Mr Coeur de Lion Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 [quote user="Frenchie"][quote user="Mr Coeur de Lion"]I'm loving Thai and Mexican foods at the moment. The spicier the better.[/quote]Not me !! I really can't have hot food. I must be very French from that point of view. To me, it hides the taste of food, and transforms me into a dragon , spitting fire.I recently bought a " salsa" for fajitas, too hot for us, we added some crème fraiche, then it was perfect to our taste .We're all different ![/quote]It's taken my stomach a while to get used to it, but my taste buds were there ages ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Théière Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 [quote user="Frenchie"][quote user="Mr Coeur de Lion"]I'm loving Thai and Mexican foods at the moment. The spicier the better.[/quote]Not me !! I really can't have hot food. I must be very French from that point of view. To me, it hides the taste of food, and transforms me into a dragon , spitting fire.I recently bought a " salsa" for fajitas, too hot for us, we added some crème fraiche, then it was perfect to our taste .We're all different ![/quote]I'm with Richard Thai, so refreshing and not everything is fire hot the salads are the best in the world (or the bits I have travelled to) Thai is about balance sweet, sour, hot and salty, (like me on a good day) [;-)] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pachapapa Posted June 27, 2011 Share Posted June 27, 2011 Hot food makes sense in warm weather.Easiest is just nibble chillie peppers.There are plenty of cool morrocan chillies available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 A different twist on a salad away from lettuce is a Salad Nicoise with seared ahi tuna. Details here: http://wp.me/p1zGnq-V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share Posted June 28, 2011 I serve something similar, debbie, though I do like to have a bed of lettuce underneath.I also cook the tuna more because none of us like raw(ish) fish.Sliced tomatoes, onions and cucumbers as well.When I can get hold of spring onions, I add those as they are my favourite vegetable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Judith Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 [quote user="sweet 17"][quote user="Judith"]Cold pasta - no way .... horrible. Nothing wrong with a spot of salad, tomatoes, cold meats, cheese, bread, wine etc ... Why make it difficult ?[/quote]But, Judith, do you not like pasta salad? For example, made with tuna, sweetcorn, good mayonnaise, some chopped onions and a fistful of fresh herbs?I make this for picnics.[/quote]Hi Sweet,No - pasta salad is not something I like particularly. I would rather cold rice than cold pasta. And I don't like tuna, unless it is fresh (used to be able to get it from Waitrose but never seen it here) and her is nearly always tinned (yuk), sweet corn I find a bit passé and onions don't like me! But I love cheese, tomatoes, green salad, paté, and french bread, hence my "easy meal"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Coeur de Lion Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 French bread.... I miss that soooo much. I've always loved bread, but the Americans are hopeless at making it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Here, here! Yes, we are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mint Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 [quote user="Judith"]Hi Sweet,No - pasta salad is not something I like particularly. I would rather cold rice than cold pasta. And I don't like tuna, unless it is fresh (used to be able to get it from Waitrose but never seen it here) and her is nearly always tinned (yuk), sweet corn I find a bit passé and onions don't like me! But I love cheese, tomatoes, green salad, paté, and french bread, hence my "easy meal"![/quote]I have occasionally been able to buy fresh tuna from the outdoors market but I often get it frozen from Netto. They do the cutlets in packs of two but I can't remember the price; can't be a lot or I wouldn't have paid![:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericd Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Summer salads come to mind: - Hard boiled eggs and raw mushrooms. Slice the eggs, slice the mushrooms and add a vinaigrette to it (add chives or parsley)- Chickpea salad. The hardest part here (no kidding) is to remove the skin from the chickpeas.....long and boring...zzzzzzz. Slice some onions and add herbs. Add a vinaigrette- Dandilion salad. Still easy to find young dandelion shouts even in June/July. Wash well, fry some lardons and add to the "grass". .....vinaigrette too.- Salade de tomates (my daughters's favourite)....sliced tomatoes/onions/herbs/.....vinaigrette. You could also add cubes of feta cheese to make it more mediteranean. - Green salad leaves with a hint of fresh garlic and....vinaigrette.- Beetroot. Cook, slice and add a mild vinaigrette (just a small spoon of vinager) and herbs........I need to think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Chickpea Salad? Isn't the hardest thing getting them cooked, mine always take hours and hours, and I have never felt the need to remove the skins. I once tried canned ones and would never buy them again. Another favourite of mine is lentil salad. Any type, boil in salted water until cooked. Finely slice an onion and put it in the bottom of the colander and pour the cooked lentils over the onion and leave to drain for a few minutes. Then mix in vinaigrette. Serve warm or cold. Not mentioned so far is taboulé. Semloue grains, moyen. Mix with some water and lemon juice and keep it all moving so that it doesn't stick together. Add diced mint leaves, salt, pepper, chopped tomatoes, cucumber and pepper and anything else you fancy. I just keep on top of