The healthy salad recipes featured here for Australia Day actually come from all around the world – that is because Australia is a country which does take fantastic food influences from around the world. Since living here I’ve been exposed to the most amazing Asian fusion dishes, Italian, Middle-Eastern, Greek, and even Austrian (shnitties). This shows the diverse heritage of Australia’s modern-day residents. The Santoku Knife from Wusthof is my knife of choice for these salads. The stainless steel knife is lightweight and the blade is thinner than a standard chef’s knife, allowing it to slice vegetables effortlessly. The hollowed grooves in the knife’s edge are there to prevent food from sticking to the side of the knife. Wusthof offer a lifetime sharpening service, making this a fantastic knife to have in your kitchen tool set. Using the large Epicurean board is great for chopping anything. Made from recycled wood, it is hygienic as it's non-porous and dishwasher safe. You’ll notice the fresh ingredients in these salads require a lot of chopping, dicing, shredding and julienning. Check out our Knife Skills video here for a tutorial on how to master these techniques.

Mexican Street Corn Salad

The combination of salty feta and sweet corn is lip smacking! No wonder why Mexican corn on the cob is such a popular street food snack. I’ve made those amazing flavours into a salad by cutting the corn kernels from the cob and adding some juicy cherry tomatoes to the mix.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 large ears of corn
• 2 tbsp butter
• ½ package fetta cheese
• 2 tbsp coriander, chopped
• 2 tbsp mint, chopped
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped
• 250g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 lime
• 1 tsp smoked paprika

Instructions

Heat the BBQ or griddle pan to very hot. Rub the corn with some oil and cook over the heat for about 10-15 minutes total, turning 4 times to reach all sides. Mix together the herbs with the fetta cheese crumbles and set aside. Take off the heat and immediately roll in the butter. When cool to the touch, cut the kernels off of each cob over a large platter. Crumble over the feta and herb mixture, add the cherry tomatoes and spring onion. Squeeze over the juice of the lime. Mix together and check for seasoning – add salt and pepper if necessary.

The sharp blade of the Wusthof Santoku knife slices through corn with ease. Finish with a sprinkle of smoked paprika over the top.

Rice Noodle Salad with Vietnamese Dressing

This dressing for this salad (Nuoc Cham) is so delicious that almost every salad in Vietnamese Cuisine features it. It’s got the most delicious sweet, salty and sour balance. Chinese cabbage, finely shredded cucumber, carrot and chopped peanuts give a good crunch.

This salad is light, healthy and perfect for the hot Summer months. So versatile, it also combines beautifully with grilled meats, chicken or seafood! Serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 package vermicelli rice noodles
• 1/2 chinese cabbage, finely shredded
• 2 carrots, julienned
• 1 large cucumber, julienned (remove seeds)
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• small handfuls each mint and coriander
• 1/3 cup peanuts
• 1 long red chili, finely sliced
• For the dressing:
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• 1/3 cup fish sauce
• 1/3 cup rice vinegar
• 3 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp coconut sugar (or granulated sugar)

Instructions

Make the noodles according to pack instructions and immediately rinse with cold water. Drain and set aside. In a large bowl add the noodle and the shredded vegetables together.

Make the dressing by combining the ingredients in a jug and stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Pour over the noodle and vegetables and mix well with your hands. Place on a large serving platter. Rip the herbs and scatter over. In a small pan, toast the peanuts until brown then chop. Scatter over the salad. Garnish with the red chili slices and more mint and coriander.

Roasted Vegetable Tabbouleh with Coconut Tahini Dressing

Ever had tabbouleh with so much dry parsley that gets stuck in your throat? Yes, me too. That’s why I’ve set out to make this scrumptious version, with a mix of parsley, mint and coriander and soft chunks of roasted carrots, aubergine and sweet potato. The creamy tahini and coconut dressing is made with equal parts coconut milk, tahini, honey and lime juice.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 small aubergine, cubed
• 2 large carrots, cut into chunks
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 red onion
• 2 cups quinoa, cooked
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained
• 1 bunch parsley
• 1 bunch mint
• 1 bunch coriander
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped

For the dressing:

• Juice of 1 lime
• ¼ cup coconut milk
• ¼ cup tahini
• ¼ cup honey

Instructions

Heat the oven to 200C. Cover a large baking tray with baking paper. Mix together the vegetables, add salt and pepper, lightly drizzle with oil and then roast for 30 minutes. Stir and continue for another 10 minutes until crisp at the edges. Set aside to cool. Finely chop the parsley, mint and coriander and add to a large bowl with the quinoa and chickpeas. In a frying pan, toast the pine nuts until lightly browned all over and add to the bowl. Once cool, add the roasted vegetables and the pan juices. Mix to combine. Pile high onto a large serving platter. Add all dressing ingredients to a shaker and mix well to combine. Drizzle over the salad in a zig zag pattern.