Very Green Summertime Pasta

Over the years, if there’s one thing, I sincerely feel like overpaying for in a restaurant is Pasta! I have nothing against all the restaurants serving pasta, but I firmly believe that with good quality ingredients, it’s so much easier and satisfying to whip up a bowl of phenomenal pasta in your home kitchen that most definitely costs less than $20!

Scout for good handmade or fresh pasta in specialty stores (I am a big proponent of making pasta from scratch, but that pitch is for some other day), pickup couple seasonal produce, good olive oil and top quality cheese (entirely optional) - that’s about it! There are enough resources and guides online for perfecting the sauces (even the finicky infamous ones - cacio e pepe and carbonara) - so here I’m urging you to take matter in your own hands, trust yourself and stop paying exorbitant amount of money on pasta.

Now coming to this dish, although I prefer using this lovely pasta called Mafalda Corta - thin lasagna ribbons with ruffled edges but any short pasta with ridges like Rigatoni, Cavatappi, Cascatelli or even Farafalle would be fine. If possible do get the Mafalda though! Slathered in a creamy green sauce and finished with blanched seasonal asparagus and green peas - this sprightly little bowl will brighten your day.

Ingredients (serves 2)

240g Mafalda Corta ( I like this one)

315g Asparagus, woody ends removed and cut into 1.5-2” pieces

150g Frozen Green Peas (not thawed)

1.5 tbsp Olive Oil

4 Scallions, thinly sliced

1 Garlic, crushed

3 tbsp Pesto (either homemade or store-bought), here I have used my homemade Green Garlic Pesto but you can use any green sauce such as Zhoug, Salsa Verde or Chimichurri

110g Heavy Whipping Cream or Plant Based Double Cream

1/2 tsp Salt (more for blanching vegetables and cooking pasta)

4 tbsp Grated Pecorino or Vegan Parmesan

5g Fresh Mint Leaves (substitute with Sweet Basil if you don’t like Mint), shredded

Zest and Juice of 1 Small Lime to finish

1 tsp Aleppo Chile Pepper Flakes or your favorite Pepper Flakes

Directions

1. In a large bowl, prepare an ice bath - fill a large mixing bowl with lots of ice and keep it aside. Now, fill a deep bottomed pan with water (plenty!), add 2 tsp salt and bring it to boil. Once boiling, add asparagus and set a timer for 4 mins. After 2 mins add frozen peas into it. Once the timer is up, immediately transfer the asparagus and peas into the prepared ice-bath while reserving the hot water

2. Transfer back the hot salted water into the same deep bottomed pan and bring it back to boil. Add pasta into boiling water and cook for however long mentioned on the package. Reserve 3 tbsp starchy pasta water

3. Meanwhile, add oil, scallions, 2g mint leaves and garlic into a skillet and cook on low flame for 3-4 mins or until fragrant. Add salt, cream and reserved pasta water; increase the heat to medium high while swirling the skillet - this swirling helps in emulsifying the cream with starch to build the sauce (you can use a silicone whisk to do the same too). Once the sauce starts to form, add pesto and swirl for a minute to combine then add cooked pasta into the skillet and toss really well for a minute or two. Turn-off the heat and add pecorino, green peas and asparagus

4. Mix everything, finish with remaining mint, zest and juice of a lime. Divide into serving bowls, dust with aleppo flakes. Enjoy with a glass of crisp white wine or bitters and soda!

Remy's Ratatouille- My Way

Back in 2019 summer, after watching “Ratatouille” gazillionth time, I made my first ratatouille and I remember vividly when my husband took that first bite of confit summer squashes wrapped in peppery sweet tomato sauce and gasped “This is ridiculous! I think this is your calling, everyone needs to eat this”. It was hard to believe him as it’s such a humble dish. The recipe has evolved a wee-bit since then but the reaction I receive (now my friends too) is exactly the same and believe it or not it still continues to be the most requested dish by my husband…

With a bit of planning, its a perfect make ahead dish for a summer dinner party. Make the sauce the night before, arrange the vegetables on top, cover and keep it in the fridge until an hour before your guests are due. Bake and serve right away with some good sourdough or baguettes! Double the recipe to make it in a large 13’ x 9’’ roasting pan / casserole dish. Don’t stress too much about the arrangement or pattern to be perfect, with such vibrant colors and flavors it will be stunning.

