A few side salads for hot summer days

Mango Salsa

You will need;

1 large mango - peeled and finely chopped
3 tomatoes - seeds removed and finely diced
1/2 red onion - finely diced
1/4 cucumber - seeds removed and finely diced
1 red chili - thinly sliced
1 handful of finely chopped fresh coriander
1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon of chives thinly sliced

Mix all of the above together in a large bowl, freshly squeeze over the juice from half a lemon or lime along with some ground black pepper, mixing well. Pour ingredients into serving dish and chill in fridge for half an hour before use.

Serves 4 - 6



Mushrooms with garlic and parsley

For this recipe you can cheat by using ready made salad dressing of your choice, although I would opt for a French Dressing or other vinaigrette

You will need 1 whole packet of mushrooms, sliced thinly, 2 cloves of garlic - crushed and two handfuls of freshly chopped parsley. Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and in a glass jug either pour in 1/4 pt of bought dressing or the following;

4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of vinegar
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of mustard powder
pinch of salt and generous amount of freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons of lemon juice

mix together all the above dressing ingredients together with 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise (or the dressing of your choice with the mayo) and pour over the mushroom mixture, mix together well and transfer to serving dish, sprinkle over some finely chopped fresh herbs and serve.

Serves 4 - 8


For a great fiery taste - one packet of watercress, half packet of thinly sliced radish with a tablespoon of capers and lemon juice sprinkled over also makes a great simple salad - goes well with barbecued fish


Pasta salad - also great for any occasion - mix together enough cooked pasta for 3 people as main serving with a jar of pasta sauce such as a pesto, you can add chopped tomatoes, olives, onion, herbs, even mayonnaise etc, only takes minutes to make but looks and tastes great and will serve at least 6 as side dish


And don't forget the garlic bread - one French stick or baguette with garlic butter (2 or 3 tablespoons of butter or marg mixed together with 2 0r 3 cloves of garlic, crushed and 1 teaspoon of dried basil and 1 teaspoon of dried oregano); part slice through the bread at intervals of approx 1 inch and spread a generous helping of the garlic butter in these slits. Cook either wrapped in foil or without foil for approx 12 minutes depending on whether you want a crispy crust. Eat and enjoy!