The beginning of July means the start of the school holidays, plans to get away from the daily grind for a few days, long evenings and (with a bit of luck) impromptu outdoor dining opportunities with family and friends.
It is fair to say that in Northern Ireland we can’t always plan for the weather, but we can pull together a repertoire of quick and handy summer sides that are guaranteed to go with any summer evening supper, BBQ or picnic opportunity without taking too long to put together.
Luckily, we have come a long way since the introduction of the plain ‘leafy green’ salad that traditionally makes its way onto the summer dining table (and almost inevitably gets passed over and wilts). According to the Oxford Dictionary of Food and Drink the humble salad was first enjoyed during the Roman Empire, first appearing in the form of raw leafy vegetables covered in salty, oily dressing. (with the word salad comes from sal, the Latin word for salt). (Huffpost 2017)
I’ve shared some of my favourite side recipes with below you; some are about speed, others are all about the flavour. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy these as much as I do!
Basil Dressed Avocado & Tomato Salad
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 2 avocados pitted and sliced
- Small handful sliced red onion
- 2 small cloves garlic minced
- 3 teaspoons Broighter Gold Basil Infused Rapeseed Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Juice of ½ lime
Method:
Simply cut the items up and mix together in a serving bowl. This will keep for a couple of days in the fridge if it is well covered.
Thai Inspired Noodle Salad
Ingredients:
- 200 g rice noodles
- 1 handful of frozen peas (thawed)
- ½ red pepper, finely shredded
- 1 bunch of spring onions
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Thai Dressing
- 3 cm piece of ginger
- 2 limes
- 4 tablespoons Broighter Gold Thai Infused Rapeseed Oil
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
Method:
- Prepare the noodles according to the packet instructions.
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat. Trim and finely slice the spring onions.
- To make the dressing, peel and finely chop the ginger, place into a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
- Finely grate in the zest from 1 lime, squeeze in about 4 tablespoons of lime juice, then add the remaining dressing ingredients. Shake well.
- Combine the noodles, vegetables and spring onions, then mix in the dressing and toasted sesame seeds.
Patatas Bravas & Lemon Aioli
For the sauce:
- 3 tbsp Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 227g can chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tsp sweet paprika
- good pinch chilli powder
- pinch sugar
- chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
For the potatoes:
- 900g potatoes, cut into small cubes
- 2 tbsp Broighter Gold Rapeseed Oil
For the lemon aioli:
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 150 – 170mls of Broighter Gold Lemon Infused Rapeseed Oil
- 1 egg yolk
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon of natural lemon juice
Method:
For the Aioli:
- Peel the garlic cloves and crush with a garlic press.
- Add the egg yolk, lemon juice and salt into a bowl with the mashed garlic and mix.
- Very slowly, and adding only a tiny drizzle at a time, begin to incorporate the Broighter Gold Lemon Infused Rapeseed Oil while mixing the garlic and egg yolk. Be sure to mix slowly so that the garlic and oil have a chance to blend well.
- Eventually, the mixture will begin to thicken, and you can add the oil a little more quickly. Once you have achieved the required consistency cover and refrigerate. The aioli should last a few days.
For the Patatas Bravas
- Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onion for about 5 mins until softened. Add the garlic, chopped tomatoes, tomato purée, sweet paprika, chilli powder, sugar and a pinch of salt, then bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Lower to a simmer and cook for 10 mins until pulpy.
- Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Ensure that the potatoes are dry then put into a roasting tin, tossed in the rapeseed oil and some seasoning. Roast for 40-50 mins until crisp and golden.
- When you are ready to serve, move the potatoes into a serving dish and spoon over the tomato sauce, followed by the lemon aioli then sprinkle with some fresh parsley.
