound (450 g) watermelon or honeydew melon 1 small cucumber Salt Olive oil for frying 2 tablespoons (25 g) aked almonds 100 g fresh bean sprouts 810 medium radishes 4 green onions A small bunch of watercress Dressing 1 12 teaspoons clear honey 3 tablespoons walnut oil 1 tablespoon cider vinegar Black pepper

1.

Deseed and cube the melon; rinse, dry, and cube the cucumber. Put both into a colander, add a little salt and toss them together. Place a saucer on top and leave to drain.

2. 3.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the almonds until golden, then drain on kitchen paper. Rinse the bean sprouts and drain them well, then rinse, dry, and trim the radishes and green onions. Quarter the radishes, slice the onions, and mix all three together in a salad bowl.

4. 5.

Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad. Trim the watercress, rinse and dry it, and arrange it in a shallow serving dish. Add the melon and cucumber to the salad bowl, toss the salad gently, then spoon it onto the watercress. Scatter the almonds over the top to serve.

Preparation time: 20 minutes Get more cucumber salad recipes

Nutritional information
PER SERVING 231 calories 15 g carbohydrate (including 14 g sugar) 4 g protein 18 g fat (2 g saturated fat)

Bulgur Wheat and Shrimp Salad Serves 4

250 g bulgur wheat 1 small red onion, very thinly sliced 1 carrot, coarsely grated 1 tomato, diced 6 baby corn cobs, sliced into rounds 1/2 cucumber, diced 200 g shelled cooked shrimps Lime and Chile Dressing 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 garlic clove, crushed 1/4 teaspoon dry chile flakes Salt and fresh-ground black pepper

1.

Put the bulgur wheat in a saucepan over medium heat and pour over 650 mL water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the bulgur wheat is tender and all the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Tip the bulgur wheat into a flat dish, spread out, and leave to cool slightly.

2.

Combine the onion, carrot, tomato, corn, cucumber, and shrimp in a large salad bowl. Add the bulgur wheat and stir together.

3.

To make the dressing, put the oil, lime juice, garlic, chile flakes, and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Whisk with a fork until combined. Stir the dressing into the salad, tossing to coat all the ingredients evenly. If not serving the bulgur wheat and shrimp salad immediately, cover and keep in the refrigerator.

Some More Ideas

For a Bulgur Wheat and Feta Salad, replace the shrimp with 7 ounces diced feta cheese. Another alternative to the shrimp is diced tofu.

To make a Bulgur Wheat and Ham Salad, combine the cooked bulgur wheat with 150 g thinly sliced Parma or serrano ham, trimmed of all fat and cut into strips, 3 chopped scallions, 1 seeded and diced yellow bell pepper, 200 g halved cherry tomatoes, and 3 tablespoons capers. Make the dressing by whisking together 4 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey, and 6 finely crushed allspice berries. Season to taste and toss with the salad.

Rustic Broiled Vegetable and Rigatoni Salad Serves 4

200 g rigatoni or penne 1 large red pepper, seeded and halved 12 red onion, thickly sliced 1 eggplant, trimmed and sliced lengthwise 1 zucchini, thickly sliced 150 g button mushrooms, halved 200 g cherry tomatoes 80 g arugula 2 12 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese Dressing 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or lemon juice 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil 1 tablespoon chopped capers 1 large garlic clove, crushed (optional) pepper to taste

1.

Cook the rigatoni in boiling water for 1012 minutes, or according to the package instructions, until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold running water, then drain again thoroughly and set aside to cool.

2.

Meanwhile, broil the pepper halves, skin side up, until blistered and blackened. Place in a plastic bag, then leave until cool enough to handle.

3.

Broil the onion and eggplant for about 2 minutes or until slightly charred. Turn them over so that they cook evenly. Add the zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes to the broiler, and broil all the vegetables for a further 23 minutes. Remove the pieces as they are ready. Place them in a large salad bowl.

4.

Cut the eggplant slices into 2 cm strips. Peel the pepper and cut into 2 cm strips. Add the eggplant and pepper strips to the salad bowl, with the arugula. Mix in the rigatoni.

5.

To make the dressing, mix the balsamic vinegar or lemon juice with the olive oil, basil, capers, garlic, if using, and pepper in a small bowl. Lightly toss this dressing into the broiled vegetable and rigatoni salad. Sprinkle with shavings of Parmesan cheese and serve.

Tarragon Chicken with Baby Spinach Serves 4

500 g boneless, skinless chicken breasts 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth 1 small bunch fresh tarragon 1 small lemon 3 black peppercorns 2 tablespoons sesame tahini 1 head chicory or other head lettuce 2 cups baby spinach leaves 2 oranges 14 cup toasted sliced almonds Pepper

1.

Place the chicken in a shallow pan and pour over the broth. Remove the tarragon leaves from the stalks and set them aside. Lightly crush the stalks with a rolling pin to release their oils, then add to the pan. Remove a small strip of rind from the lemon and add this to the pan with the peppercorns.

