This weekend we celebrate our Emancipation Day holiday. Although some may be partying away, we should never forget the significance of this historic milestone and the many sacrifices our ancestors had to endure so that we may live in freedom today. Given the current crossroads our beloved island is at, we really must reflect on our collective future and how we can be part of the solution in our individual communities.

We are so fortunate to be able to eat what we like, when we like. The slaves weren’t so lucky. They simply consumed what was available. The beauty of all of this, however, is that they got creative with some items such as saltfish, which is a main component of our national dish paired with ackee, and pig’s tail cooked with red kidney beans for stewed peas.

This summer season has been exceptionally hot and many of you, like me, are feeling the heat a little more intensely than usual. Icy treats, light meals and loads and loads of water are ways to counteract the fatigue we feel when it gets uncomfortably warm. Last week Thursday evening at the Jamaica Observer Food Awards I was fortunate to meet many of our readers face to face for the first time. I was most touched by the embraces and the positive feedback given. It certainly makes writing this column much more pleasurable as I continue to serve you by inspiring you to create delicious home-made meals.

The most frequent request I got was to continue my summer series of light dishes, so today I will share a couple of salads. These are a bit more substantial, as one gentleman who loves salads explained — “I want one with gumption to make me feel full” – he would like to change his dietary lifestyle because he is bored with eating the same foods. It seems some of you feel that you cannot feel satisfied by consuming a mere salad for a meal.

I think by and large, salads are typically viewed in Jamaica as a side dish. More restaurants are offering salads as meals, but they tend to be the more upscale establishments versus the everyday cook shop. As the trend continues towards healthier eating and consuming more vegetables and fruit, I believe that once you learn versatile ways of preparing fresh ingredients, the more comfortable you’ll become making salads and other vegetable side dishes or main meals.

Try these hearty salads, they can be eaten on their own, or as great sides for grilled fish or roast chicken. Have a safe and peaceful holiday weekend.

Tomato and Sweet Pepper Rice Salad

Oftentimes we tend to make more rice than necessary and have leftovers and don’t know what to do with it outside of fried rice. I like to recycle my food and turning ingredients into something different.

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked brown or white rice

1 bunch escallion, green parts only

2 sweet peppers, different colours if possible, diced

200g Tomatoes, deseeded and roughly chopped

4 tbsps Olive Oil

1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper, to taste

Chopped cilantro for garnish

Method:

Mix together olive oil, red wine vinegar, and mustard and then add the cilantro, salt and pepper to taste.

Place rice in a bowl and add the tomatoes, peppers and escallion. Mix together.

Pour over the dressing and mix again with the cilantro.

Nutty Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Feta

I love the combination of pumpkin, nuts and cheese. This warm salad makes a lovely lunch.

Ingredients:

1 small pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks

2 red onions, cut into wedges

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

A couple sprigs of parsley, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

80g pecans

150g Feta

4 tbsps Olive Oil

1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat oven to 400ûF

Mix together olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper.

Toss pumpkin chunks and red onion wedges into the oil mix.

Pour into a baking tray and roast for 30 minutes.

Mix together thyme, parsley, garlic, and pecans and add to roast pumpkin and onions

Add the feta and serve immediately.

Thanks to the wonderful staff at Megamart who make shopping such a pleasure.

Contact me at info@juicychef.com

Bon Appétit!