Oriental Beef Salad

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless beef sirloin OR top round steak, cut 3/4 inch thick
1/4 c dry sherry
1/4 c low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp. cornstarch
3 tbsps. vegetable oil, divided
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 6-oz. package frozen pea pods, defrosted
4 c. lettuce, thinly sliced
Crisp chow mein noodles (optional)
Red bell pepper slices (optional)


Directions:

Cut beef steak into 1/8-inch thick strips. 

Combine sherry, soy sauce and cornstarch; pour over strips, stirring to coat.

Heat 2 tbsps. oil in wok over medium high heat.

Add mushrooms and pea pods; reserve.

Drain marinade from beef and reserve.

Add remaining oil to wok. Stir-fry beef strips (1/2 at a time), 1 to 2 minutes.

Return vegetables, beef and marinade to wok; cook and stir until sauce thickens.

Serve beef mixture over lettuce. Garnish if desired.

Nicoise Salad

Ingredients:


400g kipfler potatoes, halved lengthways
olive oil cooking spray
3 hard-boiled eggs
175g baby beans, trimmed
3 large, ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pitted black olives
425g can tuna in brine, drained, flaked
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 lemon, juiced


Method:


Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place potatoes onto baking tray and spray with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden and tender. Place into a large bowl.

Remove shells from eggs. Cut eggs into quarters.
Cook beans in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes or until tender. Drain. Refresh under cold water. Add beans, tomatoes, cucumber, olives and tuna to bowl containing potatoes.

Whisk oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper in a jug. Drizzle over salad. Toss gently to combine. Top with eggs. Serve.

Cucumber Yogurt Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 cucumbers, peeled, quartered lengthwise, then sliced


• Plain yogurt, about 1 cup


• 1 teaspoon dried dill, or a couple of teaspoons of fresh dill


• Sprinkling of salt and pepper

Method:

First taste the cucumbers to make sure that they are not bitter.

Depending on the variety of cucumber you are using, and many other factors, you may find a cucumber that is distinctly bitter in taste. If this happens, soak the cucumber slices in salted water for half an hour, or longer, until the bitterness is reduced, then rinse and drain before using.

To make the salad, simply gently mix together the ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4.