If the thought of one more turkey sandwich makes you want to weep, it's time to wake up your tastebuds with something fresh and delicious. The Ivy Dubai's executive chef Simon Conboy shares his recipe for a beetroot and Persian feta salad.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 160g Creamy Persian feta cheese
• 2 Cucumbers
• 20g Picked watercress
• 4g Mint
• 5g Chives - cut into 1 inch sticks
• 10 Baby beetroot
• ½ A garlic clove
• The juice of one lemon
• 125ml Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Sprig of thyme
• 2 Shallots, halved
• 50ml Water
• 2g Honey
• Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
• ½ A pomegranate
• 10g Toasted sliced almonds

METHOD

Peel the cucumbers and cut into three inch lengths, then slice thinly lengthwise, until you reach the seeds, do not use any slices containing seeds.

Cut the cucumber into 1cm wide strips, place in a colander and season with salt to remove any water. After twenty minutes, pat dry and mix with the watercress and herbs.

Remove the leaves from the top and the roots from the bottom of the baby beetroot and place in a tray with the thyme, olive oil and a little water. Cover with tin foil and roast in the oven until cooked ‘al dente’. Allow to cool naturally then wipe off the skin. Heat the grapeseed oil in a frying pan over a low heat and fry the almonds until golden brown. Wipe off any excess oil on a paper towel.

To make the dressing, whisk all ingredients together and season with the freshly ground salt and black pepper, then keep to one side. Cut the beetroot in half lengthwise and arrange on the plate, then crumble the feta in large pieces around and drizzle over a little dressing.

In a bowl mix the herb, cucumber and watercress. Mix with a little dressing and season with freshly ground pepper. Add to the plate and garnish the salad with pomegranate seeds and the toasted almonds.

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