Asian flavoured winter salad

This is one of my typical throw together what you have salads. It only contains 5 ingredients but packs a punch both in flavour and in health benefits.

In terms of health, as many of us have heard since childhood spinach makes you strong. Well it's true, spinach is one of those nutrient dense greens that we all can benefit from eating often. Adding a little lemon juice will add in the uptake of the iron in the spinach. Did you know that sesame seeds contain more calcium then milk?! Coriander contains high levels of iron and stimulates digestion.


Ingredients serving 2:
1/2 head of radicchio
two large handfuls of baby spinach
1 avocado
handful of coriander
1-2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Asian flavoured dressing:
juice from 1 lemon
2 tsp tamari or other japans soy sauce
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp cold pressed extra virgin sesame oil
1 tbsp cold pressed extra virgin olive oil
*optional 1/3 minced garlic clove

1. In a dry pan on a medium heat toast the sesame seeds. They are ready once you smell them and they start to pop out of the pan. Allow to cool.
2. Wash and dry the spinach and raddichio. 
3. Slice the raddichio thinly and place in a bowl, add the spinach. 
4. Halve the avocado and with the skin on slice lengthwise and across essentially making cubes, then using a spoon scoop out the flesh and add to the salad bowl. 
5. Finally add the washed, dried and chopped coriander leaves. 

For the dressing - Place all the dressing ingredients except the oil in a jar, or glass, close the jar with a lid and shake or use w fork to whisk the ingredients if you using a glass. Once the ingredients have mixed and the mustard dissolved then add the oils and shake/stir till you get a thick emulsion.

You can serve this as a side dish, or eat as a light lunch.

A kind of stir fry salad with tahini lemon dressing

You know when you have found something yummy and you just wanna keep making and eating it, day after day (pesto is one of those for me)? This is my second day of this stir fry salad and it's hitting all the right notes for me. Slightly sweet, sour, spicy, creamy and crunchy oh and lets not forget green, green, green. 

You could eerily make this into a more substantial dish for dinner with some steamed fish ontop or even grilled chicken. I added a soft boiled egg last and that wasn't bad. I bet a poached egg might be even better. Tinned tuna could also be a good portion addition. Some brown or red rice or quinoa would also be nice to beef it up a little. Although just as it is this stir fry salad is yummy! 

Here are the ingredients for 1 portion: 

1-2 tsp coconut oil (alternatively other frying friendly oil such as rice oil)

2 medium or 3 small kale (I used cavalero nero) leaves 

1/4 head of broccoli (depending on the size, basically you want 5-6 rosettes)

2-3 leaves of radicchio salad (red)

2 stalks celery

1/4 red chilli (deseeded if you don't like too much heat)

1 garlic clove 

handful of fresh parsley or wild ruccula 

1/2 ripe avocado 

Optional seeds or nut toppings - sprinkle of hempseed, roasted and chopped hazelnuts or walnuts, roasted pumpkin seeds and or sesame seeds 

You could also add fresh peas or replace the kale for spinach but not the baby kind as that will just get soggy, you would need the larger rougher type. 

Tahini, lemon dressing ingredients: 

1/2 lemon juice

1 tsp dijon or other strong mustard

1 tbsp tahini

pinch of salt 

1 tsp soy sauce (I like tamari as its gluten free)

optional 1/3 garlic clove minced

1,5 tbsp olive oil 

1. Begin by washing all your ingredients, then pat dry with a kitchen towel. 
2. Chop the chilli and garlic and fry lightly in the coconut oil. 
3. While the chilli & garlic fry chop the veggies into bite size pieces. 
4. Once the garlic is somewhat soft and shiny add the broccoli, stir and fry on a low heat. Fry for about 1min. 
5. Now add the kale and fry for another minute.
6. Then add the rest of the veggies and fry for another minute. Take of the heat but keep the veggies in the pan while you make the dressing, they will continue to fry a little that way. 
7. Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Taste, you want a slightly creamy, salty, zingy flavour. add more salt or lemon juice if you require. 
8. Transfer the veggies to a plate or bowl and drizzle over the dressing. Scoop out half an avocado and slice into chunks, add to the veggies.
9. If you like, add any seeds or nuts of your preference. 

A kind of Cesar Salad

Salad weather is back and my cravings for salads with it. This salad is simple and will satisfy the most difficult tastebuds. Basically it's my version of a Caesar salad, crunchy, creamy, salty, yummy! I used a grill pan to get the grill effect of course you could use a proper grill and if you don't have either you could go for the un-grilled version and just fry the courgette and chicken in a little cooking oil. 

The great thing with this salad is that it's both filling and full of healthy ingredients. Avocado has plenty brain and heart healthy omega oils. Anchovies have high levels of vitamin A, which helps cell development, supports vision and bone development. Parmesan had very high levels of protein, which helps build among other things muscles, organs and skin. it also contains high levels of calcium and small amounts of vitamin D! Vitamin D is something we in northern countries are all lacking to various degrees, and is mostly know for its support of bone growth. 

If you want to make this a vegetarian friendly salad replace the chicken with tempeh, make sure to season it so that you add flavour. The anchovy in the dressing can be replaced with 1/2 dl Greek kalamata olives or any other high quality black olives. 

Ingredients needed: 

2 biological chicken files*

1 avocado 

1 medium sized courgette

2 mini gem salads 

1 endive 

150 grams parmesan 

Dressing ingredients: 

1 tsp dijon mustard

juice from 1/2 lemon 

1 tbsp white wine or apple cider vinegar

50 grams parmesan cheese 

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

2-4 anchovy files 

pepper

Here's how to pull this salad together in a jiffy. 

1) If you have a grill pan place it on your stove and start heating the pan, don't use any oil. If you're using a regular frying pan you will need to use some cooking oil. 

2) Slice the courgette into 1cm slices. Test the pan by drizzling a drop of water onto the pans surface, if it sizzles and evaporates its ready for you to place the courgette on it. Wait till the pan is hot enough before grilling the courgette. (If the pan isn't hot enough the courgette & chicken won't get those grill stripes and in my opinion the ingredients stick in the grill pan.) Grill the courgettes on both sides for somewhere between 2-3min per side. You want dark grill marks. Place the courgette on the salad.

3) Now slice the chicken into long slivers and grill as with the courgette. The chicken will need a longer grilling time, check to make sure its cooked through before placing in the salad. 

3) Wash the gem salad and endive. Dry and place on a large plate or bowl. 

4) Halve the avocado and remove the pit, then use a spoon to scoop out each half of avocado. Place on a chopping board and slice into thin slices, add to your salad plate or bowl. 

5) Using a hand blender mix all salad ingredients so that you end up with a smooth thick dressing. 

6) Dress the salad and finally shave some parmesan over the top. 

* Biological means the meat is not pumped full of the antibiotics and other unwanted chemicals. in addition the chicken will have lived a happier life and therefore be less tough and in my opinion tastier.