Looking for a simple & attractive salad for Christmas?

I was thinking really hard the past few days on what salad to serve on Christmas day. I wanted something colorful and festive looking without compromising the taste. This is what I came up with. This salad is very quick and easy to make.  Furthermore, it is colorful and very delicious. Any better suggestion?

Edible Flower Salad with roasted butternut squash and spinach

Ingredients:

(A)

200 gms butternut squash, julienned

1/2 ts ground black pepper (can be adjusted to your own taste)

1/2  ts sea salt (can be adjusted to your own taste)

1 tbs extra light olive oil

3 stalks of thyme,

2 stalks of rosemary

2 tsp chopped garlic

(B)

60 gms spinach

30 gms edible flower mix

Method:

In a roasting pan, mix (A) and spread out the squash.  Preheat oven to 200 C or 405 F. Roast the squash for 15 mins or till they are soft.  On a serving plate, arrange (B) as you wish.  When squash is cooked, remove the thyme and rosemary and lay them on top of (B). Drizzle all the remain oil from the roasting pan onto the salad.  Toss well before eating. Add more salt and pepper if necessary. 

Canned chili tuna, cauliflower and potato salad

This is a salad that my good friend Reena used to prepare for us. My son and I love this salad so much so we asked her for the recipe.  The only difference here is using canned tuna in chili instead in oil. That is because my son and I are chili heads! It is up to your preference if you wish to try this recipe. If water packed is your choice then increase the olive oil accordingly. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 can of chili tuna (mashed)

180 gm cauliflower, cut into smaller florets

1 medium potato (cut into small chunks)

½  medium white onion chopped

10 leaves of iceberg or romaine lettuce

1 tb finely chopped garlic

2 tb extra virgin olive

1 tb lemon juice

Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

Wash lettuce, spin dry and keep chilled in the fridge. In a large salad bowl, flake the canned tuna, then add extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, chopped white onion, chopped garlic and mix well.  Blanch the cauliflower, just enough so that it remains crunchy.  Boil potatoes till they just soft (but careful not overcook).  Drain both potatoes and cauliflower till completely dry and put into the salad bowl. Add lettuce, salt and black pepper and toss well before serving.  This salad taste better when served cold.

Mango salsa

I was introduced to Salsa by my hubby in 1996 when we were still in the states.  He made a bowl of salsa when we invited my good friend and his lovely wife Linda to our home for dinner one evening.  However, he did not put any mango. When I made it myself, I always put mango and I find that the mango enhanced the flavor more. Oh for those who like it a little more spice, add some Tabasco sauce. I love salsa and find it a very refreshing appetizer and it can vet up a appetite for the main course.

We usually serve salsa with Corn chips as an appetizer but tonight I am going to use it as a topping for pork burger. 

Ingredients

3 plum tomatoes diced

½ mango diced

1 cup choped parsley

½ red capsicum diced

½ yellow capsicum diced

½ orange capsicum diced

½ lemon (squeezed out the juice)

2 tb extra virgin olive oil

½  medium white onion diced

1 ts sugar

Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

In a big bowl put all the above ingredient together and mix well and put it into fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. It taste better eating cold.