Lazy Day Salads & making the most of the last of the sunshine!
I have to admit, as someone who loves cooking and experimenting in the kitchen, there are moments when the creative juices seem to run a little short, especially as the year progresses. But then, just when you think you've hit an inspiration block, the Summer sun shows it's face one of a few more times before Full Winter settles in and you are suddenly filled to the brim with inspiration to head down to the shop and.... buy something ready made haha!!! (That did not go quite as most of you anticipated, especially coming from me, lol)
Summer is over this side of the world and though the weather has been pretty miffy over the last few days and is also apparently going to be for the upcoming week - we are still having some really gorgeously warm days and I am making the most of them before they are gone entirely.
South Africans need no encouragement to enjoy warm weather… you know, braais and all and a part of that is always the accompanying sides, which generally comprises of an array of salads.
Summer salads, in my humble opinion, are an absolute joy to put together. And let's get one thing straight—there's absolutely no excuse for them to be dull! Too often, people envision a bland, uninspired "Greek salad" when they think of salads (not that I don’t enjoy a traditional Greek salad, lol) but in reality, salads can be bursting with so much more!
So, on one of the last remaining glorious days we've had recently, perfect for being a complete lazy arse, lighting the fire and organising some ready made salads instead of doing the work myself haha! We have a local food supermarket called “Food Lovers Market” and they have pretty much got anything edible you could ever imagine… and that includes a massively extensive salad bar, which I proceeded to raid!I am allowed to be lazy sometimes okay… lol.
The first was a delightful trio featuring tender cooked beetroot, tangy goat's feta cheese, and crunchy crumbled pecan nuts. The second, positioned in the middle of our salad lineup, is blanched fine green beans and broccoli, tossed with a velvety blue cheese (YUM) dressing and some sprouts. And last but certainly not least, a colourful mix of halved baby tomatoes, delicate baby spinach leaves, creamy mozzarella cheese cubes, and the star of the show - basil pesto!
Let me tell you, they were all simply divine, but if I had to pick a favourite, I'd say the beetroot stole the show, much to my surprise, considering my undying affection for basil pesto!
As for the braai, we decided to veer slightly from our usual “go to” path and opted for strictly chicken kebabs, each dressed in its own yummy marinade - honey & mustard, red wine and rosemary, and lastly, sweet chilli. And of course, we couldn't resist throwing on some traditional pork BBQ ribs for good measure! You can never say no to ribs… well, Jude can’t anyway, lol!
In the end, it was a total feast and I got to be completely lazy too, which is not something which happens every day! Considering we won’t have too many idyllic days like this soon enough, I got to enjoy it to the max! YAY!
❤❤❤
Until next time...
Much Love from Country Bumpkinland, South Africa xxx
Jaynielea
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Wow. That looks so delicious my dear friend. I would like to eat that salad with some of catfish fried.
Ooooh I have never had catfish!
Well, you may cook another fish. Fried is better.
I suppose so, but it is always nice to try new things :)
OK when you cook your next, with fish, don't forget to mention me. See you!
Activities that can help in the kitchen can provide encouragement to your beloved family, thank you for this post so I can make dishes like this even though they don't taste the same, the important thing is that the vegetables are the same.
Very True!!! :)
You can’t beat a salad
Hmmmm I am not entirely sure I agree with that.... lol - I think potatoes trump salad any day... OH WAIT... POTATO SALAD!!!!
There we go, problem solved, haha!