‘Easy Al Fresco‘ bevat smullekker resepte wat ideaal is vir buite eet, hetsy op die stoep, in jou tuin, by die see, in die bos of berg of erens tussen nêrens. Grootste lekkerte is dat nie een van die resepte elektrisiteit vereis nie, maar oor die vuur of in die Weber of op gas gaargemaak kan word. Die ideale boek om in te pak as jy nou weer op ‘n voetslaan-uitstappie of visvang-naweek gaan. Die boek bevat resepte vir van heerlike brode met doopsouse, aptytwekkers en slaaie, toebroodjies en heerlike hoofgeregte en poedings.
‘Loaded BLT salad with avo, croutons and crispy onions’
Resep deur Ilse van der Merwe
“Sometimes I love turning a classic upside-down, yet retaining the original flavours that I know and love. It’s the case with this BLT sandwich-turned-salad – layers of crunchy lettuce, crispy bacon, the freshest ripe tomato, loaded with creamy avo, some pan-fried croutons (yesterday’s loaf) and a jar-shaken sweet and tangy dressing. A totally scrumptious combo.”
Serves 2 as a main, or 4 as a side
Tools: tablespoon | large wide frying pan | spatula | heat source | chopping board | chopping knife | medium jar with lid | teaspoon | salad bowl or platter
45 ml (3 Tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
2 slices bread (your choice), torn into bite-size chunks and some smaller bits
salt and pepper, to taste
250 g smoked streaky bacon
60 ml (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil
20 ml (4 tsp) apple cider vinegar (or fresh lemon juice)
15 ml (1 Tbsp) mustard
15 ml (1 Tbsp) honey
1 small clove garlic, minced or finely grated (optional)
a medium bunch crunchy lettuce leaves (e.g. gem, romaine, iceberg)
2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced (or 250 g small tomatoes, halved/sliced)
1 large ripe avocado, sliced
2–3 Tbsp (30–45 ml) crispy onion salad topping (optional)
1 Heat the 45 ml olive oil in a pan and add the bread chunks, frying them on all sides until lightly brown. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Remove the croutons from the pan, then add the bacon (in the residual oil), and fry until crisp, stirring often. Remove from the pan, set aside to cool, then chop into smaller shards.
2 To make the dressing, add the 60 ml oil, vinegar, mustard, honey and garlic (if using) to a jar. Season lightly with salt and pepper, close the lid and give it a vigorous shake until well emulsified. Set aside.
3 Arrange the lettuce, tomatoes and avocado in a salad bowl or on a platter, top generously with the croutons, bacon and crispy onion (if using), drizzle over the dressing and garnish as desired. Serve immediately.
Lentil salad with sun-dried tomatoes, feta and herbs
“Many supermarkets sell antipasti-style sun-dried tomatoes in vinaigrette – they’re softer than regular sun-dried tomatoes that are preserved in oil and I find them more flavourful. Using the vinaigrette as a dressing is a short-cut to achieving wonderful results with minimum effort. The success of the lentils lies in choosing a large lentil that won’t disintegrate during cooking as it needs to keep its shape.”
Serves 4–6 as a side
Tools: medium-large pot | colander | mixing or salad bowl | chopping board | chopping knife
250 g (1¼ cups) large green/brown/black lentils (or puy or Castelluccio lentils)
240 g sun-dried tomatoes in vinaigrette, sliced into smaller chunks, liquid reserved
30–45 ml (2–3 Tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
15 ml (1 Tbsp) balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
200 g feta, crumbled
½ small red onion, finely sliced
a bunch mixed fresh soft herbs, finely chopped (e.g. dill, parsley, chives and basil)
1 Place the lentils in a pot and fill with water, about 3 cm above the lentils (don’t add salt yet). Bring to a simmer, then cook, uncovered, for about 20 minutes until just tender. Drain, then transfer to a mixing bowl.
2 Add the tomatoes with their reserved liquid, the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, stirring to mix.
3 Season with salt and pepper, then leave to cool to room temperature.
4 Gently stir in the feta, onion and herbs. Serve at room temperature.
Notes
As a low-effort substitute if you don’t want to cook the lentils yourself, you can use 2 × 400 g cans of ‘organic lentils in water’ – just drain and rinse before assembling.
For a fully vegan salad, use a vegan alternative for the feta.
The salad may be made a day ahead, stored in the fridge and returned to room temperature before serving.
Die boek is beskikbaar by meeste boekwinkels teen sowat R430 en kan ook aanlyn bestel word. Een gelukkige persoon kan ook ‘n boek wen. Al wat jy hoef te doen is om my sosiale media blaaie (Instagram: CarmenNiehausSa en Facebook: Carmen Niehaus asook Ilse van er Merwe se profiele te “like’ en volg op Instagram asook Facebook) en lewer asseblief kommentaar op die relevante plasing op my blad. Die kompetisie loop tussen die 5de Januarie, tot Vrydag, die 12de Januarie. Diegene wat nie albei profiele se blaaie gevolg, ‘like’, en kommentaar gelewer het nie, sal dus nie kwalifiseer vir die wenprys nie.
Carmen Niehaus 