When I started working in restaurants, the garde manger section – where cold appetizers and salads are prepared – was my domain. I love salads and sides - they are full of flavour, fun to present and have the ability to make your meal extra special. Here are a few summer sides and salads you can try at home.
Roasted chickpea and tomato salad
This salad was inspired by one I used to make at a restaurant in Toronto. It looks impressive but is easy to prepare each component separately and then throw together on the plate at the last minute. Messy can look nice, so don't worry about making it look picture perfect, the flavours will speak for themselves here.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For the salad:
500g fresh tomatoes; all colours and varieties
400g tin chickpeas, rinsed
200g tub Irish buffalo mozzarella
Juiced 1/2 lemon
Olive or rapeseed oil
1 tsp each: chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, oregano
200g prepared hummus
Fresh coriander, for garnish
For the lemon vinaigrette:
Juiced 1/2 lemon
80ml olive or rapeseed oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 200°C. In a bowl, combine the chickpeas, a drizzle of oil, juice from half a lemon and the salt, pepper, oregano, cumin and chili powder. Spread out on to a roasting tray and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. 2. Make the vinaigrette: combine the lemon juice, oil, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, oregano and cumin in a bowl and whisk to emulsify. Add the roasted chickpeas to the vinaigrette and set aside. 3. Slice the tomatoes in various shapes and sizes – the cherry tomatoes can be halved or kept whole while larger vine tomatoes can be quartered or roughly chopped. Ensure you're using really fresh, ripe tomatoes.4. On a plate, smear the hummus in a rough circular shape. Top with some of the marinated chickpeas, then artfully arrange the tomatoes on top. Tear the buffalo mozzarella and arrange around the tomatoes. Add more chickpeas on top and drizzle some of the vinaigrette around the dish. 5. Garnish with some flaky sea salt and fresh coriander. You can prepare everything a few hours ahead and eat directly after plating.
Spinach and artichoke stuffed peppers
I love hot spinach and artichoke dip – it's a treat I usually save for the holidays. I'll bake off a big batch and we'll all dig in with bread sticks and tortilla chips at family gatherings. In the summer, I find it pairs really well with sweet roasted peppers. The combination of creamy, tangy and sweet flavours are so good with grilled steak and sauteed mushrooms.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
12-15 small sweet peppers (red and yellow)
1 bag grated mozzarella cheese, divided
200g cream cheese
60g sour cream
60g mayonnaise
400g tin artichoke hearts
200g baby spinach, washed
Juiced 1/2 lemon
1 clove garlic, finely grated
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 egg
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 200°C. In a food processor, add the artichoke hearts and spinach. Pulse until broken up. Add the cream cheese, half the mozzarella, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, egg and salt and pepper. Blitz until well combined.2. Cut the small sweet peppers in half lengthways and remove all seeds. Place each pepper half cut side up in a roasting tray and evenly spread the spinach and artichoke mixture over the top.3. Spinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top. Bake until golden brown on top and bubbly around the edges, around 30-35 minutes. Serve hot.
This has to be my most requested recipe. I make it for myself all the time - it keeps well in the fridge and gets better with age. It's also kind of healthy, but tastes really indulgent.The combination of salty almonds with fresh herbs is what makes it a winner, and I'm always asked how it's made when I bring it to parties. It pairs well with grilled chicken or salmon, or even halloumi or tofu for a plant-based alternative.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
250g bulgur, cooked and cooled
1 bunch fresh coriander
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley
1/4 bunch fresh chives
1 large red onion, diced
Juice 1/2 lemon
200g sliced almonds
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
Directions:
1. Cook the bulgur wheat: bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and boil the bulgur wheat for 5 minutes, OR soak the bulgur wheat overnight in cold water. Ensure it is cool before the next step.2. In a dry, non-stick pan (no oil), add the sliced almonds and heat on medium high until lightly toasted. Add the oil and continue to cook until the almonds turn a bit more brown. Season the almonds liberally with salt (this will season the whole salad so don't be shy) and squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Toss the almonds together and remove from the heat.3. Add the almonds to the cooked bulgur wheat and mix thoroughly. Set aside.4. Finely dice the red onion and add to the bulgur wheat. Roughly chop the fresh herbs and toss the whole thing together. Check for seasoning and, if necessary, add more salt, oil or lemon juice (season to your personal taste). This salad will keep for up to four days in the fridge and, honestly, it gets better with age.
