5 delicious salad recipes to kickstart the year

KALE TABBOULEH
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Ingredients
3 gm smoked crispy shiitake mushroom
100 gm kale
2 gm coriander
1 gm mint
5 gm red onion
10 gm cucumber, cut small
4 pcs red cherry tomato, halved
20 gm Feta cheese
20 gm Dijon vinaigrette
For the Dijon vinaigrette:
70 gm caster sugar
60 ml apple cider vinegar
500 ml vegetable oil
90 ml lemon juice
1 gm lemon zest
6 gm fine sea salt
50 gm Dijon mustard
Method
Slice shitake mushrooms into thin slices, brush with a little oil and season with salt. Dehydrate them in the oven for about 10 minutes at 180°C.
Chop kale into small pieces or bite-size portions. Sauté in a hot frying pan (no oil or liquid required) for about 10-20 seconds to start the cooking process and to turn the kale into a deeper green colour.
Chop fresh coriander and mint finely and mix with the kale.
Chop red onions, cucumbers and cherry tomatoes into cubes (about half a cm each).
For the dressing, mix all the ingredients together, except the olive oil.
Once mixed, slowly pour in the oil while whisking together, to emulsify it and make the vinaigrette.
Mix all the vegetables together and crumble the feta cheese into it.
Combine with the mixed leaves and toss the entire mix with the dressing.
Garnish with dehydrated shitake mushrooms, or break them up and add to the salad for a nuttier flavour.


GREY SHRIMP SALAD
Serves: 2
Prep time: 20 mins
Ingredients
60 gm grey shrimp,
peeled, cooked
1 gm chives
200 gm lime mayonnaise
5 gm baby fennel
20 gm heirloom cherry tomatoes
100 ml basil oil

For the lime mayo:
40 ml lime juice
1 gm fine sea salt
1 egg yolk
¼ tsp white pepper
1 gm lime zest
160 ml corn oil
Method
Whisk together lime juice, salt, egg yolk and white pepper; add some lime zest.
Slowly add the corn oil to make a mayonnaise.
Mix grey shrimp and chopped chives with the mayonnaise.
Shave the fennel into thin slices and cut heirloom cherry tomatoes in half.
Place a 5x5 circular mould on a serving plate and spoon in the grey shrimp mixture till you have a 2cm base.
Add heirloom tomatoes and garnish with the shaved fennel.
Add a few drops of the basil oil over the tomatoes and fennel (but not too much, otherwise the tomatoes will slide off when you remove the mould).
Carefully remove the mould and serve immediately.

SUPERFOOD SALAD
Serves: 4
Prep time: 20 mins
Ingredients
1 fresh pineapple
5 gm coconut, peeled
5 gm red radish
20 gm celery
1 gm chives
50 gm avocado
150 gm baby gem
5 gm blueberry
1 gm chia seed
2 gm Affilla cress
30 gm white wafu dressing
For the wafu dressing:
200 gm Granny Smith apple, peeled
150 gm white onion, chopped
10 gm garlic, grated
200 gm white miso
400 ml rice vinegar
60 ml white soy
180 gm caster sugar
Method
Peel pineapple, cut into slices and char over an open fire (use fresh pineapple, otherwise you will not get the charred effect). Cut into cubes after you have charred them.
Shave thin slices from the peeled coconut, slice the radish and celery and chop the chives. Peel avocado and cut into cubes.
Remove the leaves from the baby gems and cut for the salad.
For the wafu dressing, blitz all the ingredients together in a blender.
Mix the fruit and vegetables in a bowl, except for the chia seeds.
Lightly dress with the wafu dressing.
Garnish with chia seeds and micro herbs. Serve.

LENTIL SALAD
Serves: 4
Prep time: 35 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Ingredients
110 gm Puy lentils, cooked
2 cloves garlic
Salt to taste
Sprig of thyme
25 gm sweet potato
10 gm red onion, julienne
30 gm goat's cheese
8 gm banana shallot, fried
10 cherry tomatoes
1 gm parsley, chopped
1 gm Affilla cress
For the lemon dressing:
240 ml lemon juice
60 gm honey
15 gm fine sea salt
240 ml lemon oil
Method
Cover lentils with water in a pot.
Add garlic, a sprinkle of salt and thyme. Boil for 10-15 minutes, or until soft.
Strain the lentils and remove the garlic and thyme; allow to cool.
Peel the sweet potato and chop into cubes of 1cm size each. Place on a baking tray, sprinkle with salt and roast for 12 minutes at 180°C or until soft.
Rinse julienne red onions under cold water; dry and set aside for later use.
Cut goat's cheese into cubes.
Peel three shallots and slice into thin rings. Coat them in plain flour and fry at 125°C until golden brown. Pat dry and keep aside.
Cut cherry tomatoes into quarters and chop parsley as well.
For the dressing: mix lemon juice, honey and salt. Slowly add the lemon infused oil to emulsify the dressing.
Mix the lentils, goat's cheese, sweet potatoes, red onions and chopped parsley in a bowl and add the dressing.
Place into a serving bowl, garnish with the crispy shallots and cress.

TRUFFLED GEMS
Serves: 2
Prep time: 25 mins
Ingredients
2 pc baby gems
10 ml vegetable oil
Fine sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
2 tbsp truffle sauce
1 gm chives, finely
chopped
1 gm black truffle, shaved
For the truffle sauce dressing:
15 ml truffle oil
200 gm truffle butter
100 gm Granny Smith apples, washed, peeled
75 gm white onion, chopped
5 gm garlic, grated
100 gm white miso
420 ml rice vinegar
30 ml soy sauce
90 gm caster sugar
Method
Cut baby gems in half lengthways. Brush with oil and season with salt and pepper. Char baby gems over an open fire.
For dressing: blend all ingredients, except for truffle oil and butter, together. Add oil to the mixture and heat gently in a pan; whisk in the butter gradually. Do not boil.
Pour some dressing over the gems, and garnish with chives.
Shave some fresh black truffle over the lettuce. Serve warm.