The humble salad is often relegated to a side dish or accompaniment, but with some clever tweaking and a to-die-for dressing that binds all of the healthy ingredients, salads can easily be transformed into the star attraction at the family table.
There are salads, and there are great salads.
They don’t always have to be a mix of boring vegetables with mayonnaise or Italian dressing, as is most common in the Fijian kitchen.
The abundance of fresh fruits, herbs and vegetables at the markets lends itself to creating some awesome tropical island salads that not only provide a meal, but can be transformed into one of health and medicine for the body in the cold season. Once you understand the basic structure of a good salad, the possibilities are endless and are an ideal way to get the family to eat more raw fruits and vegetables for their essential vitamins and minerals.
STRUCTURE OF THE PERFECT SALAD
A tossed salad is usually a few ingredients like lettuce, tomato and cucumber mixed together in a bowl, but the more complicated and delicious composite salad is built up with four basic components:
Base
Gives definition to the salad’s placement and symmetry on the plate like lettuce and greens, or maybe rice, noodles or grains
Body
This is usually the star protein like poultry, red meat, seafood or the vegetarian equivalent of legumes, tofu or green jackfruit
Dressing
Binds all of the ingredients together, giving boring watery vegetables more enhance flavour of sweet, sour and tang in a mayonnaise base or vinaigrette
Garnish
Adds texture and crunch, colour and design like fresh herbs, olives, fried shallots, croutons or even slice chillies
SALADS AS A MAIN MEAL
If I’m going to make a salad as the main dish, adding starches like brown or exotic wild rice, rice noodles, wholemeal pasta or the healthy grains of quinoa (pronounced “kin-wah”) turns the boring side salad into a healthy main course for lunch or dinner.
Speciality shops in Fiji like Yon Tong and Lazy Chef in Suva, and selected supermarkets like New World are beginning to stock the more exotic rice and grains that can be used with local herbs and vegetables to create the most vibrant and textural meat, seafood or vegetarian salads that adds crunch, fibre and colour to even the most boring raw vegetables.
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE DRESSING
The key to the taste of a great salad is obviously in the dressing.
Just as you wouldn’t eat a Barbecue, fish and chips or a great steak without a sauce, a salad is just not a salad with a matching dressing made with mayonnaise, citrus base or some type of vinegar.
Making your own mayonnaise is better than most store-bought ones with added sugar and processed oils, and you can add herbs and spice to make it more medicinal.
Using virgin coconut oil is also a great tropical island twist to the basic mayonnaise.
The basic vinaigrette is usually vinegar with something sweet, salty and with body like a mustard, but there are many different vinegars to the common white vinegar.
Look carefully in the speciality shops or supermarket shelves and you’ll find apple cider, white and red wine, Chinese black and red, and many more different types of vinegar to use.
Thai dressings mainly do away with vinegars and use citrus juice like lemon or lime mixed with palm sugar, chilli and fish sauce to create their distinct hot and sour flavours.
The lack of more raw fruits and especially vegetables in the daily diet of most Fijians is one of the key missing food groups that is allowing the development of non communicable diseases, NCDs.
They provide fibre and vitamins and minerals not found in other foods, yet many consider them boring to eat. Salads are one of the best ways to get the family and that stubborn husband or boyfriend to eat more fibre and medicine foods to reduce the likelihood of sickness and disease.
You just need to be creative and maybe not call it a salad at home. “Honey, this is not a salad. This is your medicine!”
* Lance Seeto is the multi-award winning executive chef, Fiji Airway’s Culinary Ambassador and host of Fiji TV’s Taste of Paradise.
Recipes
CUMIN & CORN BROWN RICE SALAD
The secret to this delicious recipe is the grilled corn, nutty brown rice and aromatic dressing of toasted cumin seeds. Brown jasmine rice is available at Chinese shops and selected supermarkets.
2 ears corn, husked
Exra virgin olive oil, for brushing
1 cup cooked brown jasmine rice, don’t overcook
1 can chick peas, drained
1 red capsicum, seeded and finely chopped
1 cup green spring onions, sliced
2-3 fresh red chillies, chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon cumin, dry toasted & crushed
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
(dhaniya) leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
1/2 cup fried Chinese shallots
(optional, from Chinese shops)
1. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
2. Brush corn with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 5 to 6 minutes, rotating on all sides, until the corn has some nice charred spots. Let cool and remove corn kernels from the cob.
3. Add corn, brown rice, beans, red capsicum, chilli, and spring onions to a large bowl.
4. In a dry fry pan with no oil, lightly toast the cumin seeds until they pop. Crush or grind into a rough powder.
5. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, cumin, garlic, coriander, and salt and pepper.
6. Fold dressing into the vegies and top with the crumbled cheese and toss.
COCONUT OIL MAYONNAISE
This is a Fijian tropical twist on the basic mayonnaise recipe. Add roasted spices like cumin, coriander or more citrus peels to give it even more punch
2 fresh egg yolks
1 heaped teaspoon Dijon mustard
500 ml virgin coconut oil (or virgin olive oil)
1-2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
½ lemon; 1 teaspoon raw honey
sea salt
1. Whisk the egg yolks, then add the mustard and whisk together. Gradually add about half the oil, very slowly at first, whisking continuously for around 3 to 5 minutes, or until thickened.
2. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar. Continue to gradually add the remaining oil, whisking continuously.
3. Season with a pinch of salt, a squeeze of lemon juice and a little more vinegar, if needed. Store in a sterilised jar in the fridge for up to one week.
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER,
CHICKPEA & QUINOA SALAD
This warm salad recipe takes advantage of the local cauliflower at the markets and combines well with the protein-rich chickpeas and nutty quinoa (‘kin-wah’) grains.
If you can’t find quinoa, substitute with brown rice, couscous or even noodles.
350 gm cauliflower (about ½),
cut into small florets
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Finely grated rind and juice of 2 lemons, or to taste
100 ml extra-virgin olive oil
400 gm canned chickpeas, drained, rinsed
200 gm quinoa, cooked as per packet instructions
1½ cups each flat-leaf parsley, basil and mint
(or any fresh herbs)
3 green spring onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
(or red wine or normal vinegar)
100 gm feta cheese (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 220C. Combine cauliflower, garlic, half the lemon rind and 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl, season to taste, spread on a large oven tray and roast until golden and tender (15-20 minutes).
2. Pat chickpeas dry with absorbent paper, then combine with remaining lemon rind and 1 tablespoon oil in a bowl, season to taste, spread on an oven tray and roast until golden (15-20 minutes).
3. Combine parsley, mint, spring onion, vinegar, lemon juice and remaining oil in a large bowl, add cauliflower, chickpeas and quinoa, season to taste and toss to combine.
4. Scatter with feta cheese and serve warm.
