Happy Leons: LEON Happy Salads

Product Information

Serve: Enjoy this la scala salad recipe right away. Store leftovers in the fridge for 1-2 days. Store the dressing separately to prep in advance. Expert Recipe Tips

To store: keep the leftovers in the fridge and enjoy within 1-2 days. Note: the dressing may cause the lettuce to wilt. Recipe Variations Once the butter is melted and allowed to cool slightly, add the coffee and stir well, then add whichever orange bits you are using (if you add anything too hot or too cold to the mix it can cause it to shrink - have your ingredients at room temperature and not straight from the fridge). Dressing - We used our Lemon Vinaigrette, but we have given other options below for dressings you can use.To finish this halloumi salad off with lots of extra flavour, drizzle over some balsamic glaze or even honey. The salt and sweetness goes so well together. What to serve with a Halloumi Salad Pecorino romano: It sounds fancy, but pecorino romano is simply an Italian cheese that’s similar to parmesan. If it’s not available, use shaved parmesan cheese instead.

Over a medium heat melt the butter in a big heavy-bottomed pan. When it's just about going nutty brown, scatter in the bacon in separate pieces, not a clump. Keep cooking on a medium heat until the bacon starts to crisp and takes on a nicely golden brown appearance. Then stir in the garlic and cook for a further few minutes to release the flavours.Melt the butter on full power in a microwave for 1 minute (this can also be done in a small pan on the hob) and separately melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water on the stove. Stir the chocolate well, ensure it is completely melted, and be careful not to burn it. Tomatoes - This works best in the summer, where you can use really fresh and ripe tomatoes. If you are using winter tomatoes, then add some chopped sun-dried tomatoes as well to boost the tomato flavour. Now build your salad in layers, starting with the first ingredient on the list and ending up with the dressing (but only dress it just before you eat it). For something like this lettuce and Parmesan salad, try to use a crispy lettuce such as Romaine or red leaf lettuce (I used both to give me a little variety and good texture). You can also throw in some frisée lettuce, Belgian endive, or arugula, but be sure to start with Romaine lettuce and fill in with the rest.

To make the sauce, heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and gently fry the crushed garlic. Tip in the chopped tomatoes and harissa and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until the sauce has reduced. Put in the meatballs and continue to simmer for a further 20 minutes with a lid on until the sauce looks about right. Child is of the view that “the root must … be softened in some way”, either by blanching, as called for in Elizabeth David’s French Provincial Cooking, or by soaking it with salt and lemon juice for several hours, which Child favours, because “it removes the slight bitterness of celeriac, softens it, yet preserves its flavour and freshness of taste”, an approach also taken by David Tanis in his book A Platter of Figs. Olney, Bourdain and Slater use it immediately, and Anne-Sophie Pic immerses the cut strands in iced water for 10 minutes, “to make them nice and crunchy”.

Salad - Caprese Salad

Italian salami: If you can’t find specifically Italian salami at the store, feel free to use pepperoni, beef salami, or turkey salami instead. If you’re not a fan of salami in a salad, you can also use Baked Turkey Bacon. This slippery little South American grass seed attempts to trip up the uninitiated by being pronounced "keenwa". Despite a relatively nondescript taste, quinoa is a true superfood as it is one of the rare non-meat sources of complete protein - that is, one that contains the eight essential amino acids our bodies need. To further the cause of pedantry, we actually need 20 amino acids, but the body can produce the other 12 from the original eight. A handful of quinoa is often thrown into soup in the same way that you might add in bulgar. Leon ships its quinoa from Bolivia, gently fries it in olive oil to coat the seeds and then simmers it in water for 10 minutes. Drain after three minutes and run the veg under cold water to take all the heat out and keep them good and green Put the couscous into a large bowl and stir in the oil, cumin and a hefty pinch of salt, plus the zest and juice of half a lemon, making sure each granule is well coated. Pour 300ml of boiling water over the couscous, stirring well to ensure there are no dry areas left. Cover with clingfilm and leave for 10 minutes somewhere warm.