Name: Mexican salad
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 ear corn; 1 tsp olive oil; 1 avocado; juice of 1 lime; 4 cups baby salad leaves; 1 Lebanese cucumber,thinly sliced; 1 small red capsicum,seeds removed,thinly sliced; 2 roma tomatoes,cut into wedges; ½ small red onion,very thinly sliced; 2 coriander plants,leaves picked (stems and roots reserved for the dressing); 60g haloumi cheese

Mexican salad with coriander,lime and black pepper dressing.William Meppem

easyTime:<30 minsServes:2

Singapore noodles are from Hong Kong and Mexican salad is from Texas. When you think about it,there is barely a dish with a place in its name that actually hails from that place. As far as salads go,a good dressing is worth its weight in gold. And this one,with coriander,lime and black pepper,is just what the doctor ordered.

Ingredients

1 ear corn
1 tsp olive oil
1 avocado
juice of 1 lime
4 cups baby salad leaves
1 Lebanese cucumber,thinly sliced
1 small red capsicum,seeds removed,thinly sliced
2 roma tomatoes,cut into wedges
½ small red onion,very thinly sliced
2 coriander plants,leaves picked (stems and roots reserved for the dressing)
60g haloumi cheese

Dressing

2 coriander plants,stems and roots roughly chopped
¼ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
juice of 2 limes
¼ cup olive oil

Method

1. For the dressing,place the roots and stems of the coriander in a mortar with the black pepper and grind to a paste. Add the sugar,soy sauce and lime juice and mix well. Pour in the olive oil and combine with the pestle.
2. Strip the kernels from the corn. Heat a small frying pan over medium heat and add the oil. Season with salt and fry the kernels for about 5 minutes until they start to blacken.
3. Remove the stone and skin from the avocado,mash the flesh with a fork and add the lime juice. Season with salt and mix to a chunky guacamole.
4. Arrange the salad leaves on a plate and top with the cucumber,capsicum,tomato,onion and corn. Place a large scoop of guacamole in the centre of the plate,scatter with the coriander leaves and add the dressing. Grate the haloumi over the salad using a Microplane and serve.
For another light dinner option,try my prawns,wakame and ponzu on tofu.
Find more of Adam Liaw's recipes in theGood Food Favourite Recipes cookbook.