Tuna and Mixed Nuts Salad

Salads are perfect for Summer days. They're quick and easy to put together, leaving you lots more time to enjoy the longer days.

This tuna salad is an adaptation from one that I'd tasted a while back. A friend had made it as a quick dinner before we headed out for a property viewing near Sydenham Hill in South East London. It is light, refreshing, yet filled with lots of protein to last you longer.

Ingredients

• 100g bag of Italian Style Salad leaves (or salad leaves of your choice)
• 2 slices of Tuna Steaks (approx. 200g)
• Handful of Pistachio Nuts (shelled, roughly chopped / crushed)
• Handful of Brazil Nuts (roughly chopped / crushed)
• Handful of Cashew Nuts (roughly chopped / crushed)
• Handful of Mixed Seeds (Sunflower, Pumpkin, Linseed, Sesame Seeds)
• Handful of Mixed Dried Fruits (Raisins, Sultanas, Cranberries)
• 4 tsp Capers
• 2-3 swigs Olive Oil

Method

• Rub tuna steaks with sea salt, wash off with water, then pat dry with kitchen towel. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
• Heat up frying pan with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, then fry tuna steaks (to your individual preference).
• Whilst the tuna is in the pan, empty bag of salad leaves into mixing bowl.
• Crush or roughly chop up all the nuts - I find a pestel and mortar very handy for this job.
• When tuna is ready, chop them up into cubes of approx. 2cm x 2cm. Add chopped tuna chunks into mixing bowl.
• Sprinkle crushed nuts, mixed seeds, mixed fruits, and capers over the top.
• Drizzle olive oil over the salad mix, stir well to evenly coat.
• Season to personal taste and serve with your choice of bread.

Oat Prawns

Ingredients

• 15 large prawns
• Half-cup oats
• A handful of curry leaves
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 red chillies (chopped)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Method

1. Sprinkle salt and a little sugar on prawns and leave to season. Set aside for 20 minutes.
2. Heat oil in wok and brown half the minced garlic.
3. Add prawns and fry till prawns turn reddish in colour.
4. Add lemon juice and continue frying.
5. Add pepper, oyster sauce and sugar to taste.
6. Remove prawns from wok and set aside.
7. In a clean wok, heat oil and brown remaining minced garlic.
8. Add chopped chillies and curry leaves. Fry till fragrant.
9. Return the prawns to wok.
10. Add oats and continue frying till oats start to brown.
11. Remove from wok and serve.

Sambal Prawns

Ingredients

• Fresh medium-sized prawns [shelled]
• Red chillies
• Garlic
• Shallots
• Serai [Lemongrass] leaves
• Belacan powder
• Lime juice
• Dash of Salt
• Sugar to taste
• Tomato [finely chopped]

Method

1. Grind chillies, garlic, shallots and serai leaves in a food processor/blender.
2. Heat oil in wok.
3. Brown garlic, add chopped tomatoes and fry for 1 min.
4. Add the ground chilli ingredients and belacan powder and fry till mixture is fragrant and dry.
5. Set mixture aside.
6. In a separate clean wok, heat oil and add prawns.
7. Stir-fry for 1-2 mins.
8. Add sambal, lime juice, salt and sugar to taste.

This recipe was contributed by Mrs. Rosalind Cheong

Kiwifruit Salmon with Mash

This would make a nice meal for dinner. The recipe below serves 2 persons.

Ingredients for Mash:

• 5 medium sized potatoes (skinned & halved)
  
• 5 basil leaves (roughly chopped)
  
• 1 clove garlic (roughly chopped)
  
• Knob of butter
  
• 2 tbsp milk (add more if you prefer a smoother mash, or alternate with cream for richer taste)
  
• Salt to taste
  Note: Leave the basil & garlic out of the recipe if you prefer normal mash.

Preparing the Mash:

1. Boil skinned potatoes.
   
2. While potatoes are boiling, prepare the chopped basil & garlic by grounding in a pestel & mortar.
   
3. When potatoes are ready, drain away water & return potatoes to the pot.
   
4. Add ground basil & garlic together with butter & milk in pot, then start mashing them together.

Ingredients for Salmon:

• 2 salmon steaks (alternate choice could be fillets)
  
• 1 kiwifruit (skinned & sliced to under 1cm thickness)
  
• 4tsp melted butter
  
• Salt & black pepper for seasoning

Preparing the Salmon:

1. Season salmon with salt and pepper and place on a grill pan.
   
2. Arrange kiwifruit over salmon.
   
3. Brush with butter and cook under a pre-heated, medium grill for 10-15minutes or until fish is cooked through and kiwifruit browned.

First start water boiling for preparing the mash, then preheat grill for making the salmon. When the potatoes are boiling, start grilling the salmon. This would give you good timing to check on the salmon after the mash is done.

Serve salmon with mash. You could alternate the mash with a green tomato salad for a healthier meal.

Avocado & Shrimp Sandwich

Got some feedback on some of my recipes. Yes, did realise that most of the earlier recipes needs an oven. So here I contribute an 'oven free' recipe! Hee hee... not that original, but it is simple yet healthy.

Ingredients:

1 Avocado (ready to eat, slightly soft to the touch)

1.5 cups Shrimps (frozen, ready to use)

1 tsp Olive Oil

Pepper (freshly ground black pepper if available)

1 tbsp Mayonaise (alternative)

4 slices Bread (brown, whole meal, or toasted according to preference)

Method:

1. Cut avocado into quarters. Skin avocado, and from the quarter slice, further slice it up to bite size chunks.
   
2. Scald shrimps in a mixing bowl. Drain and mix olive oil, pepper. Toss and mix well. If you feel like a richer tasting mix, add mayonaise at this point.
   
3. Arrange avocado and shrimp mix onto bread.
   
4. Slice into half, and serve.

Good to go with a rich fresh juice, or syrup drink. Yumm!!!