I am a big fan of a salad and it is something that I eat quite often. The humble salad often gets a bit of negative press, mainly due to the stereotype of it being a bit of limp lettuce with some soggy tomatoes, a bit of cucumber and a rather acidic dressing. But for me a salad is a great way to use up any leftovers in the fridge and bring together an array of different ingredients. They are quick and easy to make and are the perfect light dinner, while also packing up nicely for lunch the next day.
I often have bits of leftover cheese or cured meat in the fridge, my vegetable box has scraps of vegetables leftover and every week I buy lots of fresh fruit but there is always the odd pear or apple lurking behind that quickly needs to be used up. One night during the week I take some of these leftover ingredients to create one big salad and then box them up for lunches over the next couple of days. Working in central Berlin means that I have no shortage of places to eat at lunch but I actually take a packed lunch more than I go out. The obvious reason is that it is healthier to bring your own lunch. Realistically you are not going to always head to that new local ‘superfood’ bar that has opened up and instead be tempted to join colleagues for pizza or pasta. The most important point for me bringing my own lunch is that I just don’t always have the time to take a full lunch break and while I always encourage my team to take a proper break I have to admit that I often have a quick 15 or 20 minute break before heading straight back to work. And of course by using leftovers you are avoiding food waste and saving a little money!
Just like my Caramelised Pear, Brie and Parma Ham Salad, I am always happy to open the fridge at lunch time to this delicious Griddled Pear, Blue Cheese and Pomegrante Salad. A salad doesn’t have to be boring and the more you mix it up the more likely you are to actually stick to that packed lunch rather than running for the nearest burger! I cook the pear slices on a griddle pan and serve with a simple salad of some rocket and cucumber before adding the blue cheese and topping with some pomegranate seeds. I lightly drizzle some olive oil on top but a honey mustard dressing is also delicious!
- 1 pear (thinly sliced)
- 70g blue cheese (roughly cut into small chunks)
- Rocket
- Few slices of cucumber
- 3 tbpsn pomegranate seeds
- Black pepper
- Olive oil
- Heat a griddle pan and once hot add the slices of pear. Cook on each side for just around 2 minutes until lightly cooked but still some crunch.
- Plate up some rocket on plate and then add the cucumber and blue cheese. Pile the pear slices on top and then sprinkle the pomegranate seeds on top. Season with a bit of black pepper and lightly drizzle some olive oil on top.
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