*Note: in the second image I have a dinner party spread inspiration with the radicchio and apple salad, seared asparagus with lemon and parmesan, marinated olives and goat’s cheese and pinot grigio sauteed wild mushrooms.

Ingredients (serves 4)
2 Medium Zucchinis, thinly sliced (approximately 1/8” thick)
1 Medium Yellow Summer Squash, thinly sliced (approximately 1/8” thick)
4 Vine or Roma Tomatoes, preferably equal sized and thinly sliced (approximately 1/8” thick)
1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
1-2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sauce
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 Medium Red Onion, thinly sliced
1 Large Red Bell Pepper, oven roasted and chopped or 160g Roasted Red Pepper from Jar, coarsely chopped
1 Large Very Ripe Tomato, skin removed and pulp grated or 240g Canned Crushed Tomato
1 tsp Paprika or Kashmiri Chili Powder
1 tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper or any Hot Pepper Flakes
Heaping 1/2 tsp Ground cumin
210g Canned crushed tomatoes (if not using a fresh large Tomato then just use 454g or 1lb Crushed Tomato from the can)
75ml Vegetable Stock or Water
2 tsp Dried Basil (substitute with dried oregano)
1 tsp Fine Sea Salt

Topping
2 tsp Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced or crushed
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 tsp dried Basil or Oregano

Garnish
Fresh Basil or Oregano leaves, whole and torn
Flaky salt & Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Top Quality)

Directions
1. Pre-heat oven to 375F / 190C (175C with Fan). If making the sauce the day before then skip this step until ready to bake. If using a large casserole dish then grease it with Olive Oil and keep it aside. Prep the vegetables at this point (I prefer using a mandoline for uniform thickness, but a sharp knife is fine and slight variation in thickness is fine too), toss the sliced vegetables in 1/4 tsp salt and keep them aside

2. Make the Sauce: heat up oil in a oven safe skillet (if using casserole dish then any 10’ skillet is fine), on medium flame. Add onion, fry for 5 mins then add roasted pepper and continue sautéing for 5 more mins. Add grated tomato (if using crushed tomato from can then add half qty), half of spices and dried herb - cook everything for 4 min. Now add crushed tomatoes (remaining if using entirely crushed tomatoes) and stock/water. Season with salt and bring everything upto vigorous simmer. Turn off the heat now

3. Arrangement: Once the sauce and skillet are cool enough to handle, pat any excess liquid out from the salted vegetables and arrange them in alternating colors on top of the sauce in concentric circles (fan them out to your preference). If using a casserole dish, then transfer the sauce from skillet into the greased casserole dish and arrange the vegetables on top. Drizzle 1-2 tsp oil and sprinkle remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Cover and bake in the oven for 42-45 mins and then uncovered for 20 mins. (If making ahead then just cover and refrigerate until 90 mins before serving, pre-heat oven to the recommended temperature and bake as per instructions)

4. Serving: Just before serving, combine first topping ingredients in a heat safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute in 30 second bursts. Pour the topping on top of ratatouille, garnish with fresh herbs, pepper flakes, a bit of flaky salt and a generous drizzle of very good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil on top. Enjoy!

*It tastes much better the next day so making a big batch to ensure leftovers is a great idea

Not Your Average Bruschetta

Warning: Lots of scandalous switch-ups and additions here! I have loved bruschetta all my life as it has three of my most favorite things in whole wide world - fresh tomatoes, cheese and a solid crusty bread. Hence, I’m quite particular about maintaining the purity of the classic while upping the umami game. The aromatic dressing is what makes it unique, feel free to re-purpose it in other summer salads too! Skip the bread, put a burrata on a bed of these dressed up tomatoes and you have a reimagined caprese salad. As you can sense from my pushy tone, this summer I urge you to make this at least once.

*Note: The quality of ingredients is truly what differentiates an exemplary bruschetta from a regular one, so make sure to use top quality oil, good seasonal toms, fresh herbs (instead of dried bottles ones) and of course a nice baguette or sourdough with a satisfying chew!

