INGREDIENTS

3/4 cup well-shaken low-fat (1 1/2%) buttermilk
2 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons nonfat sour cream
1 tablespoon packed fresh basil leaves, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon sugar

DIRECTIONS

In a blender or food processor blend all ingredients and salt and pepper to taste until smooth. Dressing keeps, covered and chilled, 1 week. Serve dressing with soft lettuce, shellfish salad, or salmon salad.

Anyhow, the chicken cooked this way not only smells good, it tastes really good. Now I need to figure out how to keep the chicken from getting dry. There must be a way…

By the way, the best Caesar Salad of all time is at the Terrace Grill in the Marriott Hotel in Kuwait. They make it right in front of you and it is simply sumptuous!

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4 

400 gms Romaine lettuce, cleaned and cut
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
Fresh Parmesan cheese, sliced

Cajun Chicken Marinade:
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Drizzle olive oil
Salt to taste

Combine everything in a bowl and taste for salt. Make some cuts across the chicken breasts so the marinade penetrates. Mix chicken breasts with the marinade and place in an airtight bag overnight for extra spicy flavour. Otherwise at least an hour will be fine.

Grill 15 minutes each side then remove to cool. Slice and put aside.

Caesar Dressing:

4 tbsp light mayonnaise
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp anchovy paste (comes in a tube) or 4 – 5 anchovies without the oil
Salt to taste

To prepare the dressing, mix everything using a fork. Taste for salt. Add 2 – 3 tbsp water and mix well.

To serve the salad:

Mix the salad with dressing and put in individual plates. Arrange Parmesan and chicken slices. And serve!

I like to make a huge portion of fruit salad and keep it in the fridge for a few days to eat with meals or as a snack when we’re hungry. Although I love mangoes, strawberries, papaya, bananas etc in my fruit salad, they don’t keep so well in the fridge, so I keep it simple with fruits that last.

INGREDIENTS

2 Granny Smith’s (green) apples

2 red Gala apples

1 large Fuji apple

2 Valencia oranges

15 red grapes

3 rings of fresh pineapple

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Try to cut all the fruits of equal size. About 1cm square. It looks much nicer

Wash all the fruits. Cube all the apples (throw away the centres) and put them in a salad bowl. Pour in the lemon juice and mix well.

Cut the orange in half, then slice off the top of the orange and the bottom part. Place face down then slice off the rind. Its easy now to cube the orange halves.

Cut the grapes into half or quarter them if they are larger.

Cube the pineapple rings. Add all the fruits to the apples, sprinkle the salt and mix well. Place in a Frigovere glass bowl with airtight cover and it will keep for days in the fridge.

This salad is a great tapa eaten with bread and should be made at least the night before you want to eat it. And it keeps well in the fridge for many days!

INGREDIENTS

3 roasted pimientos
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 hardboiled eggs
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
3 tablespoons olive oil
Grape or sherry vinegar to taste
Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Slice the roasted pimientos lengthwise then across and put into small mixing bowl. Cut the hardboiled eggs into shards and add to the pimientos. Add the minced garlic and rub the cumin seeds between your palms into the bowl. Drizzle the olive oil and vinegar. Mix well and add salt to taste.

Cover and refrigerate until required.

Ensaladilla Rusa (literally – Russian Salad) is a traditional tapa served throughout every region of Spain, with little variation. Nearly every Tapas Bar will serve this colourful salad. A poorly made version will taste like a mouthful of mayonnaise. On the other hand, a well-made ensaladilla rusa is a perfectly balanced mixture of potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and vegetables, using the mayonnaise solely to accent these other flavours. This colorful salad is served at nearly every tapas bar.

Our version is a low-calorie version using low-fat mayonnaise – only 1 calorie per gram of salad!

Ensaladilla Rusa is best made the day before you want to eat it…that’s when all the flavours come out. It keeps well in the fridge for a few days  and is usually eaten with country bread.

INDGREDIENTS

Serves up to 3

400 gm potatoes

225 gm frozen carrots and peas mix

1 roasted pimiento (either commercial bottled or home-roasted)

2 eggs

150 gm low-fat mayonnaise

80 gm can of tuna

Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS

Boil the eggs. When hard-boiled, drain them and soak in cold water. When cool, peel the eggs and cut them into cubes.

Wash the potatoes and boil them (skin on) for 30 – 35 minutes. The potatoes should be cooked but firm – not soft for mash. When the boiling time is reached, drain and soak in cold water to cool them quickly and stop the cooking. Use the tip of a knife to remove the skin. Keep the potatoes in the fridge while you prepare other ingredients – they’re easier to cut when they are cold.

When they are cold, cut them into 1/2” cubes. (Cut them into 1/2” slices first, then strips then cubes.)

Boil the peas and carrots, then drain and let cool.

Drain the pimiento, and remove any seeds. Slice them thinly lengthwise.

Place the potatoes, eggs, peas and carrots and pimiento into a salad bowl (large enough to mix all ingredients thoroughly). Drain the tuna and separate them then add them to the mixture.

Add the mayonnaise and salt to taste, then mix well.

Store covered in the refrigerator.

Serves 2

1/4 red cabbage

2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp smoked hot pimiento powder

1 tbsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Slice the red cabbage finely and boil in salted water till well-cooked. Drain.

Peel and mince the garlic. Heat the olive oil and fry the garlic on low heat.

Add 1/2 tsp of smoked hot pimiento powder and fry briefly being careful not to burn it.

Add the boiled red cabbage and mix well. Remove.

Serve as a side with any Spanish dish e.g. al-bondegas. May also be eaten on its own like a salad.

I thought it looked familiar, like a salsa I used to make to eat with my steaks in Malaysia – except mine had cili padi as well! It turns out its called "Salsa Criolla" and indeed its eaten with the grilled meats! Deja vu…

The other day, tired of the normal salad, I made my version of this salsa, except, we ate it as a salad. And its great as a starter or appetiser..

INGREDIENTS

Serves 2

2 Lebanese cucumbers

2 medium-sized tomatoes

1 small or 1/2 large green pepper

1/2 medium-sized bombay onion

4 cloves garlic

Extra virgin olive oil

Grape vinegar

Salt

DIRECTIONS

Cut off the ends of the cucumbers, slice them into three lengthwise, then cut them across to get cubes.

Peel the onion, and cube them. Slice the tomatoes then cub them. Slice the green pepper across, then cut them into cubes. Try to cube the vegetables the same size throughout – abut 1/2" by 1/2" – this makes them look nice!

Peel the garlic, smash them with the flat edge of the knife then mince them finely.

Put everything in a salad bowl, add 1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and 2 tbsp of grape vinegar. (If this is not enough, you can add more or both to your taste.) Add salt to taste and mixed everything up.

Serve in a small bowl as appetiser or accompaniment…good even with rice and curry!