Cucumber salad with smashed garlic and ginger

This is a dish I (Sofia) first made for my mum in an effort to find new things in the Ottolenghi book "Plenty" that she could eat on her no carb, high fat diet. I think it helped that it beams of asian flavours which inevitably leads to reminiscing of our holiday in Vietnam together.

It was such a delicious discovery that I made it for my friends at Rooi Els when we all went up to Madeleine's beach house on the edge of the ocean. Needless to say it got a big thumbs up. 

This post is for Madeleine at her request for the recipe.

Serves four to six as a condiment/side salad

3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar (I left the sugar out to be diabetic friendly and nobody noticed)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
1 ½ inches fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt

4 small or 8 mini cucumbers, peeled
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (these can burn quickly so keep an eye on them)
2 tablespoons chopped coriander

In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar and sugar until the sugar is mostly dissolved.  Whisk in the vegetable, olive, and sesame oils.  Add the sliced red onion, and toss to coat.  Refrigerate for at least one hour and up to 4.

Place the ginger, salt and garlic on a cutting board.  Flatten with the smooth end of a large knife, and push around the cutting board several times, so the slices crush and release juice, but stop before the mixture becomes a paste.  Scrape the contents from the board into the bowl with the onion and dressing.  Stir to combine.

Cut the cucumbers lengthwise in half, then cut each half on an angle into 5mm slices. Add the cucumber to the bowl followed by the sesame seeds and coriander. Stir well and leave to sit for 10 minutes.

Before serving, stir the salad again, tip out some of the liquid that has accumulated at the bottom of the bowl and adjust the seasoning.

Ina Paarman's Banana Bread

Sofia had the astonishingly good presence of mind to divert her procrastinating over her essay into something tastier. This banana bread has been signed off as 'excellent' by two generations of Youngleson cooks.

Ingredients

125 g butter

250 g castor sugar

2 extra large eggs

2 T (30 ml) yoghurt

1 t (5 ml) vanilla essence (vanilla extract is nicer and less synthetic though)

6 ripe mashed bananas

4 T (60 ml) chopped nuts - I'd suggest walnuts (optional)

250 g flour

1 t (5 ml) bicarbonate of soda

1/4 t (1 ml) salt

Cream together the butter and castor sugar until light and fluffy.

Lightly beat the eggs with a fork. Add to the butter mixture, creaming it in gradually.

Add the yoghurt and vanilla essence.

Fold in the bananas (and nuts).

Sift the dry ingredients together twice (if you can be asked...). Fold into the banana mixture until well blended.

Pour mixture into a lined and greased loaf tin.

Bake at 180C (350F) for 50 minutes to 1 hour until golden brown and firm.

Leave to stand on tray until cool.