Ingredients (makes enough for 8-10 pieces)

Dressing

2 Garlic Cloves, crushed

3 tbsp Fresh Oregano Leaves, coarsely chopped

1/2 tbsp Fennel Seeds, toasted and crushed

1 tsp Ground Allspice Berries

1 tsp Coriander seeds, toasted and crushed

1 tsp Hot pepper Flakes, more to finish

2.5 tbsp Olive Oil

1/2 tbsp Lemon Zest

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

1/2 tsp Brown Sugar

Pinch of Fine Sea Salt

Tomato Prep

350-370g (about 2 cups) mix of Cherry and Heirloom Tomatoes, diced

8-10g Sweet Basil Leaves, finely chopped

1.5 tsp BalsamicVinegar

1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt

40g combination of Grated Parmesan and Gruyère in your preferred ratio (if you don’t find Gruyère or looking for a pasteurized cheese alternative then you can use Fontina or Emmental or else you can just use 40g good quality Parmesan)

8-10 Slices of Baguettes (the ones here in photo are from Middlebrow Bakery)

Couple tablespoons of Olive Oil for Toasting

Directions

🍅 In a small heatproof bowl - combine garlic, chopped oregano leaves, fennel, allspice berries, coriander and hot pepper flakes. Microwave Olive Oil for 2 mins (or until shimmering) in 30 sec bursts, then immediately pour the oil into bowl. Give everything a good mix and let it come to room temperature. Then add lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and sugar into the aromatic oil, give it a good mix. Keep it aside for at least 15 mins so that the flavors meld properly

🍅 In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, basil, vinegar, salt and cheeses. Transfer the cooled aromatic oil into this bowl and mix gently until everything is well combined. Adjust seasoning if required

🍅 Heat up a skillet (preferably a cast iron one), brush the baguette slices with some olive oil, and lightly toast in batches (avoid over crowding the pan). Spoon the dressed tomato mixture on each toast and finish with more hot pepper flakes (optional). Serve some really good quality extra virgin olive oil on the side so that whoever wants the oomph can drizzle some on top before popping one into their mouth.

*Skip the cheese or use Vegan alternative to Parmesan to keep this Vegan

Favorite Quick Slaw

Whether to accompany burgers, wraps or just sides - I feel Slaws are underrated and quite abused by fast food chains! They can be so much more… the incredible combo of crunch with creaminess and tang needs more love. So here I have a super quick slaw idea that will not only take your everyday meal to the next level but also convince you to just eat it by itself.

Some basics about getting a slaw right - cutting into thin batons or shreds is very important; limit the vegetable/fruit element to three; restrict the allium (onion or garlic) component to one and for the dressing, make sure to taste before mixing with vegetables. Also never mix the dressing beforehand as it will make the whole thing soggy!

Ingredients (as a side for 6)

1 Small Purple Cabbage, core removed and head shredded or thinly sliced (roughly 650g) - substitute with green cabbage

1 Apple (I like Honeycrisp or Gala but feel free to use any sweet & tart variety), thinly sliced into batons

150g Peeled and Shredded Kohlrabi (feel free to substitute with Radish or Carrot)

2 Scallions, thinly sliced

15g Cilantro or Parsley, finely chopped

1 tbsp Lime Zest (substitute with Lemon or Orange)

1 tbsp any Neutral Oil

1 tsp Salt

Handful Pomegranate Seeds (optional)

Dressing

35g Kewpie Mayonnaise (substitute with Vegan Mayo)

15g Greek Yoghurt (substitute with Vegan Yoghurt)

2tsp Harissa paste (substitute with Sriracha, Cholula or your favorite Hot Sauce)

1 tsp Neutral Oil

1.5 tsp Mirin

1 tbsp Lime Juice (substitute with Lemon or Orange)

Pinch of Salt

Directions

🥣 In a small bowl, combine and whisk all dressing ingredientsuntil nice and smooth. Keep it aside until ready to serve.

🥣 In a large bowl, toss rest of the ingredients (except pomegranate seeds, if using) until well combined. Once ready to serve, transfer the dressing into the large bowl. Mix really well and adjust seasoning if needed. Top with pomegranate seeds and serve right away

Winter Special Dal

A red lentil, turmeric and coconut milk based dal packed with a punch from ginger, re-hydrated chiles and lime. Substantiated by spinach, cumin flavored fried sweet potatoes and finished with a sweet-spicy coconut topping (to which I also add a good measure of curry leaves, totally optional though). I came up with this as a quick and complete meal that stores well for busy weekday lunches. I was thrilled to see that so many of my followers loved this humble soup and have recreated it with squashes and pumpkin as well. Hope this winter you will find an opportunity to give this all time house favorite a go!

