Come Dine with Me (3) - Sauteed Peas with Mint & Smoked Bacon; Green Bean & Walnut Salad; Avocado & Corn Salad; Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado & Basil Salad

We love our greens but I seldom blog about the salads and vegetable dishes that I cooked. Perhaps I thought many of you won't be interested in what greens we eat. May be I was wrong. So, here are some of the vegetable / salad side dishes that I like and cooked recently. They are delicious with any mains and extremely easy to make.

Sauteed Peas with Mint and Smoked Bacon
(Inspired from Sauteed Fresh Peas with Mint and Jamons in Gourmet Traveller September 2009 issue)
Serves 6

The original recipe calls for jamon but I used smoked bacon because I have some leftover smoked bacon in my fridge.

Ingredients

60 ml (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
50 gm smoked bacon, cut into batons
150 gm (2 cups) frozen peas
Coarsely torn mint, to serve

Method

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over low heat, add onion and sauté until pale golden and soft (4-5 minutes), add the bacon and cook a minute. Meanwhile, cook peas in plenty of boiling salted water until just tender (4-5 minutes), drain and add to onion mixture, season to taste, stir in mint and serve hot or at room temperature.

Green Bean and Walnut Salad
(Adapted from Gourmet Traveller Magazine March 2008 issue)
Serves 6

The interesting part about this recipe is that instead of crushing or chopping the walnuts, you grind them into a paste. The look of this dish can be deceiving. It tastes wonderful.

Ingredients

750 g green beans, trimmed
60 g walnuts
¾ cup (loosely packed) flat-leaf parsley leaves
3 cloves of garlic
40 ml (2 tbsp) cider vinegar
40 ml (2 tbsp) each of walnut and sunflower oil
1 tsp brown sugar

Method

1. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil, add beans, reduce heat to medium and simmer until just tender (about 3-4 minutes). Drain and refresh under cold running water, then pat dry with a tea towel.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180C. Spread walnuts on an oven tray and roast until golden (about 7 minutes), then cool.
3. Using a food processor, pulse walnuts, parsley and garlic until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl and stir through remaining ingredients. Add beans, season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve.

Avocado and Corn Salad
(Adapted from Daily Telegraph Taste)
Serves 6

I love to pair this salad with roast chicken. Avocado and chicken always go well with each other. The addition of corns makes this side dish more exciting than the usual corn on the cob.

Ingredients

2 firm large ripe avocados, halved, stones removed, peeled, finely chopped
1 x 410g can corn kernels, drained
3 shallots / green onions, ends trimmed, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Method

1. Combine the avocado, corn, shallots, coriander and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Serve.

Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado & Basil Salad
(Adapted from Delicious Magazine September 2010 issue, recipe by Rick Stein)
Serves 2

This is such a classic Italian salad. The brilliant part is the dressing. How many time have I told that I adore Rick Stein? He is waving his magic again on this simple but elegant salad.

Ingredients

2 vine-ripened tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 little gem lettuce, quartered, leaves separated (* I used baby cos lettuce)
1 avocado, cut into small cubes
4 basil leaves, finely shredded

Dressing:

2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp sugar
Pinch of English mustard powder

Method

1. For dressing, whisk all ingredients in a bowl and season to taste.
2. Arrange tomato in a circle on 2 plates. Top with lettuce leaves, then scatter with avocado and basil leaves. Drizzle with dressing, season, then serve.