This makes a great packed lunch, just take the dressing with you in a jar and toss at the last minute. If you can’t find smoked mackerel, any fish works well here, I also love hot smoked trout and salmon or swap in some cooked shredded chicken. I’ve used cooked beetroot here but you can easily buy raw and cook...
Smashing is a classic Chinese technique which breaks open the cucumber’s skin, helps release the seeds and splits the flesh into delicious chunks. This spicy sesame dressing is punchy and addictive, so watch out! Start this recipe ahead of time as the dressing needs time to marinate the cucumbers....
This creamy green feta dressing can be eaten even without any salad, it’s that good! I use raddichio as the base of this simple salad but use whatever greens you have on hand. The carrots add a sweet crunch and, if you’d like to bulk this up, add a handful of nuts or perhaps half an avocado, too....
This colourful Mexican bean salad is bold and punchy. Enjoy as a salad or halve the recipe and use as a dip or salsa to serve with corn chips. If you don’t like raw red onion, leave this out....
This makes a lovely side to a Moroccan-style braised lamb or a simple roast chicken. One day, I didn’t have an orange in the house, so I used a mandarin instead, which was just as delicious. I’ve also been known to add a handful of feta or some grilled halloumi, too. ...
Brimming with cherry tomatoes, olives and feta, this colourful Greek-inspired pasta is the perfect picnic dish and makes for a great packed lunch. There are so many alternative pastas these days and I just love this with buckwheat pasta. Serve chilled or at room temperature. It makes a terrific accompaniment for barbequed meats and kebabs....
Simplicity at its best; this chunky, fresh and vibrant salad is delicious with a slice of warm quiche or with a Sunday roast. If you don’t like coriander (there are lots of people who don’t!), just use whatever herb you like. ...
This is an Italian-inspired salad, using crunchy radicchio leaves and a simple dressing...
This is a quick, herb-packed salad for when you’re craving a fresh but flavoursome lunch or light dinner. To make it into more of a main meal, add a second tin of chickpeas or other beans, some cooked lentils, quinoa or roasted vegetables. The meatballs are delicious served hot or cold....
This epic dish combines pan-fried halloumi with shredded crunchy cabbage, fresh herbs and lots of zingy lemon to create a satisfying salad. I love serving this as part of a summer Sunday lunch spread or for a light dinner. You can also serve with pan-fried chicken or crumbled with feta instead of the halloumi. ...
The zingy five spice sesame dressing is the key to this bold Chinese chicken salad. Poach a whole chicken and then shred the meat to toss through with the crunchy cabbage, carrots and spring onion. This makes a great packed lunch, just take the nuts in a tupperware container to sprinkle on before eating....
I absolutely love Syrian food. Aleppo chilli flakes are a dried and flaked turkish chilli, named after the Syrian city of Aleppo. I love adding them to scrambled eggs, any curries or stews and sprinkled on salads, as I’ve done here. Feel free to use any beans or nuts you have in the cupboard....