When I started working in restaurants, the garde manger section – where cold appetizers and salads are prepared – was my domain. I love salads and sides - they are full of flavour, fun to present and have the ability to make your meal extra special. Here are a few summer sides and salads you can try at home.
Roasted chickpea and tomato salad
This salad was inspired by one I used to make at a restaurant in Toronto. It looks impressive but is easy to prepare each component separately and then throw together on the plate at the last minute. Messy can look nice, so don't worry about making it look picture perfect, the flavours will speak for themselves here.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
For the salad:
500g fresh tomatoes; all colours and varieties
400g tin chickpeas, rinsed
200g tub Irish buffalo mozzarella
Juiced 1/2 lemon
Olive or rapeseed oil
1 tsp each: chili powder, cumin, salt, black pepper, oregano
200g prepared hummus
Fresh coriander, for garnish
For the lemon vinaigrette:
Juiced 1/2 lemon
80ml olive or rapeseed oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 200°C. In a bowl, combine the chickpeas, a drizzle of oil, juice from half a lemon and the salt, pepper, oregano, cumin and chili powder. Spread out on to a roasting tray and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. 2. Make the vinaigrette: combine the lemon juice, oil, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, oregano and cumin in a bowl and whisk to emulsify. Add the roasted chickpeas to the vinaigrette and set aside. 3. Slice the tomatoes in various shapes and sizes – the cherry tomatoes can be halved or kept whole while larger vine tomatoes can be quartered or roughly chopped. Ensure you're using really fresh, ripe tomatoes.4. On a plate, smear the hummus in a rough circular shape. Top with some of the marinated chickpeas, then artfully arrange the tomatoes on top. Tear the buffalo mozzarella and arrange around the tomatoes. Add more chickpeas on top and drizzle some of the vinaigrette around the dish. 5. Garnish with some flaky sea salt and fresh coriander. You can prepare everything a few hours ahead and eat directly after plating.
Spinach and artichoke stuffed peppers
I love hot spinach and artichoke dip – it's a treat I usually save for the holidays. I'll bake off a big batch and we'll all dig in with bread sticks and tortilla chips at family gatherings. In the summer, I find it pairs really well with sweet roasted peppers. The combination of creamy, tangy and sweet flavours are so good with grilled steak and sauteed mushrooms.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
12-15 small sweet peppers (red and yellow)
1 bag grated mozzarella cheese, divided
200g cream cheese
60g sour cream
60g mayonnaise
400g tin artichoke hearts
200g baby spinach, washed
Juiced 1/2 lemon
1 clove garlic, finely grated
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp dried oregano
1 egg
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 200°C. In a food processor, add the artichoke hearts and spinach. Pulse until broken up. Add the cream cheese, half the mozzarella, sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, egg and salt and pepper. Blitz until well combined.2. Cut the small sweet peppers in half lengthways and remove all seeds. Place each pepper half cut side up in a roasting tray and evenly spread the spinach and artichoke mixture over the top.3. Spinkle the remaining mozzarella over the top. Bake until golden brown on top and bubbly around the edges, around 30-35 minutes. Serve hot.
This has to be my most requested recipe. I make it for myself all the time - it keeps well in the fridge and gets better with age. It's also kind of healthy, but tastes really indulgent.The combination of salty almonds with fresh herbs is what makes it a winner, and I'm always asked how it's made when I bring it to parties. It pairs well with grilled chicken or salmon, or even halloumi or tofu for a plant-based alternative.
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
250g bulgur, cooked and cooled
1 bunch fresh coriander
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley
1/4 bunch fresh chives
1 large red onion, diced
Juice 1/2 lemon
200g sliced almonds
2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
Directions:
1. Cook the bulgur wheat: bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and boil the bulgur wheat for 5 minutes, OR soak the bulgur wheat overnight in cold water. Ensure it is cool before the next step.2. In a dry, non-stick pan (no oil), add the sliced almonds and heat on medium high until lightly toasted. Add the oil and continue to cook until the almonds turn a bit more brown. Season the almonds liberally with salt (this will season the whole salad so don't be shy) and squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Toss the almonds together and remove from the heat.3. Add the almonds to the cooked bulgur wheat and mix thoroughly. Set aside.4. Finely dice the red onion and add to the bulgur wheat. Roughly chop the fresh herbs and toss the whole thing together. Check for seasoning and, if necessary, add more salt, oil or lemon juice (season to your personal taste). This salad will keep for up to four days in the fridge and, honestly, it gets better with age.
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