this as far as moisture is concerned, adding a little more if too dry. I leave for several hours before serving cold. I have been offered slop in the past and that is just plain nasty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 [quote user="idun"] I just keep on top of this as far as moisture is concerned, adding a little more if too dry. [/quote]Do you really perspire that much in hot weather? [:D] I have just cooked some lentils and am making a tamarind dal (I like the lemony flavour). As for taboulé I am waiting for my tomatoes to be ripe, as the shop-bought ones are never as nice.I also like green beans in salads with hard-boiled eggs and shallots, and vinaigrette.Potato salad is another favourite. In fact, just writing this, I am giving myself ideas![:P]Hummus, tapenade (green or black, with or without tuna, with or without anchovies, with or without garlic and lemon zest). I like dips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericd Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 [quote user="idun"] Not mentioned so far is taboulé. [/quote]....I said I was having a think about it !!!!Yes taboule a great summer favourite as well as lentil salad and potatoe salad Yumm The chickpeas I use are tinned chickpeas, ready to eat. The reason for removing the skins is to ease the digestion and avoid flatulence. Red kidney beans, sweet corn and diced gruyere cheese salad with....vinaigrette. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Ah I cannot eat tinned chick peas. Their taste is so different from home cooked ones and I find them unpalatable. When I do cook them I get my couscousiere out and almost fill it with the water and chick peas and then freeze the cooked ones. Makes making a cous cous so much easier to make when I want one.AND yes, seems most of us eat similar salads. There is one though that I have never made it as I am not sure exactly what ingredients are used. It was served with the hors d'oeurves in a resto we used to go to quite often, a cold dish of tiny tiny white pasta and pink fish eggs in a sauce. Could have eaten a mountain of it, it was so good, never did, but used to want to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Eric, you mentioned gruyere, I do miss a good comté extra, have not found one in NE England yet, have you? Or haven't you looked? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericd Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Sometime Sainsbury have some good comte ....or we bring it back. It freezes well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Hot weather food - too lazy to look back to see if anyone mentioned it, but I make and ear lots of ICE-CREAM!!!! Well, not always with cream as such, it can be sorbet, or it can be frozen yogourt.One that I just made (not even a need for ice-cream maker) was a tub of cooked figs from last year (just stewed without any sugar as they are so sweet). I liquidized it still frozen, and just added fromage frais in the mixer, and re-froze the lot. I guess you could make that with many things.I am also specialising in....strawberry tagada ice-cream. Easy to do, you just melt the tagada sweets in milk slowly, cool it, add creme fraiche (no need for sugar as there is plenty in the strawberry sweets), and put the lot in ice-cream maker. I have done it without creme fraiche, just a mix of yogourt and fromage frais.I like very easy ice recipes - no egg yolk, no custard, simple, quick, and healthy-ish.Please feel free to post your favorites![:P] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 5-E said: I am also specialising in....strawberry tagada ice-cream. Easy to do, you just melt the tagada sweets in milk slowly, cool it, add creme fraiche (no need for sugar as there is plenty in the strawberry sweets), and put the lot in ice-cream maker. I have done it without creme fraiche, just a mix of yogourt and fromage frais. ROFL I am going to have to send this recipe to a friend of mine in France, I have heard them say that they are 'amateur de tagada', mon oeil, they are tagada obsedée. And me perspire in the heat, I melt in the heat, it is awful and I don't like drinking water. Used to love having some sirop d'anis with water in a very big glass and that would quench my thirst. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Eric, I rarely shop in Sainsbury's, but when I do will look out for Comté. Far too long since I have been to France, need to stock up on some things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5-element Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Idun, not just your friend: Tagada is one of the current culinary French obsessions[:D] and perhaps a slightly well-kept secret... it is being served in various forms (gateau de fraises Tagada, coulis de fraises Tagada, muffin Tagada, and many more - just Google it and you will see what I mean). I came across it for the first time in a one-star Michelin restaurant, and it was quite surprising as it came as a coulis, around a fantastic dessert!There is also a Carambar ice-cream, but I haven't tried it as it involve a couple of egg yolks too. And Nutella ice-cream of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idun Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 haribo and I were not on good terms in France really, and they are here[:-))], as for some strange reason they have traversed La Manche. Their crocs were OK, but the rest was not good for my hyperactive youngster. I dread to think what is in some of their stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbie Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 Judith: If you prefer rice you might like a Greek Orzo salad. It is served cold so it's nice throught the Summer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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