Recipes
Tomato, Cucumber & Red Onion Salad
with Vanilla Dressing & Melon Vinaigrette
Jiko
Animal Kingdom Lodge

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients:
2 hothouse cucumbers
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 red onion, thinly sliced
5 tomatoes, medium size, cubed
Vanilla Dressing (see recipe below)
Melon Vinaigrette (see recipe below)
1/2 pound arugula

Cut the hothouse cucumbers in half and seed them with a spoon. Slice the cucumbers fine and place them in a stainless steel bowl. Add the salt and mix well with the cucumbers; allow to sit for half an hour at room temperature. Drain all the water from the cucumbers and mix with the red onions and tomatoes. Mix in the Vanilla Dressing; add salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. Reserve 1-2 Tablespoons of the dressing to coat arugula with the dressing. To serve, mound the salad in the center of a round plate. Drizzle with Vanilla Dressing; add Melon Vinaigrette with cottage cheese and basil around the mound of salad. In a stainless steel bowl, mix the arugula with the vanilla dressing and salad mix. Place the dressed arugula atop and serve immediately.

Vanilla Dressing
Yield: 10 servings

1 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 dash fresh ground black pepper
2 dashes Kosher salt

Mix all ingredients together and adjust seasoning to taste. Reserve until ready to use.

Melon Vinaigrette with Cottage Cheese and Basil Chiffonade
Yield: 10 servings

1/2 cup cantaloupe melon juice, fresh squeezed
3/4 cup watermelon juice, fresh squeezed
2 dashes Kosher salt
1 dash fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup lemon juice, fresh squeezed
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 Tablespoon basil leaves, finely sliced

Pour the canteloupe melon and watermelon juices in a large bowl. Add the salt and black pepper; mix in the lemon juice. Whisk in the olive oil and adjust seasoning, if needed. When ready to serve, mix in the cottage cheese and the finely sliced basil leaves.