Salad Archives • Mushroompride

Thai Beef Salad Wraps – Delishar

This is inspired by the traditional Thai beef salad, but made slightly easier as I omitted the roasted rice powder. But what lacks in the crunch from the roasted rice, was substituted by the crunch from the cucumber ribbons. The only reason I omitted the roasted rice was because I do not have a mortar and pestle, and using my food processor to process that little bit of roasted rice is not going to be efficient/effective.

I do like the extra freshness this version of Thai beef salad gives though. Crisp romaine lettuce, juicy tomatoes, freshness of the mint leaves, plus a bit of bite from the red onions goes so well together. Wrapping everything up makes it easier to eat as well. The dressing has a good balance of sweet, sour, savoury, and spiciness. I used flank steak because I prefer leaner cut of meat. But feel free to substitute to a cut of your preference.

Thai Beef Salad Wraps

Delishar

Serves 4 as a starter

Seared beef

1/4 cup pineapple juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp oil

Dressing

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic pressed
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves cilantro
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
juice of 1 lime

Toppings

8 pieces romaine lettuces
1/2 to mato thinly sliced
1/2 cucumber ribboned using a vegetable peeler
Handful of mint leaves
1/4 red onion thinly sliced

Marinate flank steak in pineapple juice for at least 30 minutes.
Pat dry beef, then season with salt and pepper.
Heat pan on medium high heat, then add oil.
Sear flank steak 3-5 minutes on both sides depending on your preferred done-ness.
Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing beef into thin strips.
Assemble wraps with romaine lettuces, cucumber, tomato, beef, onions, and mint leaves.
Then spoon some of the dressing over beef.

Thai beef salad wrap insta 1

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Thai Duck Confit with Asian Salad – Delishar

I had my first duck confit when I was on a date with the husband. Immediately after that dinner, I started researching on recipes to confit duck legs. I’m intrigued by how much work time was taken to confit duck legs, and the history behind duck confit.

Duck confit originated in France. Confit is the past participle of the French verb confire, or “to preserve”. Confit is also one of the oldest ways to preserve food. The process involves curing the meat in salt mixture for 24-36 hours. After which, the cured meat is cooked in it’s own rendered fat, low and slow. This results in a moist, tender, melt-in-mouth, flavourful meat. Once the meat has been confit, it can last for several months or years.

So with that, I adapted the confit technique and give it an Asian twist with *drumroll please!* Thai aromatic spices of course! I made everything ~~on a budget~~ from scratch, all the way to rendering the duck fat. I got about 2.5 cups (600ml) of liquid gold from 1 kg of duck fats. And the raw duck fat cost me only $2 as compared to a bottle of prepared duck fat for $20 for 700ml. I rendered about 3-4 kg of duck fat that day, and gave a couple jars of liquid gold away to friends.

Don’t let the amount of time needed to confit the meat turn you off. Most of the time is inactive, and it’s just a game of waiting. Waiting for this delicious melt in the mouth experience with the most robust explosion of flavours! The wait was definitely worth it.

Duck confit Process

Asian Bok Choy Salad

Delishar

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Salad

3 cups bok choy cut into 1 inch size
1/2 cup shredded carrot
2-3 tbsp scallions use white and green parts
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
20 Thai basil leaves
1 navel orange supreme

Dressing

1/4 cup navel orange juice about 1 orange
Juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp fish sauce
2-3 tsp honey
1 tsp sriracha sauce
1 tsp duck fat or olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil

Mix ingredients for dressing together in a small bowl.
Add all the ingredients for salad in a large mixing bowl.
Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.

Duck Confit 3

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Polish Meatloaf & Warm Beetroot Salad – Delishar

We have been living in Kovan for 5 years now, and we are a little sad that we will be moving to a new neighbourhood very soon. During our time here, we have made some great friends, so did the kids. I love it here because our estate consist of families from different parts of the world! It’s like one big melting pot, and it’s so nice to learn about different cultures and food.

So I though before I leave, I’d be thick skin and ask the mummies of my girls’ playmates if they are willing to contribute a recipe of their culture. They generously agreed! Thank you ladies! So I’ll be featuring some guest recipes in the next couple of months, and sharing with you some little bits of stories.

This gorgeous mummy here is Marta, believe it or not, she just had her 2nd princess about a month ago! She came from Poland and her husband Daniel came from the UK. They moved to Singapore a couple of years ago, and have been living in Kovan since they started their family. Liliana is their first born, a feisty little one that is always so full of life, and will start swaying and dancing whenever she hears music. Luna, the newborn is such a sweetheart, and a totally chilled baby.

