The secret to good salad is the dressing. On top of its wide range of salad dressings, Hellmann's introduces three new flavours that are inspired by the region's premium ingredients. Loong Wai Ting tosses up some salad dishes with these new dressings.
SALAD is one of the easiest dishes to prepare. Not only it's healthy but requires minimum efforts to put it together.
Apart from it being easy to make, preparing a bowl of salad can also be therapeutic. Just listen to the crunch of the fresh greens as you twist them apart, the zst..zst..zst sound of carrots being julienned and the light thumping sound as you chopped your garlic.
I've always been a fan of Hellmann's wide range of salad dressings. Just recently, the company launched three new flavours that are inspired by the region's premium ingredients. They are Triple Citrus Salad Dressing, Miso Ponzu and Blueberries and Lime.
SIMPLE RECIPE
I don't have a specific recipe that I follow whenever I put together a bowl of salad. As far as it's concerned, anything goes. My favourite ingredients are mostly leftover vegetables stored in the long forgotten corner of the refrigerator.
Whatever I'm lacking, say, a cucumber, I substitute it with a whole red apple. That way, not only does the apple add crunch to my salad, it also elevates the entire flavour palette.
One simple summer salad can be prepared in minutes. I start by combining a head of romaine lettuce (rip them in half for easier eating later), a small handful of arugula, halved cherry tomatoes, julienned carrots and some blueberries.
To save time on making the sauce, I use Hellmann's Triple Citrus Salad Dressing. I like the refreshing note from the yuzu, lemon and lime. The hint of sweetness at the end certainly elevates the whole tasting note.
I also add grilled chicken breast (marinated with salt and pepper and a good rubbing of the Triple Citrus dressing) for a good source of protein and some blanched vermicelli for a complete meal. Once the dressing starts to caramelised on the chicken, it produces a surprisingly tasty combination.
One of the true pleasures in preparing this simple salad is the delight it brought to my family as we share the dish.
JUST LIKE A RESTAURANT
Next, feeling a bit fancy, I pull out a small box of fresh salmon sashimi that my mother bought from a specialty store near the market she frequents. In order to preserve the full flavour of the fish, I use Hellmann's Miso Ponzu sauce with a bit of wasabi for an extra kick.
I dilute the sauce with just a little bit of warm water to achieve a vinaigrette-like consistency. I drizzle the sauce on top of the salmon, so that it complements the fatty flavour of fish rather than overwhelms it.
I also add a few leafy greens and blueberries to balance out the rich dish.
My family loves this simple and yet "fancy" dish. One of them exclaims that it looks and tastes like one of those served in a fancy restaurant.
TASTY SIDE DISH
As the family gathers for a simple dinner of roasted chicken, I decide to prepare one side dish of cold pasta salad. This quick and easy pasta salad is a hit among the kids.
I start by boiling the pasta until they're tender. I use farfalle (bow tie pasta) because it looks good on the plate and also a light version of a traditional pasta salad.
Next, I add cherry tomatoes, some chopped carrots and onions and fresh Thai basil. As for the sauce, I squeeze in about two tablespoons of Hellmann's Blueberries and Lime salad dressing.
The mildly sweet (from the blueberries) and citrusy aroma from the lime complement the pasta well.
VERDICT
Compared to other store-bought salad dressing, I prefer Hellmann's simply because of its wide range of flavours. I personally love the Triple Citrus out of the three mainly because of the balance between sweetness and tanginess.
Just a couple of squeeze is enough to give you a smooth, creamy and citrusy experience. These ready-made dressings comes in a lightweight plastic bottle. Priced at RM9 (210ml), these newly-launched flavours are available at most major retail stores.
Visit https://www.facebook.com/HellmannsMY/ for additional info and recipes.
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