salads

Although we are in the depths of winter, there are nevertheless some lovely bright days which turn customers' thoughts to eating something lighter than mash and gravy sort of dishes. I resurrected a salad recipe from the old days this week. I had bought some pink grapefruit and really wanted to make a Thai sort of salad with chicken and prawns. But two other spicy things on the menu meant that I had to think again. So we went for honey and mustard marinaded chicken, served with a rice, banana and coconut salad. Here is the recipe.....for 6 people
250g/8oz cooked long grain rice
1 banana
4 scallions, chopped
50g/20z dessicated coconut
1 red pepper
1 red chilli, finely chopped
 2.5cm/1 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 bunch fresh coriander
a handful fresh mint leaves

DRESSING
juice of 2-3 limes
1 tsp sugar
4 tbs sunflower oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
salt and pepper

Skin the red pepper, either by charring on a gas flame or just peeling with a peeler.
Chop or slice the red pepper.
Wash and chop the fresh coriander and mint leaves.
Slice the banana, and mix with all the other salad ingredients.
Mix the dressing ingredients together and add to the rice, banana and coconut mixture.
Season and taste.

This rice mixture is also good eaten hot with either spicy or plain chicken or fish.
I had a busy weekend last weekend, as we had friends for dinner on Saturday night, followed by our Bay Tree staff Christmas party on Sunday. Both nights were great fun, but very different. My menu for Saturday if anyone's interested was roasted beetroot with goats cheese and cranberry salsa; duck confit with puy lentils and seville orange chutney, baby potatoes and chicory salad; mini meringues with tropical fruit and passionfruit puree; cheese and bics and nobody wanted coffee (Brian told them they didn't anyway). The cranberry salsa was very tart and needed a lot of honey to make it palatable, but it's quite a successful mixture.Unfortunately I haven't got a picture of it.....