Summer Seafood Salad with Ricotta and Pecan Baked Potatoes

Posted 2015-12-07 by finy ⇒ follow

Summer is here, and I sometimes like to make meals that are cold and refreshing.

I also like to incorporate summer fruits, and this time I have also added one hot item - baked potatoes with a ricotta and pecan nut filling.

I have used raw prawns and cooked these myself as I find they are more tender than the bought ones, and worth that extra bit of effort.

There are two different dressings in this -one that the prawns are marinated in, and one that is put on top of the finished salad.

Preparation Time: 1 hour 40 minutes (includes peeling prawns and marinating them)
Cooking Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Makes: 2 - 3 servings

Ingredients
For the seafood salad
½ kg raw prawns
½ avocado
½ small rockmelon
1 cup diced celery
About ½ cup French dressing -Olive oil, vinegar, mustard, salt, castor sugar
Few peppercorns (optional)
A few strawberries

For the dressing on top of the salad
½ cup mayonnaise
½ tbsp tomato sauce
Chopped fresh parsley
½ tbsp chopped dill
¾ tsp mustard

For the baked potatoes
2 large potatoes
¼ cup ricotta cheese
1 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
1/8 cup [link http://reviewclue.com.au/always-fresh-asparagus-in-springwater/ asparagus], drained and chopped
½ - ¾ tbsp chopped chives
1 tbsp chopped hazelnuts or pecan nuts

Method
For the baked potatoes

Microwave the potatoes for about 2 minutes and meanwhile preheat the oven to about 160° fan forced.

Bake the whole potatoes in their jacket wrapping each one in foil which has been sprayed to stop the potatoes sticking.

Bake for about 45 minutes or until JUST done.

Cut the top off when they are cool enough and scrape out much of the potato leaving about ½ cm around the edges

Take care not to pierce the skin

Mix the ricotta cheese, potato flesh, asparagus pieces, chives and Parmesan cheese.

Fill each potato with this mixture and top with the nuts.

Bake again in the oven for about 20 minutes.

For the seafood salad

Boil some water in a pot and when boiling, add the prawns,

Cook for 2 or 3 minutes ONLY till they turn pink.

Do not cook longer or they will be tough

Blanch the celery, and peel the prawns when cool enough.

Put these in the French dressing (recipe follows) for about one hour.

Dice the rockmelon, and avocado and put on a platter.

Top with the prawns and the celery mixture.

Blend the mayonnaise with the herbs, tomato sauce and mustard.

Drizzle over the top.

Garnish with a few cut up strawberries, peppercorns and parsley.

For the French dressing

You could use a bought one, however I made my own with one tbsp of white vinegar, mixed with half a tbsp of Dijon mustard, a bit of salt, quarter of a tsp of castor sugar, and quarter of a cup of olive oil.