Apple, Fennel and Rocket Salad with Vanilla and Orange Dressing
Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 6:58 PM
This is the salad I’ve eaten more than any other this summer.
It’s my take on one I ate at The Boathouse on Loch Lomond. The basic ingredients were easy to replicate; the dressing was more of a mystery. My version is super simple and, whilst probably nothing like the original, to my taste buds it’s just as good.
Don’t be put off if the orange oil and vanilla flavoured stevia are not in your store cupboard. They’re both readily available online and fabulously useful. And, since you only need a drop or two, they last for ages. Both are in daily use in my kitchen. The orange oil goes into smoothies and chocolates; the Vanilla Crème into shakes, desserts and herbal teas.
The following quantities will serve one as a main course, two as a side dish. In the picture above, I’ve topped the salad with sunflower sprouts and sauerkraut. And a flower. ‘Cause everything tastes better topped with a flower.
Salad
1 plate of rocket leaves (watercress works really well, too)
Half a fennel bulb, chopped
1 apple, sliced or chopped
Dressing
2 tbsp extra virgin cold pressed rapeseed oil
Good splash of apple cider vinegar
Pinch of high quality salt
1 drop of essential oil of orange
2 drops of Vanilla Crème
Arrange the fresh stuff on a plate. Whizz up the dressing ingredients in a blender or shake well in a lidded glass jar. Pour over the salad. Et voilà!
NB When buying essential oils to add to recipes, make sure they’re specified as food grade and use very sparingly. In the UK, I buy mine from NHR Organic Oils. In the US, I buy from Aura Cacia.
Vanilla Crème is great for adding to anything you want to both sweeten and flavour with vanilla. Stevia has zero calories and ranks zero on the glycemic index. Again, use very sparingly - we’re talking drops, not teaspoons. In the UK, I buy Vanilla Crème from Red 23. In the US, it’s available via Amazon.
Reader Comments (1)
It's a salad mandala! I am so intrigued by using orange oil in cooking; must definitely try that!