Creamy St. Marcellin Maize Amaranth Pineapple Salad

Christmas is a day away. The festivities are in full swing. You can just feel the mood in the air.  With all the scrumptious, heavy, deep, and rich meals circulating around the dining table, I thought it would be a good idea to share a salad less heavy but rich in nutrients and flavour. Also if you have been noticing our current weather, then you know that it has been raining for the longest time. Because of the rains, maize has been planted and some lucky plants have yielded good fresh cobs. And, because you can never go wrong with cheese, I created this salad with Paramount Dairies’ St. Marcellin cheese because of its creamy texture and full flavours. But first, let me explain the flavours and textures happening in this salad right here. If you’ve had roasted maize, you know of its sweet taste that, coupled with the raw snappy dodo (amaranth), creamy full flavoured St. Marcellin cheese plus avocadoes, brings the dish together. A surprising twist of diced pineapple adds a sweet tangy taste. A hint of pickled green olives add a savoury and tart taste. This salad is perfectly seasoned with green onions, coriander and finished with some salt. It’s the perfect balance of the sweet, salty and tangy flavours that will compliment your festive dishes. Not forgetting what a great way this would be to add healthy raw vegetables on the festive menu.

 What you will need:

3 C. Roasted tender maize

3 C. Pineapple, thinly diced

2 C. Avocado, diced

1 C. St. Marcellin Cheese

Two handfuls of fresh, tender amaranth leaves or Leafy tender vegetable of your choice

2 tomatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

¼ C. Green Onion, finely chopped

¼ C. Green olives, pitted and finely chopped

¼ C. Coriander, finely chopped

Salt

Observations

1. Prepare all the ingredients ahead of time and chill them for about 10 minutes before mixing them.
2. For a spicy salad, add a pinch of black pepper.
3. I used young dodo leaves (amaranth) for the salad but you can substitute it with any other leafy tender vegetable of your choice.
4. For a more creamy cheesy taste, add more St. Marcellin

 

Method

In a large bowl, add the maize kernels, the amaranth, the pineapple tidbits, the avocado, and the tomato slices.  Crumble in the St. Marcellin .  Add the olives, the green onions and the coriander.  Toss the salad with wooden spoons till all the ingredients are evenly mixed. Sprinkle with salt.  Serve chilled

Wishing you all happy holidays and blessings throughout the remaining days of the year!

🙂

Sophie

 

You can find  St. Marcellin Cheese in major supermarkets in Kampala