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Going Nuts
Refreshing Salads
Enjoy the garden fresh goodness of summer's bounty - toss a crisp and refreshing salad.
Wonderfully versatile, leafy greens can be enjoyed as a side dish or a light main course. Just one cup counts as one daily serving of fruits and vegetables.
However, not all salad greens are created equal. Generally the darker the leaves, the more nutritious they are. Dark greens usually supply far more nutrients than lettuce. But don't throw away your iceberg just yet. Give your salad a healthy boost combining iceberg lettuce with darker, more nutritious leaves such as spinach or romaine lettuce.
What to put on your salad can be tricky as many options are loaded with kilojoules, fat, even sugar and sodium. Avoid heavy cheeses, egg yolks and bacon. Focus on completing your leafy creation with fresh veggies and a reduced-fat dressing or vinaigrette. To make a meal of it, add some lean protein such as skinless chicken breast.
Try these healthy toppings:
- Raisins
- Sunflower or Pumpkin seeds
- Water-packed tuna
- Melon balls
- Diced apple
- Almonds
- Chickpeas
- Mandarin segments
- Water chestnuts
- Berries
- Fresh peach or pear slices
- Chopped avocado
- Fresh mango
Thai Beef Salad
(serve 4)
Ingredients:
- 450g (approx) eye fillet or lean fillet steak
- 2 cups mixed salad greens (mesclun, rocket, spinach, etc)
- A good handful of fresh coriander, mint and basil, roughly chopped
- 1 cucumber, cut into ribbons
- 1 red capsicum, cut into strips
- 2 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 piece lemongrass, sliced
Dressing:
- 60ml fresh lime juice
- 60ml fish sauce
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 2 tsp brown sugar
Method:
- Heat a pan or barbeque grill to hot. Cook the beef in one piece so it’s seared nicely all over – turn it to brown all sides. Cook to your liking. For rare it will only take five minutes on each side, depending on the thickness. Set the meat aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Combine the vegetable and herb ingredients on a large platter or individual plates.
- Make the dressing by combining all the ingredients and mixing well until the sugar dissolves. Taste and adjust, this is a very personal thing – some people like it sweeter, some hotter.
- Slice the beef into thin slices. Arrange these on top of the salad and drizzle
the dressing over.
Chinese Chicken Rice Salad
(Serves 6)
Ingredients:
- 2 cups brown rice
- 550ml water
- 2 cooked skinless chicken breast, chopped
- 1 cup celery, sliced
- ¼ cup cashews, roughly chopped
- One cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 2 spring onion, sliced
- One red capsicum, diced
Dressing:
- 30ml olive oil
- 45ml lemon juice
- 45ml soy sauce
- ½ tsp fresh ginger, minced
- 5ml teriyaki sauce
- Salt & pepper to taste
Method:
- Place the rice and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cover, simmer until water is absorbed, about 45 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- To make the dressing, whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.
- In a large bowl, mix together the cooked rice and chicken. Stir in the celery, cashews, mushrooms, spring onion and capsicums. Mix with the dressing to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Toss gently before serving.
Sensational Summer Salad
(Serve 6)
Ingredients:
- 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 235ml Italian-style salad dressing (reduced fat if possible)
- 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
- 30ml lemon juice
- 1 head romaine lettuce, tear into bite sized pieces
- 1 avocado, diced
- 115g feta cheese, crumbled
- 250g fresh strawberries, sliced
- 120g dried cranberries
- 180ml balsamic vinaigrette, or to taste
Method:
- Place the chicken breasts and Italian dressing into a resealable plastic bag. Toss to coat the chicken, squeeze out excess air and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator
for an hour. - Preheat the grill or barbeque to medium-high and lightly oil the grate.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade. Grill the chicken breasts until no longer pink in the centre. Set aside to cool, and then dice the meat.
- Toss the diced apple with the lemon juice in a large mixing bowl until well coated; drain and discard any excess lemon juice.
- Place the lettuce into the mixing bowl, then sprinkle with the diced chicken, avocado, feta cheese, strawberries and cranberries. Gently toss the salad with the balsamic vinaigrette and serve immediately.