2.

Set the pan over medium heat and bring the broth to a boil. Turn down the heat, cover and simmer gently. Cook for 15 minutes or until the chicken is white all the way through.

3.

Remove the chicken breasts using a slotted spoon and leave to cool on a plate. Strain the stock into a cup and discard the tarragon stalks, lemon rind and peppercorns. Set the broth aside. When the chicken has cooled, cut it into thick strips.

4.

Place the tahini in a bowl and whisk in 4 tablespoons of the reserved broth to make a smooth, creamy dressing. If the dressing is a bit thick, add an extra tablespoon of broth. Squeeze the juice from the lemon and stir it into the dressing. Chop enough of the tarragon leaves to make 1 tablespoon, and add to the dressing with pepper to taste.

5.

Cut the chicory or other head lettuce across on the diagonal into slices about 2.5 cm wide. Arrange the chicory and baby spinach in a large salad bowl.

6.

Peel the oranges, then cut between the membrane into segments. Scatter the segments over the salad, followed by the toasted almonds. Place the tarragon chicken strips on top, and spoon over the tahini tarragon dressing. Serve immediately.

Mango Chicken Salad Serves 4 Ingredients

1 garlic clove, crushed 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger 1 tablespoon reduced-salt soy sauce 2 teaspoons sunflower oil 300 g chicken breasts 750 g new potatoes, washed 2 large sprigs fresh mint 120 g asparagus spears 1 ripe mango, peeled and sliced 150 g mixed baby salad greens, such as spinach, arugula and romaine lettuce Fresh Orange Dressing 12 teaspoon finely grated orange rind 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons sunflower oil 1 tablespoon walnut oil pepper to taste

1.

Place the garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sunflower oil in a bowl and whisk together. Add the chicken breasts and turn to coat both sides, then leave to marinate for 15 minutes.

2.

Place the potatoes in a saucepan, pour over boiling water to cover and add the mint sprigs. Cook for 1520 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, place the asparagus in a steamer basket or metal colander, cover and set over the pan of potatoes to steam. Cook thin spears for 45 minutes and thick spears for 810 minutes, or until just tender. Drain the potatoes (discard mint) and leave until cool enough to handle, then cut into thick slices. Cut the asparagus diagonally into 6 cm lengths.

3.

Preheat the broiler. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it on the broiler rack. Broil, brushing frequently with the marinade and turning once, until cooked through and the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced with the tip of a knife. Leave to rest for 34 minutes, then slice.

4.

To make the orange dressing, place the orange rind and juice, mustard, and sunflower and walnut oils in a large serving bowl, and whisk all the ingredients together until slightly thickened. Season with pepper.

5.

Transfer the warm sliced chicken, potatoes and asparagus to the serving bowl and gently toss together to coat with the dressing. Add the mango and salad greens and toss gently again. Serve mango chicken salad immediately, while still warm.

Asian Chicken Salad Serves 4

500 g romaine lettuce 150 g snow peas 1 can (398 ml) lychees, drained and cut in half 1 large navel orange, peeled and cut into sections 1 red plum, pitted and sliced 4 green onions, thinly sliced 370 g chicken breasts Creamy Peanut Dressing 13 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise 4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter 1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1.

Finely shred the lettuce and place in a bowl. Trim the snow peas and remove the strings. Cut the snow peas in half on the diagonal and add them to the bowl. Add the lychees, orange, plum and green onions and toss to combine.

2.

Coat a heavy-based frying pan with nonstick cooking spray and set over medium-high heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Fry the chicken until cooked through, about 4 minutes on each side.

3.

To make the dressing, whisk the mayonnaise, peanut butter and garlic in a small cup. Cut the chicken diagonally into thin slices and add the strips to the bowl. Just before serving, drizzle the Asian chicken salad with the dressing and toss to coat.

This salad works with many types of cooked lean meat and seafood. In place of the chicken, cook the same amount of boneless lamb, turkey breast, pork fillet, beef fillet or large shrimp.

Shrimp, Melon and Mango Salad Serves 4

400 g cooked peeled shrimp 1 mango 350 g honeydew melon, diced 8 cherry tomatoes, halved 112 cups arugula 14 cucumber, sliced fresh mint leaves to garnish Mint and Honey Dressing 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil juice of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon clear honey 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint pepper to taste

1.

To make the dressing, whisk together all the dressing ingredients in a large bowl and season with pepper. Add the shrimp to the dressing, cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to 1 hour.

2.

Halve the mango lengthwise, cutting down around each side of the pit. Cut the flesh on each half in a crisscross fashion to make cubes, then cut the cubes away from the skin.

3.

Remove the shrimp from the refrigerator. Add the mango, melon and tomatoes and gently stir together. Arrange the arugula and cucumber slices around the edge of a shallow serving dish, and spoon the shrimp, melon and mango salad into the centre. Garnish with mint leaves and serve.