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By Life Positive

July 1999

Come summer and the first thing the heat does is to diminish your appetite. Food? Yuck! You long for something cool, fresh and juicy, something with an invigorating zing.

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Perhaps a sip from an icy drink, or a succulent bite into a soothing salad of cucumber and shrimps. Relax, your drooling days are over. Let your imagination become reality as chefs from the best five-star hotels of India share their favorite summer salad recipes with you

SUMMER SALAD

Ingredients
Broccoli: 100 gm (blanched)
Mushroom: 75 gm
Baby Corn: 50 gm (boiled)

For Yogurt Dressing
Hung yogurt: 75 ml
Chopped garlic: 10 gm
Fresh cream: 5 ml
Salt/pepper: To taste

For Garnish
Tomato cut into the shape of a flower
Carrot leaf
Asparagus tip
Parsley sprigs

Method
Cut broccoli into florets, dice mushrooms and baby corn. Toss them with seasoning. Arrange fresh lettuce in a salad bowl. Put the tossed mix on the bed of lettuce. Garnish with tomato flower, carrot leaf, asparagus tips and parsley sprigs. Mix the dressing ingredients into a smooth consistency. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the dressing and serve separately over the salad. (Serves 2)

COTTAGE CHEESE, MANGO AND PINEAPPLE WITH GINGER VINAIGRETTE

Ingredients
Cottage cheese: 250 gm
Mango: 350 gm
Pineapple: 250 gm

Dressing
Ginger juice: 30 ml
Lemon juice: 30 ml
Honey: 25 ml
Oil: 60 ml
Salt/pepper: To taste

Method
Cut the cottage cheese, peeled mango and pineapple into cubes. Put them in a bowl and refrigerate. Now take the dressing ingredients, except the oil, and mix thoroughly. Pour the oil in a gentle stream whisking simultaneously till it is completely blended. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve in a bowl garnished with ginger juliennes. (Serves 4)

PARFAIT OF AVOCADO AND CAJUN SPIKED CHICKEN

Ingredients
Avocado: 2
Poached chicken breast: 2
Cajun spice: 1tsp
Double cream: 30 ml
Gelatin: 1 tsp
Parsley: 1 sprig
Thyme: 1 sprig
Basil 1 sprig
Assorted lettuce: ½ cup
Unsalted butter: 60 gm
Olive oil: 15 ml
Balsamic vinaigrette: 2 tsp
Chopped shallot: 1

Method
Melt the butter in a pan till the solids separate and it becomes nutty brown in color. Cook, skim and pour in a blender. Add the olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette. Whisk in the salt, pepper and chopped shallot. Peel, core and chop the avocado. Add juice of lime, chopped chicken breast and cajun spice and blend to a fine paste in a blender. Fold in the whipped cream, melt the gelatin and add to the mix. Pour it into a bowl and cool. Scoop out the parfait from the bowl and place on a plate. Top it with a mound of lettuce and drizzle with brown butter vinaigrette. Garnish with puff pastry abstracts

GREEK SALAD
Ingredients
Feta cheese: 70 gm
Black olives: 15 gm
Tomato: 35 gm
Onions: 20 gm (sliced finely)
Mixed lettuce: 1 00 gm
Seasoning Fresh oregano: 10 gm
Extra virgin olive oil: 35 ml
Balsamic vinegar: 15 ml

Method
Dice the feta cheese. Slice black olives and tomatoes. Clean the lettuce and tear it into bite-size pieces. Make the herb dressing with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and chopped fresh oregano. Toss the lettuce with all the above mentioned ingredients and the balsemic vinegar-oregano-olive oil dressing. Serve the salad after tossing.

MIXED NON-VEG SALAD

Ingredients
Chicken breast: 1
Prawns: 2
Air-dried ham: 3 rashers
Fresh basil: 1 sprig
Lettuce: few leaves
Black olives: 2
Cherry tomatoes: 2
Grain mustard: ½ tsp
Vinaigrette: 10 ml

Method
Roast the chicken breast and slice it into 4-5 pieces. Set sliced sliced chicken while you boil the prawns. Season the boiled prawns with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Then, arrange the boiled chicken, seasoned prawn and ham with lettuce and basil. Garnish with olives and cherry tomatoes. Mix the grain mustard with vinaigrette and drizzle the mixture over the non-vegetarian salad. Serve on lettuce leaves.

SUMMER SEAFOOD SALAD

Ingredients
Squid rings: 30 gm Shrimps: 30 gm (blanched)
Prawns: 2 (blanched) Lettuce leaves: 3 (whole) Plums: 1 (sliced)
Sweet lime: 1 (segmented)
Green capsicum: 1 (julienned)
Avocado: 1 (sliced)

Dressing
French mustard: 10 gm, Extra virgin olive oil: 10 ml

Method
Toss all ingredients together in French mustard and olive oil. Decorate a plate with the remaining mustard. Arrange the salad neatly in a heap. Serve chilled.