Blog Four – These salads are not a bore!

Happy Sunday readers… and what a beautiful Sunday it is!

Amidst the Coronavirus mayhem we have sunshine and beautiful weather… A sign of hope, I think!

Today, I am going to discuss some salad recipes that I have been trying out during this isolation period to keep me eating healthy and light foods. We cannot go to the gym and we cannot really go outside… so food is an important factor to us feeling good. My recipes below are quick and easy to put together and they are perfect to serve four people (of course if you have a party then increase ingredients- but I don’t think you’ll be inviting guests anytime soon).

Here come the beautiful and tasty salad recipes to accompany dinners and lunches throughout your isolation.

BROCCOLI SALAD
My favourite is a Broccoli salad. It is beautiful to look at and delicious to enjoy with family, as a side dish. Broccoli has so many nutritional benefits for you, it is so easy to come by and this salad is the tastiest way to enjoy it.

Ingredients
Broccoli
Spinach
Chickpeas (optional) I love kidney beans too
Red onion
Nuts of choice/ seeds – I would recommend almonds/cashews crushed over

Method
1 large head of broccoli – depending on number of guests/ family members.
2 big handfuls of spinach
1 cup of chickpeas
1 red onion chopped
2 handfuls of nuts/seeds- crushed

Place all in a bowl, then toss this around to mix ingredients and voila!
If you would like a dressing, I keep it quite simple with 2tbsp of olive oil and 2 tbsp of vinegar. Fresh herbs are a gorgeous addition to get the dish ready to serve. I would recommend mint or coriander.

MANGO SALAD
The next, to brighten up your day, is a beautiful mango salad. A simple and wonderful addition to a summer’s day lunch or barbecue. Most of your guests will comment on how summery and colourful this dish looks. Remember from my previous blog, that colourful foods and nice presentation, boosts the mood!

Ingredients
1 mango
1 whole cucumber
Few sprigs of Mint
2 tomatoes
1 red onion
1 avocado

Method
Chop everything up together and toss in the bowl to create the most beautiful side dish during Spring/Summer.
The dressing for this salad is important as it brings the salad to life. I use 2 tbsp of olive oil, 2 tbsp of vinegar, ½ lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with chopped coriander.

FATTOUSH SALAD
My final favourite salad is a Middle Eastern Fattoush salad. I just love the tangy zing of this salad. It is perfect as a complimentary side dish in the Spring/Summer months.

Ingredients
1 cucumber – chopped
3 tomatoes – chopped
1 romaine Lettuce – chopped
1 onion red or green – chopped
5 Radishes – sliced
Handful of mint and parsley – chopped

Method
Prepare, as directed above, and mix up to blend the flavours and colours.

For the dressing;
1 ½ lime, juice of
1/3 cup of olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp Sumac
¼ tbsp of cinnamon
¼ tbsp of ground allspice

Mix (the above) and pour over the salad to serve. Ensure you have incorporated the dressing throughout the salad, by giving it a good toss.

To finish, in traditional Middles Eastern style, you can serve with the toasted pita bread crisps… or you can leave these if you wish.

I hope this has helped inspire some of your dishes/ side dishes during this period.
Try them all with different meals… they are amazing!

I hope you enjoyed reading

xxx