Baby Romaine lettuce with blue cheese and beets

This colorful salad is a great way to begin a formal dinner.

Ingredients:

51⁄2oz (150g) Roquefort or Gorgonzola
cheese, crumbled (about 11⁄2 cups)
1 tsp paprika
3 tbsp plain yogurt
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head Baby Romaine lettuce
3 small beets, sliced

Preparation:

1. Pulse half of the cheese, the paprika, yogurt, and mint in a food processor to make a paste. Move to a bowl, add the remaining cheese and season with salt and pepper.
2. Separate the lettuce leaves to create 8 “boats,” then fill each with beet slices and the cheese mixture.
Serve with bread and chorizo.

Carrot salad with cabbage and peanuts

Apples bring a sweet hint of surprise to this light salad.

Ingredients:

For the dressing
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 fresh green chile, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, finely grated
juice of 2 limes
1–2 tsp granulated sugar
handful of cilantro leaves, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Fuji or other sweet apples
4 carrots, coarsely grated
1 small white cabbage, cored and shredded

handful of roasted sunflower seed kernels
handful of cocktail peanuts or
dry-roasted peanuts

Preparation:

1. Put all the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, and mix thoroughly until the sugar dissolves. Taste, and season with salt and pepper as needed, then check the seasoning again. Add sugar
or fish sauce as needed.
2. Put chopped apples in a large bowl with the carrot, cabbage, and sunflower seed kernels. Toss well. Drizzle with the dressing, and toss to coat. Transfer to a serving dish, and scatter the peanuts over the top.

Asparagus with lemony dressing

For a lower-fat version, omit the mayonnaise.

Ingredients:

For the lemony dressing
6 tbsp olive oil
2–3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
pinch of granulated sugar
1 tsp mayonnaise
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bunch of fresh asparagus, about
12oz (350g), tough ends trimmed
handful of wild arugula leaves

Preparation:

1. First, make the dressing. Put the olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl, and whisk until blended. Add the sugar and mayonnaise, and whisk well. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Cook the asparagus in boiling salted water for 2–3 minutes, or until tender.
3. To serve, place the asparagus on the arugula leaves, and dress liberally with the dressing. Serve
as soon as possible.