Look at how contented was Luna just chilling out on her bouncer, looking at what we were up to! Once every 3 months or so, the kovan crew as we called it will get together by the pool side to have a little get together. Each family will bring a dish or two, wines, and beers to share. The kids will be running amok, keeping themselves entertained, while the parents kept a close eye, enjoy the food, booze, and company.

One of such event, Marta brought her warm beet root salad, and it was a hit! Sweet, slightly savoury, and healthy!! So I requested for her to share with me that recipe. She also suggested to make some Polish meatloaf to go along with it. I have never heard, least tried Polish meatloaf, but hey, it’s all about trying something new right?! And man was it good! She even shared with me her secret ingredient.

This is her secret ingredient, Polish Maggi sauce!! She got her parents to send it to her, and will buy some whenever she goes back to Poland. Too bad we can’t get any of those here, but fortunately, we can always substitute for our local Maggi sauce. The Maggi sauce gives the meat loafs that added umami, I suppose it’s like adding Worcestershire sauce to our meat loaf or meatballs recipes.

Marta’s meatloaf turned out absolutely delish!! Very tasty, melts in the mouth but with a nice crispy crust! Marta, if you are reading this, please make it for our next poolside get together. My tummy is already craving for this. I’m going to try to make this on my own very soon! It’s a great dish to go on top of pasta, between bread, or even just on it’s own with the beet salad and a side of mash potatoes. 🙂

I can rave about the food all they, but I’m too excited to be sharing with you Marta’s recipes! So before moving on to the recipes, do keep in mind that we want raw beet roots to cook. Do not buy those peeled, and cooked vacuum packed beet roots that you see from the supermarket.

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Warm Beetroot Salad

Delishar contributed by Marta

Serves 6-8 as a side dish

600 g beetroot
1 red apple peeled and shredded
1 yellow onion diced
1 tbsp flour
1-2 tbsp brown sugar or to taste
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbsp cooking oil divided
A few splashes of Maggi sauce optional
Chopped Italian parsley to garnish

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in frying pan over medium heat.
Saute onion until soft and translucent.
Add flour and mix well.
Add apples, sugar, salt, and saute for 2 minutes.
Pour in the rest of the oil, and then add beetroot in 3 batches.
Saute until all combined, and most of the liquid has evaporated.
Garnish with Italian parsley, and serve warm.

Doesn’t that look amazing! Just that popping red colour alone makes me hungry! It was so good and so comforting, even the kids loved it! Now for the meatloaf recipe.

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Polish Meatloaf

Delishar, contributed by Marta

Serves 6-8

300 g minced beef
300 g minced pork
2 slices of bread soaked in milk
1 large egg
1 yellow onion minced or grated
1 medium carrot grated
3 tbsp chopped Italian parsley
1/2 tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
2-3 tbsp Maggi sauce
Oil to pan fry

Breading station

2-3 eggs lightly beaten
1/2 cup flour
1 cup bread crumbs

In a large mixing bowl, mix together minced pork, minced beef, onion, carrot, parsley, bread, egg, salt, black pepper, and maggi sauce.
Use your hand to mix until well combined and sticky.
Shape patties into 2 inch round and 3/4 inch in thickness.
Dredge in flour, dip in beaten egg allowing excess to drip off, then coat with bread crumbs.
Pan fry over medium heat until crumbs are golden and meat cooked through.

Special thanks again to Marta, for sharing with me the recipes, and your culture! <3

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Yummy Easy Pasta Salad – Delishar

This pasta salad was so easy to make, but amazingly tasty! The husband had so much of it that I had to stop him from eating. Or else the kids there will not be enough for the kids to enjoy. The kids enjoyed it as much as we did as well!

The dressing was so delicious! Just the right balance of sweet, salty, and tang. And the vegetables added layers of texture and some freshness to the salad. What I liked most is getting a little of that yummy feta cheese in each bite. This is one of those awesome make ahead recipe for a busy week or party. Oh, and it’s vegetarian friendly too!

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Easy Pasta Salad

Delishar

Fusilli Pasta 190g
English Cucumber 1/2 diced
Feta Cheese 70g
Tomato 1, seeded and diced
Purple onion 3 tbsp, diced
Cilantro 3-4 tbsp, chopped
Extra Virgin Olive Oil 4 tbsp
Red Wine Vinegar 3 tbsp
Lemon Juice 2 tsp
Dried Oregano 1 tsp
Honey 2 tsp
Garlic cloves 2, minced
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

Bring a pot of salted water to boil, and cook pasta until Al dente.
Drain, transfer to a large mixing bowl, and allow to cool.
Make dressing by whisking olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, garlic, oregano, lemon juice, and salt together.
When pasta is cooled to room temperature, crumble feta cheese over pasta, and add all the other ingredients into mixing bowl.
Pour dressing over pasta, season with black pepper, and toss to combine.
Serve immediately or keep chilled until ready to serve.

