Category: Fruits & Salad

Blackberries in Salt & Vinegar

Filipino Recipe Fruits & Salad

Blackberries in vinegar, photo by JMorton

I am currently watching the semi-finals between England and Croatia.  England dominated the first half with a 1-nil to England.

As it is half-time, I suddenly craved something sour.  I spied at around lunchtime that the blackberries, growing wildly in our garden are now ripening.

Actually, I picked those which are not fully ripe yet.  They taste better in vinegar and they are crispier and crunchier with that burst of sour taste.

When the blackberries are fully ripe, I will be baking a blackberry and apple crumble.

If you want to try my sour blackberries, then half a cup to half a cup of firm ripening blackberries.  Wash thoroughly and drain.

Add to it a tablespoon of red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.  These vinegars have that spicy and wonderful smell about it, really sour.

Then sprinkle a little salt, give it a stir.

Ready to crunch,

Yum

Sadly a young, relatively inexperienced and talented England team lost 2-1 in extra time, but far exceeded expectations with hope for the future. I still enjoyed my snack 🙂

Blackberries in Salt & Vinegar

 

 

Tomato & Celery Salad

Fruits & Salad

Tomato & Celery Salad by JMorton

Tomato & Celery Salad

This is a very appetising refreshing salad.

Perfect accompaniment for rather greasy or rich food.

Ingredients:

  • 4 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced
  • 6 stalks of celery
  • 1½ tsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp cider vinegar
  • salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method of preparation:

  1. Using a bowl, pour in the olive oil, together with the vinegar and season with salt and ground black pepper.
  2. Mix thoroughly.
  3. Slice diagonally the celery stalks; remove and discard any stringy bits off the celery as you slice.
  4. Put the slices of tomatoes and celery into a serving bowl.
  5. Drizzle the oil and vinegar mix all over the tomatoes and celery.
  6. Give it a mix.

Serve and enjoy.

Pako (Fern) Salad

Fruits & Salad Marag Vegetable

Pako Salad, Photo by Ruben Ortega

Pako (Fern) Salad

Back when we were little children in Marag, Philippines, pako became a staple diet.  It was in our dinner table at least once a week.  We ate a lot of it so much that we kids 🙂 should have grown into goats 🙂 or hated it after a while. But I have always a vibrant and positive memory of pako.

Gathering pako is an adventure for us youngster.  We had to roam a dense growth of greens at the mouth of a forest and try to pick the young furling sprouts of pako.  Thank goodness they grow profusely together and therefore picking them one by one was not much of a chore.

Pako can be prepared in plenty of ways, it can be blanched and made into a salad, it can be left fresh as it is as a salad as well or cook and added into various kind of inabraw, an Ilocano way of cooking.

Below is another pako salad recipe.

Ingredients

 

  • 1 large bunch pako (fern)
  • 2 salted eggs or hard boiled eggs, peeled and quartered
  • 2 tomatoes, sliced
  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • 1/2 tbsp patis (fish sauce)
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • sprinkling of salt to taste

 Method of Preparation:

 

  1. prepare the pako by removing any tough stalk.
  2. Bring a large pot of boiling water. Blanch the pako by quickly dipping them into the hot water.  Leave for a minute and drain.
  3. Arranged the pako on a serving platter.
  4. Put the tomatoes and onion on top then garnish with the slices of salted eggs.
  5. Make a typical Filipino dressing by mixing the vinegar, fish sauce, black pepper, sugar and a very little salt.  Stir it in thoroughly for the granules to dissolve.
  6.  Pour the dressing all over the pako.
  7. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

 

Daikon & Carrot Salad

Fruits & Salad

Labanos, photo by JMorton

Grated Carrot, photo by JMorton

Daikon & Carrot Salad

This is a Japanese recipe called namasu sarada.  It is a very refreshing salad and a very easy one to prepare.

This salad is ideal as an accompaniment to meat and fish dishes.

Ingredients

  • 1 large daikon radish, peeled and grated
  • 2 carrots, medium size, peeled and grated
  • 1 tsp black sesame seeds
  • 1 cup rice vinegar
  • salt

Method of Preparation:

  • Put the grated radish and carrots into separate container.  Soak them in cold water for 20 minutes.
  • Drain them thoroughly.
  • Put them in a bowl and add salt, mix throughly.
  • Add the rice vinegar just before serving and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

* This salad can be served as individual portion by dividing into smaller bowls or ramekins.

Quick Cabbage & Tuna Salad

Fruits & Salad Special Events Party Food

Chopped Pointed Cabbage – Photo by PH Morton

This recipe is quick and easy to make, no real cooking is involved and yet a very tasty addition to a buffet table. It is also a lovely starter to an everyday meal.

 

 

 

Quick Cabbage & Tuna Salad

Ingredients:

3 cups shredded cabbage

1½ cups tuna, flaked

½ cup celery, diced

2-3 tbsp mayonnaise

fleshly ground black pepper

Lettuce leaves

Method of preparation:

Using a large glass or ceramic mixing bowl (or plastic one, lol) combine the shredded cabbage, celery and tuna together.  Stir in the mayonnaise.  Mix everything thoroughly.

Cover the mixing bowl with cling film or a large plate and leave in the fridge to chill for at least an hour.

Finally, arrange a bed of lettuce leaves over a large serving plate, then pile the chilled cabbage over the lettuce and perhaps decorate with some cherry tomatoes.

Enjoy!

 

Wilted Spinach a la Korean

Fruits & Salad

Wilted Spinach, iphone photo by JMorton

Wilted Spinach a la Korean

I have seen Korean dramas where the obedient daughter in law making the mother in law tastes her wilted spinach called sigeumchi-namul. I must admit the stringy wilted spinach looked so appetising! And not only that, spinach is a superfood as it contains a multitude of vitamins and minerals.

Below is an easy recipe to follow and enjoy.

Ingredients

  • 500g spinach, cleaned and washed
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 stalk green onion, chopped
  • 1½ teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1½ teaspoon sesame oil
  • 2 teaspoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted

Directions

  1. Boil 10 cups of water in a large casserole or sauce pan.
  2. Drop in the spinach into the boiling water and blanch quickly for a minute, stirring  continuously using a wooden ladle.
  3. Remove from heat and drain the spinach using a colander, then rinse in cold water.
  4. Squeeze into a ball to remove excess water
  5. Mix the spinach with garlic, green onion, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds by hand.  Korean dramas show the lady/ladies of the house covering their hands with transparent plastic gloves.  (gloves are available in most supermarkets in the West)
  6. Transfer into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the roasted spinach.
  7. Serve as a side to rice and meats.
  8. Enjoy.