rapscalli

# Warm pasta salad with olive dressing ## Ingredients ### For the olive dressing - 1 garlic clove, finely chopped - 1 spring onion, finely chopped - 8-10 green olives, stones removed, finely chopped - 2 lemons, juice only - handful fresh basil, chopped - ¼ ball mozzarella, cut into cubes - 1 tbsp olive oil - 1 tsp balsamic vinegar - salt and freshly ground black pepper ### For the pasta 110g/4oz spaghetti, cooked according to packet instructions, drained and kept warm 1 tbsp olive oil Less than 30 mins preparation time Less than 10 mins cooking time ## Preparation method - For the olive dressing, place all the ingredients into a bowl, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix well. - For the pasta, place the cooked spaghetti into a bowl and stir in the olive oil. Pour the dressing over the pasta and stir well. - To serve, place the pasta salad into a serving bowl.   From <http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/warmpastasaladwithol_85422>:

# Herby couscous with citrus & pomegranate dressing Serves 4 ## Ingredients - 200g couscous - 150g pack pomegranates seeds - handful chopped herbs (we used mint and coriander) - juice 1 orange - 2 tbsp each white wine vinegar and olive oil ### Method 1. Place the couscous in a shallow bowl, then pour over 200ml boiling water. 1. Cover the bowl with cling film, then leave for 5 mins until the couscous has swelled up and absorbed all of the water. 1. Ruffle with a fork to separate the grains, then stir through the pomegranate seeds and herbs. 1. Make a dressing by mixing together the orange juice, white wine vinegar and olive oil, then stir into the couscous. 1. Season well with salt and serve.   http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/9841/herby-couscous-with-citrus-and-pomegranate-dressin

# Delia - How to make vinaigrette     When you begin to make salad dressings, it's you who should taste and you who should decide just how much acidity you like and what your preferences are as to flavourings and so on. I seem to suffer from some kind of mental handicap with dressings, which roughly means that other people's salad dressings always seem to taste better than my own – my husband's particularly. I have set out my favourite version of vinaigrette, but it's adaptable: you can use red or white wine vinegar, a different mustard or no mustard; if you like it sharper, use a higher ratio of vinegar, and if you want it less sharp use a higher ratio of oil. The following combination is my own personal favourite. 1 rounded teaspoon of Maldon sea salt 1 level teaspoon of whole black peppercorns 1 peeled clove of garlic 1 rounded teaspoon of mustard powder 1 tablespoon of the vinegar of your choice (balsamic, sherry, cider) possible lemon or lime juice instead of vineg