Pasta Salad insta 5

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Grilled Maple Chicken on Quinoa Salad – Delishar

Trying to think up healthy yet appealing dishes to entice the kids can be quite challenging. My girls are pretty good eaters, given that they were brought up with the rule of “always try before saying I don’t like it”. So they are quite good about trying food that are new to them. However, when I introduce food that’s unfamiliar to them I try my best to make sure that it will appeal to their taste-buds.

Using their favourite vegetables, I toss up this quinoa salad that is not only appealing to their taste-buds, but also the pop of colours was enticing as well. Paired it with a fragrant and slightly caramelized grilled maple chicken, and their favourite baby beans. I knew I’m going to win their hearts that evening.

Did you know that quinoa has many proven health benefits? It is one of the world’s most popular super food that is

very nutrious
high in protein
gluten-free
loaded with fiber
contains all 9 essential amino acids
has low glycemic index
rice in zinc, iron, magnesium, and many vitamins
supports weight loss
high in anti-oxidant
prevents heat disease
has anti-inflammatory properties
improves digestion

and many more. If you are interested to find out more, check out this link for more information. Quinoa can be found at health food store, NTUC finest, cold storage, marketplace, and Jason’s. Check out my other quinoa recipe, Salmon with Mango Avocado Salsa on Quinoa. Don’t forget to participate in the Tefal Advance Rice Cooker giveaway that is ending today.

Note: The grilled chicken is paleo approved but not quinoa. Substitute with cauliflower rice for a full paleo meal.

Grilled Maple Chicken on Quinoa Salad

delishar

Serves 4-6

Grilled Maple Chicken

3 chicken breast split into half width/thickness wise
4 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp coconut amino or soy sauce if not going paleo
2 tsp grated ginger
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic grated
Black pepper to taste
Oil for cooking

Dressing

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp applecider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried oregano
Salt and black pepper to taste

Quinoa Salad

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cup 360ml water
Pinch of salt
1 Japanese cucumber seeded and diced
1/2 red pepper diced
1/2 yellow pepper diced
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tbsp chopped spring onions / scallions

Garnish

Lemon zest
Chopped cilantro

Blanched beans

300 g baby french beans
Salt to taste

Grilled Maple Chicken

Place all the ingredients except oil into a zip lock bag. Seal, and mix to combine.
Allow chicken to marinate for at least 1 to 24 hours in the chiller.
When ready to cook, heat a grill pan on medium high heat and grease with oil.
Allow excess marinade to drip off chicken then place on grill pan.
Lower heat to medium, and allow to grill for about 2 minutes each side. Remove chicken from pan, and allow it to rest loosely tented with tin foil to keep warm for about 5-10 minutes.

Quinoa

Rinse quinoa and drain.
Place quinoa into a pot over medium heat and toast until no longer wet and smells nutty. About 5-8 minutes.
Pour in water, season with salt, and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover and let the quinoa cook in a gentle simmer for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, turn off heat and allow to sit with lid on for another 5 minutes. Do not open or peek!
Then fluff with fork and transfer to a large mixing bowl to cool.
When quinoa is cooled, toss together the rest of the ingredients and prepared dressing.

Blanch baby beans

Bring a pot of water to boil, then season water generously with salt.
Blanch green beans for 2 minutes.
Then remove and transfer to a bowl of cold or ice water to stop cooking process.

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The Best Chicken Cobb Salad (Whole 30, Paleo) – Delishar

Please, take a moment to fully appreciate the beauty of this salad. I’m not only talking about the colours of the rainbow presented on the plate, but also the play of textures. I hardly ever say this about salads, but this plate of salad right here should be crown the queen of salad bowl. It is that amazing, so much so I ate it for 3 days consecutively. I could have this for lunch every single day. Yes, it is that good.

I mean, the crunch from the cucumber, sharpness of the red onions, sweetness of the cherry tomatoes, creamy avocado, and don’t even get me started on that warm spiced chicken. The dressing was creamy, tangy, with a little heat to it. This is honestly one of the BEST salad that I have ever made in my entire life.

Did I also mentioned that it is Whole 3o compliant? Just use compliant mayo, which you can easily make your own with the video recipe found here. To tell you the truth, writing this post is making me extremly hungry. Guess what I’d be making myself for lunch again tomorrow? 😀

Best Chicken Cobb Salad (Whole 30, Paleo)

Delishar

Spiced Chicken

1 chicken breast cubed
¼ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp old bay seasoning
1 tsp olive oil

Salad

1 hardboiled egg sliced
1 head romaine lettuce chopped into bite size
¼ red onion thinly sliced
5 cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 english cucumber seeded & diced
1 avocado pitted & diced

Dressing

2 tbsp mayo Whole 30 compliant recipe below
1 tsp tobasco sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp dried parsley
1 tbsp hot water
Black pepper & salt

Marinate chicken with smoked paprika & old bay seasoning and 1 tsp olive oil.
Heat pan on medium high heat with 1 tbsp olive oil.
Pan fry chicken until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes.
Place all the ingredients for dressing in a bowl and mix until combined.
Place lettuce in bowl, top with cucumber, tomatoes, onion, chicken, avocado, egg, and drizzle dressing over.

