OK – so, the word salad bores me to tears unless its accompanied by the words….’with Rib-Eye steak’ or ‘whilst jumping out of a plane above Niagra Falls’. I really just don’t feel tingly all over when faced with the salad option – so I decided to change my own perception (read neurosci) and start ‘salading’ myself up a bit….well Spring in the air after all!.

Beetroot and Broccoli salad 

Fresh beets, boiled cooled and sweet pickled

Raw broccoli, sliced and ‘shaved’

Fresh rocket leaves

Finley sliced raw red cabbage

Thinly sliced roasted red pepper

Olive oil and lemon juice

This is a real ‘popper’ of a salad – all of the ingredients barr one (peppers) are raw and it needs little more than good extra-virgin olive oil

Broad bean Houmous salad

200grms fresh broad beans cooked and cooled

1 cloves garlic

salt and pepper

1tps Tahini paste

100mls extra-virgin olive oil

This is simplicity in a bowl – combine all of the above ingredients and wazz together in a blender or if you want a chunkier Houmous just fork it instead! Serve with toasted crusty bread.

Tray baked Marrow ‘salad’ with goats cheese

Ok, Ok so I’m stretching things a little with this recipe…but hey no meat = salad!!

1 full marrow – cored and cut into 3cm discs

fresh sun-dried tomatoes

handful of cherry vine tomatoes

Goats cheese

salt and pepper

fresh basil

plenty of Olive oil

Straight up baked salad – tray bake the marrows, tomatoes with the oil, garlic and basil until the marrows are tender – about 20 minutes. Put the goats cheese on top of each marrow disc and sling back in the oven to warm through and colour a little.

The real deal spud salad

400grms baby potatoes, skin on, halved and cooked in well salted water then cooled

2 table spoons of homemade mayo 

1 tbs salad cream

salt and pepper

Chopped parsley

Some people are addicted to booze, fags, Charlie – not me…I’m addicted to this stuff and I ain’t about to quite any time soon.

Straight up combination dish – mayo, salad cream, seasoning and parsley stirred into the spuds.

Red cabbage and onion slaw

So this is my 42nd Street ‘stuffed’ burger and yip I’m bending the salad rules yet again – but hey, slaw on its on is a bit dull!

1/2 a small red cabbage finely sliced

1 medium red onion finely sliced

2 tbs mayo

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Another combo – take the shredded onion and cabbage and combine with the mayo and lemon juice – season and slap on a burger!

Mustard Chicken salad with asparagus and shredded carrots

4 medium chicken breasts

1 large carrot

4 baby gem lettuce cut into quarters

2 ripe avocados

2 healthy bunches of asparagus spears

Good quality vinegarette

Handful of cherry tomatoes

So this is a simple assembly dish in reality, start by making the carrot salad base – shred the carrot and mix in a good tbs of whole grain mustard – now arrange on a long white serving plate.

Smear the chicken with Dijon mustard then grill till cooked and thinly slice- arrange on top of the carrots.

Slice the avocado and lay through the chicken slices

Saute the asparagus till nicely charred, season well then lay on top of the chicken and avacado

Take the quartered baby gem and lay flat in a pan with a little oil and saute for  alittle until it starts to take on a little colour and softens slightly. Arrange around the other ingredients on the plate.

To finally bring the dish together warm your pre-made vinegarette in a sauce and pour over the whole lot – scatter over the chopped cherry toms and job is done.