What’s in the box 22/23 December

The link to the boxes for this week is here.

Ok folks, this is it!  Not much wiggle room left now for the last minute preparations so I hope that, like me, you have everything  wrapped, cooked, listed or organized in some serious way.

I’m sorry, I lied just then.

I have yet to wrap anything, I only remembered an hour ago that I hadn’t bought any seafood, and I will get around to writing out the shopping list for the rest of the fresh food real soon – I’m sure.

However, I did promise some salad recipes and here they are.  First up is my very favourite pumpkin salad, although sweet potato works very nicely, too.  I’m very much afraid that I am quite fuzzy on the amounts of the ingredients – I have never weighed them at all, so I’ll try to give an educated guess.  I dress this in several ways, depending on my mood.  You can drizzle the salad with either reduced or straight balsamic or pomegranate molasses.

Pumpkin and Feta Salad

1 bunch young silverbeet or same of baby spinach
3 cups cubed, peeled pumpkin
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 good tsp ras el hanout
1 orange, peeled and thinly sliced
good handful of chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts
175gm (ish) feta cheese, cubed

Toss pumpkin in oil & spread in shallow baking dish, sprinkle with ras el hanout and roast at 180C 15-20 minutes. Cool.
Use the rinsed greens as a bed on a large, shallow serving dish.
Scatter over the pumpkin, orange, nuts and feta.

Drizzle over dressing and serve.

Spinach Salad

My second offering is a spinach or silverbeet salad made famous by a good friend of mine called Susie and is just the right colours for the Xmas table!  It is simply chopped silverbeet tossed together with cherry tomatoes, chopped capsicum, mung bean sprouts and chopped hard-boiled egg.  What sells this one is the dressing which is –
1/3 cup castor sugar
1/3 cup bbq sauce
1 cup oil
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 grated onion
1/2 tsp salt

Shake, then drizzle on the salad. Sprinkle with chopped, crisp bacon to finish off.

I’ll be taking the next week off to lie around and let my kids wait upon me hand and foot (I wish!).  I’ll be back again in the new year and I hope that everyone has a very happy holiday!

1. 

   Anna Johnston
   24/12/2010

   Oh yes, I do like your pumpkin salad.., nice one. Have a fabulous Christmas Amanda, I’ve really enjoyed popping on by your blog & seeing ‘whats in the box’ & reading your very interesting cookbook & restaurant reviews & look forward to many more visits in the new year.
   Have a wonderful holiday season, eat lots, laugh heaps, stay safe & enjoy.
   Cheers Anna
   xx

2. 

   Rita
   24/12/2010

   Both these recipes are wonderful! It’s a bit cold here for salads, but they’re delicious! Thanks!