Whole 30 Mayo: https://goo.gl/BA61Rj

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Asian Chicken Salad (Whole30 / Paleo) – Delishar

Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I’ve been super busy with developing a whole lot of new recipes for Cookit, sponsors, and keeping myself busy with mother-ing too. I’m trying to get things sorted before we take our big long vacay. A much needed one to disconnect from the cyber world and truly bond as a family and with nature. I can’t wait to wake up to the smell of bacon, fresh coffee, play badminton with the girls at the back yard, fish off the pier, spend time with my nieces & in-laws, and so much more.

My girls are counting down the days to our trip. This time round, we are going to camp outdoors. I hope I don’t get eaten alive by mozzies. I’m also going to try to eat clean while we are there. Of course, we will have cheat days for skillets, onion strings, and malt milk shake. I’m excited to go grocery shopping and see what whole30/paleo approved produce I can find.

I made this whole30 compliant recipe for lunch last week. It was great because it keeps well chilled and taste good chilled too! Definitely a good recipe to beat the scorching Singapore heat. The flavours develops and marries as it sits in the fridge. You can skip the chicken and serve it as a side dish as well. Chop up some broccoli into tiny pieces and add to the as well. I’m certain you are going to enjoy this recipe.

Bring a pot of water to boil, season with salt, then boil chicken for about 8 minutes. Drain and shred with 2 forks.

Prep all the vegetables and place it in a mixing bowl. Mix all the ingredients of the dressing in a small bowl.

Add sesame seeds, shredded chicken, and pour in dressing. Toss to coat. You can serve immediately or chill it and let the flavours developed.

Asian Chicken Salad

Delishar

1 chicken breast
150 white cabbage shredded
100 g purple cabbage shredded
80 g carrot shredded
2 tsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp chopped spring onions
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Dressing

1 tbsp coconut aminos or soy sauce if not whole30
2 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar I like Mizkan brand
2 tbsp orange juice freshly squeeze
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp grated ginger
Salt & Black pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients for dressing in a bowl.
Bring a pot of water to boil, season with salt, and cook chicken. About 8 minutes.
Shred chicken with 2 forks.
In a bowl, add chicken, carrot, cabbages, sesame seed, spring onions, cilantro, and pour dressing over.
Toss to coat and serve.

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Orange Salmon Salad (Paleo, Whole30) – Delishar

I love cooking with oranges, especially naval orange. It lends a burst of citrusy freshness with a hint of natural sweetness to the dish which often makes me want to go back for more. Honestly, the salad dressing is out of this world. I would drink it straight up if I have no self-control. At some point I was questioning if I’m eating another portion of greens because it was an excuse to have more dressing.

The marinade for the fish could not be any simpler. Orange, garlic, and thyme go so well together! I’m sure it’ll work well for other kinds of fish or even chicken. Use wild-caught salmon if possible. Yes, it makes a difference. If you have time, package up the fish in the foil and let it sit out in the chiller for the flavours to marry. The aluminium wrapped fish would be perfect for the grill as well!

Orange Salmon Salad

delishar

4 x Wild Salmon Fillets about 180g each
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 tbsp. fresh orange juice
1 tbsp. fresh thyme stem removed
1 naval orange sliced
2 cloves garlic minced
Salt and black pepper to taste
400 g of mixed salad greens
1/2 Japanese cucumber sliced
1 large tomato sliced into wedges
Salad dressing
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
4 tbsp. orange juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp orange zest
4 tbsp. olive oil
Salt and black pepper

Preheat oven to 200C
Prepare a sheets of aluminium foil for wrapping each salmon fillet
In a small bowl, mix together garlic, orange juice, and olive oil
Season salmon with salt and black pepper
Lay 2 slices of orange on aluminium foil
Place salmon on top of orange slices and pour prepared sauce over
Place another slice of orange on top and loosely seal the package
Bake for 15 minutes
In another bowl, mix salad dressing together in a tight container, cover and shake until combined/emulsified
Toss salad greens with prepared salad dressing to desired taste
Serve with baked salmon

You can also add some segmented orange into the salad like I did but it’s optional.
You can get wild salmon fillet from The Alaska Guys