Ingredients (serves 4)

Sweet Potatoes

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut cross-wise into 1” discs (about 325g)

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground cayenne (substitute with crushed black pepper)

1 tsp Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt

Dal

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 Shallot, coarsely chopped

2” Fresh Ginger, grated

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

1 tsp Ground Turmeric

1 tsp Fine Sea Salt

2 Small dried red chiles, finely, rehydrated and chopped

(feel free to substitute with 1.5 tsp red pepper flakes)

2 lemongrass stalks, tough parts removed and blitzed (optional)

96g Red Lentil, rinsed under cold water

400ml Coconut Milk (I prefer the Chaokoah brand)

500 ml Water

100g Baby Spinach

Zest and juice of 1 small lime

Garnish

1 tsp Olive Oil

55g grated coconut (thaw frozen ones available in Asian grocery stores.

I use the one from Deep brand found in all Indian Grocery Stores)

1 tbsp Maple Syrup or Agave Syrup

1 tsp Red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Directions:

🥣 Prepare the sweet potatoes - heat up oil in a skillet, add the potatoes spices, sugar & salt toss until well combined. Fry for 13-15 mins or until both sides are golden brown. Once ready, keep it aside

🥣 Now in a soup pot heat up oil then add shallot & ginger. On medium heat, sauté for 8-10 mins then add cumin seeds & sauté for 1 more minute. Add the spices, rehydrated chiles, lemongrass (if using) & continue to sauté for 2 mins

🥣 Add the lentils, coconut milk, water & salt (adjust seasoning if required), bring it to boil then simmer for 20 mins. While dal is simmering, in a small bowl combine all garnish ingredients and keep it aside

🥣 After 20 mins of simmering, add the sweet potatoes, spinach, zest & lime juice. Reduce heat & mix every thing well. Now, turn-off the heat after 2-3 minutes

🥣 In a small pan, heat up 1 tsp Oil and add the garnish & fry on high heat for 3-4 mins or until entering looks golden and sticky

🥣 Ladle the dal in a serving bowl, top it with the crunchy sweet-spicy coconut garnish. Serve with flatbread or jasmine rice & a couple wedges of lime

*Note: to rehydrate dried chilies - just place them in boiling water. Cover and let them soak for 15-20 mins

Harissa Carrots and Garlic with Tahini Drizzle

Sticky & Sweet whole baby carrots and garlic cloves are smothered in a shalloty harissa oil; Glazed with pomegranate molasses & maple syrup concoction and finished with a spattering of lemony tahini sauce. The easiest seasonal side you will get hooked on to! You can find a quick video demo here

Ingredients (serves 4)
35ml Neutral Oil
1 lb Baby Rainbow Carrots - peeled & whole
8 garlic cloves, peeled & whole
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp Harissa (1.5 tbsp if using mild variety)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp Salt
1 tbsp Tomato Paste
1.5 tbsp Maple Syrup + 1 tsp Pomegranate Molasses + 1/2 tbsp water - whisked well

Tahini Drizzle
3 tbsp Tahini
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tbsp Water
Pinch of Salt

Garnish
1 tbsp of very finely chopped cilantro or chives
1 tsp roasted sesame seeds

Directions
🥕 Pre-heat oven to 415F. Bring a large pot of water to boil. When vigorously boiling, add whole baby carrots into that. Boil for 8-10 mins or until fork tender. Drain & keep it aside. Whisk all Tahini Drizzle ingredients

🥕 In a medium baking tin (we want everything to fit snugly) - add oil, shallots, garlic, Harissa, tomato paste & spices. Give everything a very good mix. Bake for 7 mins. Then add tender carrots, mix carefully so that carrots are well coated with spices. Now bake for 10 mins

🥕 Now add maple syrup & pomegranate mixture. Mix & broil for 4-5 mins. Until it looks & feels sticky

🥕 Transfer everything onto a lipped platter. Drizzle tahini mixture; garnish with chopped herbs & seeds

Persimmons and Mozzarella with Shaoxing Five Spice Dressing

Here’s my take on bitter sweet caprese salad - sweet and juicy Fuyu persimmons are served on top of bitter radicchio leaves , interspersed with creamy Buffalo Mozarella, sweet basil, gochugaru and pickled shallot rings. A zippy Chinese five spice spiked shaoxing cooking wine and pomegranate molasses dressing makes it special! Finishing touches of roasted sesame seeds and Shichimi Togarashi (a Japanese mixed spice Condiment) adds the final flourish and a nutty dimension. It’s vibrant, flavorful and unexpected, a salad that will wow everyone at the dinner party!

