NCR Taco salad and Sydney Road Street Party 2014

Last week I saw Joanne's Mexican Fiesta Chopped Salad and I had everything except tortilla chips and lettuce.  It ticked boxes of foods that needed using like avocado, tomato and yoghurt.  I have previously made a Tex Mex Salad but it had a lime and olive oil vinaigrette.  This one had a creamy dressing that made it quite a different salad.  It was easy and delicious.  Perfect for a fine summer's day.

Which might make you think I made it after we went to the Sydney Road Street Party.  It is the sort of thing I wish I had waiting for me at home afterwards.  Instead I had a few chunks of Turkish bread with hummus and went to bed at 6.30pm.  Life has been busy!  I was glad to go to the street party though.

It is a few years since I last went and I enjoyed it more this year.   The last time the music was too loud.  This time it was more reasonable - except when 1980s dance troupe, the Red Hot Bitches, danced by with a ghetto blaster!  With Sylvia this year, it was all pink and sparkly.  Lucky dips, wands, balloons, and face painting.  You can see the fairy on her face above.

I enjoyed seeing all the people dressing up.  These Medieval types above look bemused at finding themselves in the midst of banks and traffic lights.  I also spotted people dressed as a zoo keeper and his (plastic) elephant), a unicorn, a piece of toast and red stripey Victorian couple.  For little children inspired by these characters, there was a great booth with lots of cardboard crowns, shields and swords.  We didn't manage to stop there. 

Instead we spent some time in search of food.  Firstly E and I had some very nice samosa.  Then I found some potato cakes for fussy Sylvia.  I also shared some corn on the cob with her.  Next was big slabs of watermelon bought from La Manna Fresh, whose stall also boasted this very impressive watermelon shark.

Then we headed off to the pub to see E play with his ukelele group.  It was a great gig but Sylvia and I were too tired to stay for all of it.

And what does the salad have to do with the Sydney Road Street Party?  Well, it does have a lot of variety.  It is creamy, crunchy, juicy, soft and a little spicy.  I enjoyed both. 

The salad is not only delicious but it is also open to variations.  E preferred his with lots of chips.  I ate some leftovers the next day with no chips or extra dressing.  We had a little dressing leftover that was used over thick lentil stew in tacos and also in a pumpkin soup.  We thought it would even make a nice dip for chips.  I am sending the salad to Lisa for No Croutons Required, the monthly vegetarian soup and salad blog event co-hosted with Jacqueline.

Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: Liebster award - a meme of elevenses
Two years ago: Pea pancakes with sun-dried tomato pesto
Three years ago: PPN Spring Rolls, Salad, Changes and CNY
Four years ago: Each Peach - baby blocks and ice cream that rocks
Five years ago: Citrus Grape Cake
Six years ago: My Friend the Chocolate Cake

Taco salad with a creamy dressing
Adapted from Eats Well With Others
Serves 3-4

Salad:
400g tin of beans, drained (I used a bean mix - black beans would be great)
300g tin of corn, drained
2-3 handfuls of rocket (arugula)
1 cup roasted diced pumpkin
1 tomato, diced
1 avocado, diced
2-3 handfuls of corn chips

Dressing:
3/4 cup plain Greek yoghurt
1/4 cup soy milk
juice of half a large lime
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes 
3/4 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
dash of cayenne pepper, or to taste

Toss together all salad ingredients except corn chips in a medium salad bowl (keeping aside some avocado for garnish if you like).  Mix the dressing ingredients in a medium jug.  Check and adjust the seasonings to taste (I found that subtly spicy worked well).  Stir a spoonful of dressing into salad.  Serve out salad.  Crush the corn chips and sprinkle over the top.  Drizzle with salad dressing and top with extra avocado, as desired.

On the Stereo:
The Best of: Blur