Potato & halloumi salad

Ingredients Exquisa potatoes, halloumi,  Rachel's Organic Greek Yoghurt  cucumber, mint, spinach, rocket,

Serves: 2 preparation: 30 minutes

Since doing a pregnant, I have had to stop making my own mayonnaise and buy some Hellman's instead and for the most part, I just can't bear the thought of it. As a result, this mint & cucumber yoghurt dressing was born! It's perfect with the salty tang of halloumi and some crisp salad greens.

1) Boil the potatoes in hot salted water for 20 minutes, run under the cold tap for a minute, then slice in half and set aside to cool.

2) As the potatoes are cooking, slice your halloumi and grill for a couple of minutes until one side turns golden and the other remains gorgeously gooey.

3) Peel about an inch and a half of a cucumber and slice the flesh from the juicy seeds in the centre. Discard the seeds and pop the flesh into a blender along with 3 or 4 mint leaves and 3 tablespoons of Greek Yoghurt. Pulse until combined, then stir in the potatoes and halloumi and serve.

Strawberry & white stilton salad

Ingredients   Spinach, salad leaves, cucumber, strawberries, white stilton, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin oil

Serves: 1 Preparation: 5 minutes

White stilton and strawberries are a wonderful combination - sweet and creamy. This salad is perfect drizzled with pumpkin oil.

1) Slice your strawberries (don't keep them in the fridge, they should be at room temperature or the flavour will be impaired), silton and cucumber into chunks.

2) Toss the salad leaves in a little pumpkin oil and mix with the rest.

3) Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and serve.

Beetroot, orange & olive salad

Ingredients 2 oranges, 1 beetroot, 10 kamalata olives, Peashoots, Spinach, salad leaves, white wine vinegar, olive oil.

Serves: 2 Preparation: 5 minutes


I have been going nuts for olives recently and when toying with creating an orange and beetroot salad I wanted something really savoury to cut through the sweetness, that wouldn't change the texture like a nut would. Olive seemed the natural choice and I am in love with the results. Give this a try, it's sinfully moreish!


1) Wash the beetroot and slice off the stalks and leaves. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Carefully peel the beetroot with the nick of a knife, then once it's cool slice in half, and then into segments. 


2) Peel the orange carefully with a sharp knife, then slice into each section to release the segments, free of pith.


3) Squeeze the remains of the oranges to release any juice into a bowl. Mix equal parts of white wine vinegar and olive oil with the orange juice to form a dressing, then season with salt and black pepper.


4) Toss the salad leaves in the dressing, then arrange the orange and beetroot on the plate. Pit the olives and add to the salad and drizzle over the remaining dressing.

Beetroot & goats cheese salad

Ingredients  Beetroot, goats cheese, balsamic glaze, pine nuts, Spinach leaves, salad leaves, basil oil.

Serves: 1 Preparation: 5


I love salad. After the indulgence of Christmas this is just what I need to feel a little bit virtuous.


1) Wash the beetroot and slice off the stalks and leaves. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes. Carefully peel the beetroot with the nick of a knife, then once it's cool slice into matchsticks.


2) Toss the salad leaves in basil oil and add the beetroot.


3) Crumble the goats cheese into the salad and add the pine nuts. It's entirely up to you whether you prefer them toasted or not. Personally in this salad I prefer them not to be toasted.

Fennel & cucumber salad

Ingredients Peashoots, Spinach leaves, salad leaves, cucumber, fennel, pumpkin seeds, basil oil, mint

Serves: 1 Preparation: 5 minutes

This salad is so fresh and simple, perfect on the side of something rich, or between courses to cleanse the palate. The fennel has a gorgeous licorice taste but is subtle enough not to overpower the other flavours.


1) Remove the first layer of the fennel and slice off the stalks, then cut the bulb into slivers.


2) Toss the salad leaves in basil oil and finely sliced mint


3) Slice the cucumber julienne and add to the salad leaves, along with the fennel and pumpkin seeds.

Hazelnut & goats cheese salad

Ingredients Salad leaves, goats cheese, hazelnuts, balsamic glaze, basil oil, pomegranate jewels

1) Roll the goats cheese into pearls and crush a small handful of hazelnuts.


2) Wash the salad leaves and toss them in a little basil oil.


3) Add the goats cheese, hazelnuts and and pomegranate jewels and drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Cranberry & carrot chutney

Ingredients Carrot, red onion, white wine vinegar, sugar, orange, cranberry juice, butter Serving suggestionBread, cranberry wensleydale, salad leaves.

1) Grate 2 carrots and half a red onion into a hot pan. Sizzle for a few seconds to dry the juices, stirring to prevent it sticking then add a knob of butter.
Continue to stir, then add orange zest and a splash of cranberry juice.
As the juice begins to evaporate (approx 5 minutes) add 2 tablespoons of sugar and a splash of white wine vinegar to caramelise the carrot and onions. Set aside to cool.

2) I served the chutney in a sandwich with cranberry wensleydale and some fresh lettuce and beetroot leaves from my garden. I collect small glass jars which are perfect to store the remainder in.

Sunshine salad with artichoke vinaigrette

Ingredients Red, yellow and orange bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, artichokes, lemon, basil, basil oil, chrysanthemum petals, salad leaves, Wensleydale with cranberries.

1) To prepare the artichoke vinaigrette: Break the stem of the artichoke (enlist the help of a big strong man if it's a stubborn one and you're gender-biased *tee hee*) as close to the base as you can, then put the artichoke head first into a pan of hot, salted water and keep it submerged with an upturned pan lid (or plate). It will take 20-30 minutes to cook until tender - test the base with a knife - if it goes in smoothly it's ready! Slice the artichoke leaves and mix into equal parts of basil oil, lemon juice and sprinkle with chopped basil.

2) Core, de-seed and slice the peppers into slivers. Halve the cherry tomatoes and place under the grill (seed side up) for 5 minutes, turning the peppers half way through.

3) Mix the salad leaves with the artichokes and arrange on a plate with the tomatoes and peppers.

4) Cube the Wensleydale and add to the salad, then wash the chrysanthemums, pluck the petals and sprinkle onto the salad.

If you like the idea of flowers in salads from a decorative point of view, but don't like the idea of eating them then why not use them as a garnish? (please note - gerbera daisies are NOT edible, though daisies are!)