Ingredients (serves 2 as Main)
Pickled Shallots
1 small Shallot, thinly sliced
2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1.5-2 tsp Gochugaru (Korean Red Pepper Flakes) - feel free to substitute with Kashimiri Chili Powder or 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes)
Pinch of Fine Sea Salt
Pinch of Sugar

Dressing
1.5 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Pomegranate Molasses
1 tsp Maple Syrup
3/4 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder
2 tsp Shaoxing Cooking Wine (substitute with Dry Sherry to keep it GF)

4 Fuyu Persimmons, cut into 3mm thick slices
1/2 head of small Radicchio, leaves separated
5g Sweet Basil Leaves
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp Shaoxing Cooking Wine
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Ground White Pepper

Topping
50-60g Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella or Burrata
2 tsp roasted Black Sesame Seeds
1 tsp Shichimi Togarashi (optional)

Directions:

💥Combine all pickled shallots ingredients and let it pickle for at least 30 mins

💥 Whisk all dressing ingredients until well combined and keep it aside

💥 In a large bowl, toss rest ingredients (except toppings) until well combined

💥 Now pick out dressed radicchio leaves & arrange on a large serving platter. Scatter persimmon along with basil on top of it. Dot with torn fresh Mozzarella or Burrata. Generously drizzle the dressing on the whole thing and top with pickled shallots. Finish with roasted sesame seeds & shichimi (if using)

*Note: For Vegan option substitute Cheese with Silken Tofu

Pomelo Herb Salad with Sweet Spicy Coconut Chips

Pomelo, Blood orange, Mint and Basil are perfumed with orange blossom then mixed with Sweet & Spicy Coconut Chips and pickled jalapeño & scallions! Everything is tossed in a Toasted cumin, Chile de Árbol & lime dressing. Feel free to substitute with seasonal citrus and give it a go!

Ingredients (serves 2-4 as a side)

Coconut Chips
35g Unsweetened Coconut Flakes - I love the ones from Trader Joe’s (substitute with flaked almond slivers or peanuts)
1/4 tsp Sea Salt (if you can get hands on Maldon then it would be the best!)
1/4-1/2 tsp ground Chile de Árbol (adjust based on spice tolerance) ; substitute with Gochugaru
1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp Maple Syrup

Pickled Stuff
1 Scallion, whites halved length wise cut into 1” pieces and greens thinly sliced at an angle
1/2 Jalapeño, thinly sliced into rounds
Pinch of Granulated Sugar
2 tbsp Lime Juice

1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/4 tsp Chile de Árbol flakes
1/2 tsp Raw Brown Sugar Crystals or Demerara Sugar
1.5 tsp Orange Blossom Water (reduce to 1 tsp if you find the perfume too strong)
1.5 tbsp Avocado Oil
350g Pomelo, pulp (you could substitute with good quality Ruby Grapefruit or Navel Orange but it’s not the same)
25g Blood Orange, pulp
4 sprigs of Basil, tough stem removed and leaves separated
4 sprigs of Mint, tough stem removed & leaves separated
1/2 tsp Sea Salt

Roasted Sesame seeds or Peanuts for garnish

Directions
🥗 Prep Coconut Chips - Pre-heat oven to 350F / 180C. Combine all ingredients and make sure the coconut flakes are very well coated. Spread them out on a parchment lined baking sheet & bake for 5 mins. Let them cool completely

🥗 Prep Pickled Stuff - Combine all ingredients and let them pickle for 20-30 mins (do this while peeling Pomelo)

🥗 Prep Spices - dry roast cumin, chile de Árbol and sugar for 2 mins then roughly crush them into a coarse powder

🥗 Make the Salad - Combine Pomelo, Blood orange pulps with 3/4 qty of herbs, orange blossom and 1 tbsp oil with 1/4 tsp sea salt in a medium bowl. Transfer the pickled stuff into the bowl, while reserving the lime juice. Now whisk the coarse spice powder with reserved lime juice and 1/2 tbsp oil until well combined. Add this spiced dressing to bowl and mix everything

🥗 Serve - transfer the salad to a lipped platter, scatter a handful coconut chips on top , finish with some sesame seeds or peanuts and remaining sea salt. Serve right away.

