Friday 3 May 2013

Summer Food

When I was in Canada my favourite time of year was autumn. I loved the bright days, the amazing colours of the leaves, and kicking those leaves up with a satisfying rustle when I walked down the sidewalks. Here in the UK my favourite time is springtime. It can last a long time here. Not over in a flash like it can be in Southern Ontario where one day you can be having a late season snow fall and the following week the weather is suddenly in the mid 20s.

Here you get all the pleasure of long drawn out springtimes. Bouncy lambs and big eyed calves. Daffodils here, there and everywhere. Blossoms everywhere you look. (The fact that I live in the countryside here might mean I notice the pleasures of spring more now.)

Taken this morning as I walked to the shops.

With nice weather comes the urge to eat summer foods. Well, it does for me. Already we are switching over to salads in this house. I love a good salad. The sun continues to shine here in the middle of England. So I have been pinning new recipes to try.

Chopped Thai Chicken Salad
Link to the recipe here.
Great blog with tonnes of good recipes, including lots of vegetarian..

Everything about the above recipe appeals to me, but I am having to work around a child who has given up the eating of meat. (Those people involved in the horse meat scandal here have a lot to answer for!) Therefore I decided to try the recipe without the chicken.

This recipe is so good that I am blogging about it before we have officially eaten it. OMG! The dressing is to die for. A spicy, salty, sour, everything taste sensation. It blends chilli  garlic, peanut butter and Asian flavours in a wonderful way. Though I must admit that I substituted the three birds eye chillies (!!!) stated in the recipe  for one red chilli. I am no spicy wuss but I want to taste my veggies thanks.


There wasn't a chance I could get my hands on a green papaya, nor a green mango, called for in the recipe. Honestly, I didn't even go to town and look to see if I could buy one quite honestly. I added shredded spring onion, red onion and radishes to the coleslaw mix, along with the cabbage and carrots.

I would love to try this salad with the chicken mixed in, but for now, here is what we have to accompany the Thai fish cakes I have made for dinner tonight.


There just might be slightly less salad than shown to share with the family. I love this stuff!

Susan

35 comments:

  1. Looks yummy. I love a good salad too, unfortunately Gilbert's idea of salad is iceberg lettuce.

    What's up with meat? Could you convince her to eat meat that is readily identifiable? Not much to confuse between a horse and a chicken..

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  2. You have a vegetarian now? sounds fun. Sounds great maybe in real summer but today I am frozen again ...

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  3. But horse is yummy...

    I was only saying yesterday how this is probably our Summer and as it was snowing 5 weeks ago that spring is approximately 4 weeks long in the UK ;)

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  4. OOh I love Asian salads and having just checked the ingredients I can get everything here...well aprt from the papaya most probably and if I can it will cost a fortune. So I shall try this - it does look super yummy!! Who's gone veggie? I'm guessing Emily.

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  5. Looks yummy and your scenery is so quaint. Looks like a village on Midsomer Murders ;)

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  6. Mmm dressing sounds delish!

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  7. Looks delicious! I have a veggie in the house too. Beccy gave up meat about 5 years ago, although thankfully she is not strict, so I can make a curry, stew etc and she will just have it without the meat. Its a texture thing with her, thank goodness

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  8. Oh lordy a veggie! (Sorry Sarah!)
    Looks lovely, and would be great with a nice juicy steak! xxx

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  9. Salads are one of my fav foods this looks great - I just hope I don't spy coriander in it! ;-)

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  10. Mmmmmm that looks and sounds delicious! I have a veggie in the house too and it's p*$$ing rain up here!

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  11. Looks and sounds delicious, I'm gonna have to try it, may half a chilli though!

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  12. Sounds great! I might just have to repin your pin.

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  13. Looks yummy! But gosh, she goes on a bit- the girl @ pinch of yum blog !! I wondered when I'd get to the recipe! Lol!

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  14. I've definitely not seen any gambolling lambs, but then I've not see the sun either for a while!

    Recipe looks nice - I usually just use regular mango or papaya

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  15. I love salads, but this one won't be made in our house any time soon: Our house counts a coeliac, nut allergy and a vegetarian (and it wasn't even the horse meat, he decided this just before Christmas - you have to admire the timing...). Enjoy!!

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  16. By the way, you live in a LOVELY spot judging from the photograph!

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  17. We've got bouncy lambs surrounding us here - I am very much a spring girl, too. Funnily enough, the horse meat scandal horrified my Chookie but not enough to make her give up a meatball or bacon sammich!

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  18. That looks delicious.i will definitely try it. I had an on again off again vegetarian in my household. It would normally happen just after I had done the weeks shopping and not catered for her change of diet, sigh.

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  19. Sounds divine! I love your positivity about summer! Jxo

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  20. Salad looks great. Hope you get the meat thing sorted. Such a shame she'll be missing meat in all those other fab recipes you make. Trick is to make boring veggie dishes then she'll be desperate for her meat soon enough. Besides, I can't imagine you ever bought frozen horse lasagne!

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  21. What time is dinner? I'll be right over - it looks delicious!

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  22. you make me hungry! gorgeous veggies, there!
    i'm pretty sure we don't have summer here...just spring for 5 months. it's my fav time of the year too :)

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  23. like the sound of this Susan. At 11 my brother told me that cow's eyes go into sausages. I turned vegetarian that day! I'm 39 tomorrow and am still one :) My mother let me as I think she thought it was just a phase!

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  24. Thanks for the recipe link. Have just bought 4 chicken breasts & wondered what I was going to do with them. I'm not a massive fan of the breast, personally prefer thighs. (in chickens at least LOL)
    Weather here today feels like going into Winter again?? What is up with that???
    Wishing I had more time for sewing but love catching up on your blog. Need a LARGE lottery win!!
    Lush x

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  25. Okay, I'm going to have to try that salad… It looks way too good.

    And you aren't kidding about spring over here. We had snow, and then we had shorts. The evenings aren't even cold anymore...

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  26. OMG I am going to make this! Yummy! Thanks!

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  27. This one has my name on it, I will definitely try this.
    Thanks!

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