You're probably thinking a salad is pretty boring huh? Well, I don't think they should be! Restaurants whose salads consist of butter lettuce, 4 tomato quarters, 6 cucumber slices and a few bland olives are totally getting it wrong! A salad should be a culinary delight filled with all manner of vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, fats and even flowers if you have them!
When I make a salad it's usually a meal within itself. I can hear some of you groaning and saying, "Rabbit food doesn't fill anybody up!"My salads DO because they are filled with proper food and not just the requisite lettuce, tomato and cucumber.
Basically, with a salad, there are NO rules. Anything goes. I find that a whole bowl of just raw vegetables can give my stomach a bit of grief and it's true that some vegetables are easier to digest when they have been cooked a little bit. Some even have more health benefits when they are cooked. So, just to make it easier on me, and to cover all my bases, I usually do a, more or less, half and half deal.
On any given day, this is how my lunchtime salad generally looks:
And this is how I make it:
Big fat green salad
A mix of greens (in this include whatever leaves you can get your hands on: rocket, watercress, kale, spinach, fennel, basil etc. Woolies sells a really nice organic herb mix)
Tomatoes (rosa or cherry or both!)
Cucumber
Now that we've got the boring ones out of the way...;)
Carrots
Marrows
Broccoli
Mushrooms
Avocado
Patty Pans
Chilli
An large free-range egg
Roasted nuts
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Cheese
Toasted coconut flakes
Apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
A big bowl!
Method
- Make sure everything is washed and scrubbed
- Start chopping everything and divide your spinach, kale, tomatoes, carrots, marrows, broccoli, mushrooms and patty pans in half as you go
- Put half of each of the above straight into the bowl along with your lettuce and herb mix
- Put a frying pan onto low heat and add a dollop of butter or lard
- Add the balance of the carrots and allow to simmer for a few minutes
- Add the balance of the tomatoes, marrows, broccoli, mushrooms and patty pans
- Sprinkle with some salt and pepper (cayenne pepper gives it a lovely flavour but it's not for everyone!)
- After about 5minutes, remove from heat. Don't overcook them. You just want them slightly cooked.
- Leave to cool for a few minutes while you add the avocado, chilli, nuts, seeds and coconut flakes
- Add the cooked vegetables
- Add some more butter or lard to your frying pan and fry your egg (Preferably leave the yolk soft but if you really hate a soft yolk then don't!)
- Place the egg over the top of the salad
- Grate your cheese over the whole salad
- Sprinkle some apple cider vinegar over your salad
- Eat!
If you're really hungry, add 2 eggs. The whole idea is that the soft yolk breaks all over the salad and acts as a very yummy salad dressing but it's not essential. If you prefer a chicken salad, simply take out the egg and replace it with chicken, or another kind of meat if you prefer. The apple cider vinegar is also optional. I just love a tangy salad so it works for me.
My salad fills an entire dinner plate and by the time I'm done with it I'm so full I don't want to look at food for a few hours! It's also incredibly delicious, it's a lovely summer dish and it's the kind of meal you can eat without feeling in the slightest bit worried about your waistline. Vegetables have very few calories but they fill you up nicely.
Tonight I am using my friends as guinea pigs to test out tomorrow's Real Food recipe;) All going well, that will be tomorrow's Real Food Friday Feast! Holding thumbs!
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