*Note: the coconut chips will get soggy if left with the dressing for long. So do not mix them from the beginning. Serve the chips on the side so that you can top it on demand!

Persimmons with Whipped Ricotta, Rose-Lemon Maple

A side effect of my endeavor to come up with wacky flavor combos is - we eat the same dish everyday until I get the fine balance between bold flavors right! So after eating this one for seven days straight …. here I’m with my latest obsession - “Rose-Lemon Maple” drizzled on fresh Persimmon wedges nestled in creamy aromatic whipped ricotta laced with dried Mint and lemon zest….mmmm then the finishing touch of a heady exotic oil - Urfa Biber, fresh herbs, rose petals & sesame seeds. The key to this dish is simplicity and delicate balance of bold flavors - it’s quite magical indeed!

INGREDIENTS (serves 2 as side)

2 Ripe Fuyu Persimmons, peeled & each cut into 8 wedges

Whipped Ricotta

100g Whole Milk Ricotta (substitute with Vegan Ricotta)

50g Plain Whole Milk Greek Yoghurt (substitute with your go to vegan yogurt)

3/4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (top quality)

1/2 tsp Maple Syrup

1 tbsp Lemon Zest (if you can get your hands on Meyer Lemon then it will be quite special)

1 tsp dried Mint

1/4 tsp fine sea salt

Rose Lemon Drizzle

25ml Lemon Juice (again Meyer Lemon preferable)

45ml Maple Syrup

1 tbsp water

1/2 tsp Rose Water

Mint Urfa Oil

4g Fresh Mint Leaves, finely chopped

2g Sweet Basil Leaves, finely chopped

1/2 tsp Urfa Biber

3/4 tsp Roasted Sesame Seeds

1/2 tsp crushed dried rose petals

1 tbsp good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pinch of salt

Garnish

1-2 tsp Roasted Sesame Seeds

1 tbsp Dried Rose Petals

Directions

💥Combine all Mint Urfa Oil ingredients & keep it aside

💥Combine all whipped ricotta ingredients and whisk well until smooth & luscious (about 12 mins by hand; 5 mins by electric whisk) & keep it aside

💥In a saucepan combine lemon juice, water & maple syrup. Cook on high heat stirring constantly, turn off heat as soon as it starts to bubble (~ 4 mins). It should be like runny syrup consistency. Let it cool for 2 mins then stir in rose water & keep it aside

💥To plate - divide and dollop the whipped ricotta into two lipped plates . Make a dip in the middle, arrange persimmon wedges, spoon mint oil & generously drizzle the rose lemon syrup. Enjoy!

Radichhio Apple and Tarragon Salad with Dukkah

Inspired by the Apple and Tarragon cheesecake from the British Bake-off Season-6, this super easy bitter-sweet salad is my latest obsession! Whether serving with that an indulgent savory pie or alongside a creamy pasta dish or just for weekday lunch, during fall I make this simple salad almost every other week.

Ingredients (serves 2)

1 medium head of radicchio (feel free to substitute with a couple Chicory or Belgian Endive heads), roughly torn
1/2 tbsp Lemon Juice
1/2 tbsp very good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
1 tsp freshly cracked Black Pepper

Marinated Apples
2 medium Apples (I used a pink lady variety but either Honeycrisp or Red Delicious would be great), cut into 2 cm pieces
4 tbsp chopped fresh Tarragon leaves
1 small Shallot, thinly sliced
15g Golden Raisins (if you don’t like raisins then substitute with dried apricots thinly sliced)
4g flat-leaf Parsley, roughly chopped
1 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 tsp Lemon Zest
1 tbsp Maple Syrup
1 tsp Soy sauce (substitute with Tamari or Coco Aminos)
1.5 tbsp very good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tbsp Dukkah , you can find in Middle Eastern Specialty store or even in Trader Joe’s in the US (substitute with crushed seeded crackers or you can make your own by following this)
4 tbsp Créme Fraîche (substitute with Sour Cream)
Flaky salt (optional)

Directions
🍎 In a large bowl toss first 5 ingredients & keep it aside. In a medium bowl, combine and mix all marinated apples ingredients & let it marinate for 15-20 mins

🍎 Divide the dressed radicchio into serving bowls, spoon the marinated apples and finish with 1 tbsp dukkah & 2 tbsp créme fraîche in each bowl. Enjoy!