Summer Recipes: These Meaty Salads Are A Fast-Track To A Substantial Meal

A salad can make a hearty, substantial supper, as these meaty numbers prove.

Warm salad of beef and mushrooms with crunchy croutons

There's a lot to sink your teeth into with this meaty combination, plus the croutons add some delicious crunch. Make your own if you have some stale bread by chopping into chunks, drizzling with oil and salt and baking until crisp.

Serves 4

4 x 120g sirloin steaks

1 tsp paprika

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, sliced

250g mixed mushrooms

2 cups croutons

½ cup basil leaves

¼ cup roughly chopped parsley

Dressing

1 Tbsp oil

2 Tbsp lime juice

1 Tbsp sweet chilli

½ tsp brown sugar

1. Rub the steaks with paprika and set aside.

3. Heat pan to high and cook the steaks for 3 or 4 minutes on each side or until done to your liking. Set aside for 10 minutes before slicing thinly.

4. In a large bowl, combine the mushrooms, garlic, tomatoes, steak, croutons, basil and parsley.

5. Mix the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake well. Dress the salad and serve.

Dukkah lamb rump, beetroot and blue cheese salad

A medley of flavours hard to beat. To toast the walnuts you can place them on a tray in the oven with the lamb for five minutes.

Serves 2

1 medium-sized beetroot

1 lamb rump

1 Tbsp oil

1 Tbsp dukkah

3 cups rocket

Handful mint leaves

80g blue cheese

½ cup freshly toasted walnuts

Dressing

½ cup yoghurt

2 Tbsp lemon juice

20g blue cheese

1. Preheat oven to 180C.

2. Place the beetroot into a pot of simmering water for 20 minutes or until a knife will insert easily. Remove and cool enough to peel. Then chop into sticks.

3. Rub the lamb rump with oil then roll in the dukkah. Preheat a frying pan to a medium heat. Sear the lamb on all sides, then place into the oven for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size. Remove and set aside.

4. For the dressing, shake in a jar the yoghurt, lemon juice and cheese.

5. To serve, place the rocket leaves and mint on a platter, top with beetroot, blue cheese, sliced lamb and walnuts. Serve the dressing on the side to drizzle.

Duck and noodle salad with hoisin dressing

This tasty duck salad would make an excellent picnic addition.

Serves 4

1 tsp Chinese five spice

2 duck legs

Salt and pepper

1 Tbsp oil

400g cooked egg noodles

2 carrots, sliced into thin strips

½ cucumber, sliced thinly

2 spring onions, sliced thinly

½ cup roughly chopped coriander

½ red chilli, sliced thinly

Sauce

½ cup hoisin sauce

¼ cup plum sauce

2 Tbsp peanut oil

½ lemon, juice only

1. Preheat an oven to 180C.

2. Rub the five spice over the duck legs and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a frying pan and sear the legs on both side until nice and golden. Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes, until well cooked through. Remove and cool enough to handle. Shred the meat.

3. In a large bowl place the noodles, carrots, cucumber, spring onions, coriander and chilli. Add the shredded duck.

4. To make the sauce, combine the hoisin sauce, plum sauce, peanut oil and lemon juice in a small bowl.

5. Stir through the sauce until mixed well.

6. Serve in a large bowl and garnish with a few extra coriander leaves and slices of chilli.

All recipes by Angela Casley.