barbecue

I’ve spoken about my disdain for new potatoes being used to make sad ‘mayonnaisey’ potato salads – or as I like to call it, ‘bowl of mushy white swill’. But it doesn’t have to be this way folks. Roast the little blighters and toss them in a deliciously light salad with crunchy radishes and a zesty hummus dressing. You’ll be queen of the barbecue and the envy of all – apart from the person who made the three tier pavlova. No one can top that.

I actually make this recipe a lot and use whatever ‘salady’ bits we have in the fridge so feel free to freestyle. I tend to make the dressing in a scraped out hummus pot as it saves washing up and disappoint when you realise there ins’t enough hummus to top a single crisp. Devastating.

Roasted new potato salad with hummus dressing
Serves 2 or 4 as a side / Hands on time 20 mins / Total time 1 hr 15 mins / V Gf Df*
350-400g new potatoes
1 tsp sea salt flakes
1 tsp rapeseed oil
½ cucumber, peeled and cut into chunks
4 radishes, sliced
Handful pumpkin seeds
Handful pitted black olives, roughly chopped
½ deseeded bell pepper, finely chopped
¼ small red onion, sliced thinly
2 handfuls salad leaves to serve
100g feta, crumbled (optional)

Dressing
1 tbs hummus
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (or balsamic)
½ tsp dijon mustard
½ tsp honey

TIP: This recipe can easily be doubled or even tripled if making as a side for a barbecue.

Dairy free? Leave out the feta – I often make this recipe without it and it is just as delicious.

Method
1. Preheat an oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400F/gas mark 6.
2. Cut in half the larger new potatoes leaving the smaller one’s whole. Give them a quick wash before patting them dry with a tea towel or kitchen roll. Pour the potatoes into a large mixing bowl and add the oil and the salt.
3.Mix well making sure the potatoes are well coated. Tip out onto a lined baking tray, making sure to space the potatoes apart. (No need to wash up the mixing bowl, save it to make your salad in later).
4. Roast in the oven for 15 mins before giving them a little shake. Continue to roast for a further 10 mins. Give them a final shake, turn off the heat but leave them in the oven while you prepare the salad.

TIP: I often roast the potatoes in the morning and leave them in the oven to rest (sometimes for hours) until I’m ready for the salad. This salad can be enjoyed warm or cold.

5. Start to assemble the salad by adding the chopped cucumber, red pepper, red onion, radishes and pitted black olives to the large mixing bowl you used earlier (the smaller your dice your salad the better to give an even distribution per portion. Sprinkle over the pumpkin seeds and season with salt and pepper. Give it a good mix.
6. Make the dressing either in the hummus pot (if you have about a tbs left) or in a small bowl. Combine all the ingredients together and give it a good stir until combined.
7. Finally remove the potatoes from the oven and tip into the salad along with the crumbled feta (if using). Give it a stir before adding all of the dressing and mix well. Serve on a bed of salad leaves and with an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a good crack of black pepper.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V– Vegetarian. GF – Gluten Free DF – Dairy free: Leave out the feta

This week I’ve been galavanting around Menorca with my friend/partner in crime Philippa. We drank all the wine and beer the little island had to offer, until I rather unceremoniously fell down a flight of marble stairs – SPLAT! With severely bruised legs and ego, I shook off the do-gooders attempting to peel me off the floor and hobbled angrily to the bar with my friends laughter still ringing in my ears. I spent the rest of the holiday covered in bags of ice and drinking away my shame – so all in all, a very successful holiday!

Anyhoo, since returning home, I’ve been busy licking my wounds and stuffing shop-bought stuffed-crust pizzas into my mouth to cheer myself up. That was until I realised I couldn’t remember the last time I ate a single vegetable. So yesterday, I ran/hobbled to the shop and bought myself a giant courgette and ate it raw, slathered in olive oil and goats cheese. Fortunately for me, courgettes are high in magnesium, which supposedly helps to heal bruising and inflammation, so I’ll only have to eat a thousand more before my legs start resembling legs again.

Courgette carpaccio with goats cheese
Serves 8 as a side / Hands on time 5 mins / Total time 5 mins / V Gf
2 large courgettes, peeled into ribbons
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt flakes
Handful fresh Dill, roughly chopped
70g vegetarian soft goats cheese (optional) – I used Sainsbury’s Abergavenny goats cheese

Method
1. Using a potato peeler, peel the 2 courgettes into ribbons and put in a large bowl. Squeeze over the lemon, 2 tbs of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle over a large pinch of salt.
2. Add the chopped dill and give it a good mix (being careful not to break up the courgette ribbons). Once everything is nicely dressed, pour out onto a large platter and dot with chunks of goats cheese. Drizzle with more extra virgin olive oil and serve.

If you’ve had a go at making any of my recipes, I’d love to hear from you. Follow me now @corrieheale and tag your recipe pictures using #corriesrabbitfood.

V – Vegetarian Gf – Gluten free