The perfect antidote to festive excesses - The Best from Greece

Posted on: 13/Sep/2011 It’s time for some warm salads to help those of us who have overindulged in too many heavy Christmas meals to lighten up

 The perfect antidote to festive excesses

These flavorsome warm winter salads will help you stay trim and toasty

It’s time for some warm salads to help those of us who have overindulged in too many heavy Christmas meals to lighten up. These can be a meal on their own or an accompaniment to a fuller meal. Some can be partly prepared in advance; others use seasonal products such as turnips. If you can’t find some of the ingredients in a recipe, use more quantities of what you have. The winter root salad takes some time to prepare, but is worth it.

Winter root salad

Ingredients
6 beetroots (preferably organic) peeled and cut in 1 cm slices
6 large carrots (preferably organic), peeled and cut in 1 cm slices
700 grams pumpkin flesh, cut in 1 cm slices
For the marinade 
100 ml olive oil
20 ml honey or molasses
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
200 ml mandarin or orange juice
1 tsp powdered coriander
1 tsp salt
1 level tsp white pepper, freshly ground
To garnish 
1 tsp dried thyme, crushed
100-150 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt

Put all the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl and whisk lightly. Place the vegetables in the bowl and marinate outside the refrigerator for at least an hour. The marinade does not need to cover all the vegetables, but stir regularly to coat them all.
Preheat the oven to 180C. Remove the vegetables from the marinade with a slotted spoon and place on a sheet of baking paper on a large, oiled baking tray.
Bake for 10 minutes and then grill for another 5 minutes (on the highest shelf in the oven) or until roasted but not too soft. Brush with the marinade at regular intervals during the baking time.
Remove from the oven and arrange on a platter. Sprinkle with the olive oil, thyme and a little sea salt and serve.
Myrsini Lambraki

Warm red cabbage & apple salad

Ingredients (for 6-8)
1 large red cabbage
1 large onion
2 hard apples, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tbsp currants
2 tbsp walnuts, roughly chopped
1 tsp dark brown sugar
1 level tsp powdered clove
100 ml apple juice
50 ml apple or white wine vinegar
200 ml cognac or port
50 ml olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Soak the currants in the apple juice in a bowl. Halve the cabbage and discard the thick stalk at the base and the outer leaves. Cut into fine strips.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the onion until transparent and beginning to turn golden. 
Add the cabbage and mix well until it begins to soften. Add the vinegar, cognac or port, the clove, sugar and season. Cook until the alcohol has evaporated and remove from the hub.
Preheat the oven to 180C. 
Spread the mixture over the base of an ovenproof dish (preferably with a lid) and cover with the apple slices. Strain the currants and put them aside, then pour the juice over the top of the mixture. Cover with a piece of greaseproof paper and then the lid or a piece of aluminum foil, so that no steam escapes. 
Bake for 20-25 minutes and serve hot or warm, scattered with the currants and walnuts.
Myrsini Lambraki

 

Back to the Culinair Overview

Homepage