Brrr winter certainly showed up today!! Missing my tan o'clock hour!
Despite the chill I felt like a Middle Eastern styled salad to go with the lamb on the BBQ tonight. This dish is great as you can mix up with other grilled veggies (eg aubergines or peppers). You can also add lentils, quinoa or other pulses to it. Make it your own with what is available in your fridge and pantry...
TAHINI DRESSING 1 garlic clove, crushed with a little coarse sea salt 2 tbsp tahini Finely grated zest and juice of 1/2 lemon Juice of 1/2 orange 1/2 tsp honey 2 tbsp olive oil Sea salt and pepper
FOR THE SALAD 2 tbsp olive oil 3 medium courgettes, sliced into very thin round slices (3mm) Juice of 1/2 lemon 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped Large handful of green beans, trimmed 4 good handfuls of salad leaves 12-18 oven dried tomatoes or semi-dried tomatoes (optional) A handful of mint, finely shredded (optional)
Instructions 1 To make the tahini dressing, put the crushed garlic into a small bowl with the tahini, lemon zest and juice, honey and a grind of black pepper, and stir together well. If the dressing is to thick then thin it down by whisking in a little water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you get a creamy, trickling consistency. Finally, gently stir in the olive oil. Taste and add a little more salt and pepper if needed.
2. For the salad, heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a fairly high heat and cook the courgette slices in batches, tossing them occasionally, for a few minutes until tender and browned on both sides, transferring them to a bowl once cooked. When the courgettes are all cooked, season generously with salt and pepper, add the lemon juice and chilli and toss together well.
3. Add beans to boiling salted water. Return to the boil and blanch for 1 minute. Drain, then dunk in cold water to refresh. Drain again, pat dry and toss the beans with the courgettes.
4. To assemble the salad, spread the salad leaves in a large serving bowl and scatter over the courgettes and beans, tomatoes and shredded mint, if using. Trickle the tahini dressing generously over the whole lot and serve.
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