Salads

I love salad, but only if it is interesting and if you make your salad more interesting, then you are likely to eat more of it. Also, the more interesting it is, the more likely it is to have better nutrients. Salads can also have a lot of calories, so be careful of the amount of dressings and oils that you use.

Apple and pecan quinoa rice salad

This is a lovely salad for a warm sunny day. Full of protein from the quinoa and nuts. Great flavours with a mustard and honey dressing. I served this with a tomato salad and coleslaw. Serves 3

• Quinoa and rice 1 cup mixed
• Stock
• Spring onions
• 1 apple
• Handful pecans
• Fresh herbs like parsley and basil
• Honey mustard dressing or see homemade dressing below

1. Cook rice and quinoa to packet instructions, generally 20 minutes, add the stock to the water

2. finely chop the apple into strips, chop the nuts and spring onions (I used a large purple spring onion, you can use 2 small)

3. Once the rice and quinoa has cooled slightly, add the chopped items above, together with a good handful of fresh herbs.

4. next either use a ready made dressing or mix a desserts spoon of whole grain mustard, spoonful honey, 2 spoonfuls olive oil, spoonful vinegar and a squeeze of lemon juice. Mix into the salad.

Quinoa salad

This is one of my weekly salads, as it contains protein and vegetables in one hit. Quinoa is high in protein, so if you train a lot, or want to reduce the love handles, then reduce the carbohydrates and eat this salad! I change it up with different dressings or vegetables. Add egg, fish, vegan protein to make it more interesting during the week. I got 3 portions from this salad.

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• Few pieces cos lettuce (to serve)
• mixed capsicum (half of each)
• 2 spring onions
• Stock
• tsp whole grain mustard
• Tsp honey & mustard dressing
• Herbs: coriander and parsley
• 20g grated lactose free cheese

1. Cook the quinoa for 20 minutes, according to packet instructions and add the stock.

2. Chop the vegetables and once the quinoa has cooled, toss through, including the dressing. Serve with cheese or additional protein.

Goat cheese and fig salad

It’s September and it’s fig season. Figs are great in salads, especially with a delicious creamy goats cheese. It was just a simple salad, with ripe tomatoes and an awesome balsamic glaze. 1 serve

• 1/4 Iceberg lettuce
• 2 large Tomatoes
• 1/4 cucumber
• 1 spring onion
• 30g goats cheese
• 1 or 2 figs
• Drizzle balsamic glaze

1. Chop all ingredients and lay on a plate. Peel the fig and add to the salad with the goats cheese and drizzle with balsamic

Spicy and Sweet Salsa salad

A mid week meal that can be made in just 10 minutes! Full of spicy flavours from the chilli and paprika and sweetness from the corn and maple syrup. It’s a lovely combination. With the roasted corn and zucchini and just a few salad ingredients, it’s so quick and easy.

• 1/2 zucchini
• Whole corn on the cob
• 1/4 avocado
• Few cherry tomatoes
• Handful rocket
• 3 lentil koftas
• Tsp chilli
• Tsp paprika
• Tsp maple syrup (or honey)
• Cooking oil (I used chilli oil)
• PRE HEAT OVEN 180c/160 fan

1. simply slice the zucchini and slice the corn off of the cob. You can of course use frozen sweetcorn, but I find fresh corn has more flavour.

2. Place onto a baking tray and drizzle a little oil over the zucchini and shake on smoked paprika. Next drizzle on maple syrup to the corn and add a tsp chilli. I use a chilli in a pot, but you can use fresh. Cook 180c for 10 minutes and turn half way. Make sure your oven has been pre heated.

3. Cut remaining salad onto a plate. I served with lentil koftas, which also took 10 minutes to Cook.

Pomegranate and Quinoa Salad

This is a fantastic salad, which as it is full of protein is very filling and great for lunch or dinner.

Roasted Vegetables and Salmon salad

Great way to increase the vegetables in your diet. Making a Sunday roast? Just add extra vegetables and roast them off, put them in the fridge and use in salads. For this salad I added roasted carrots, beetroot, garlic and Cavolo Nero. Roasting the greens adds a different crunchy texture to the salad. So sometimes I do not put quantities, that is because I have done a big tray and just use a handful of each vegetable.

• 1 Roasted beetroot
• 2 Roasted carrots
• 2 Roasted garlic clove
• Handful Roasted cavolo nero
• Few pieces Gem lettuce
• 1/4 Orange capsicum
• 4 Cherry tomatoes
• Dessert spoon Garlic yoghurt dressing
• 1 piece Hot smoked salmon

Delicious, nutritious and super easy. Roast beets and carrots for total 45 minutes, add garlic after 25 minutes of cooking and cavolo Nero for last 10 minutes. Ensure you use a little oil to cook. You can add any herbs you like, such as oregano, thyme or rosemary.

Then just cut up capsicum, lettuce, tomatoes and toss, with a little dressing like garlic yoghurt.

On this occasion I bought hot smoked salmon, but you can cook fresh salmon from raw for 20 minutes or have without.

Sweet potato and chickpea Salad

Generally I will roast off a tray of vegetables and use them in a few meals, so for this meal I roasted some sweet potatoes and chickpeas, tossed in smoked paprika, garam masala and chilli oil. So sometimes when my recipes say 1/2 a potato, I have roasted off a few, but that all that is needed for this salad!! I had a quick meal with some veggie sausages and then used the rest for this salad. I used up some lentils I had left over, to make a protein filled lunch. Sweet potatoes are rich in Beta Carotene, vitamin C, B6 and potassium. They have quite high GI levels, so be careful if you have blood sugar problems, I have only used half a small sweet potato in this recipe though.

• 1/2 sweet potato
• 1/4 tin brown lentils
• 1/2 tomato
• 5 slices cucumber
• 1/3 tin chickpeas
• 1/4 iceberg lettuce
• 1/4 lemon juice
• Tsp honey
• Tablespoon yoghurt (lactose free or vegan alternative)
• 1 garlic clove
• Tsp garam masala
• Tsp smoked paprika
• Chilli oil
• Parsley and mint

1. Chop a sweet potato and add the chickpeas, toss with the spice and drizzle chilli oil. Cook 30 minutes

2.Chop the lettuce, tomato and cucumber and put into a bowl, add the drained lentils.

3. Make the sauce by either finely chopping the garlic or use a garlic crusher. Add honey, lemon and yoghurt and mix together.

4. Once the rest is cooked, toss all ingredients together.

Roasted vegetable salad with Nectarine and hazelnut

Another quick and easy salad. Tastes great with the nectarine and some protein from the nuts and egg, make it filling. Again I roasted butternut squash, red and green capsicum, carrots and beetroot at the beginning of the week. Stored in the fridge, then made different salads throughout the week.

1. Roast vegetables at the beginning of the week for 30-40 minutes 180c

• 2 Boiled eggs
• Handful chopped hazelnuts
• Roasted butternut squash approx 75g
• Few pieces Gem Lettuce
• Handful Spinach
• 1/2 Roasted capsicum
• 1/4 Cucumber
• 1 Nectarine

2. Toss with remaining ingredients. I added a little balsamic vinaigrette to finish it off.

Quinoa and roasted vegetables

Another week, another batch cook. I roasted vegetables, for the week, which as I have said is a must! Not only does it save time, it ensures you eat more vegetables every day. I cooked off some quinoa, enough for two or three meals. Then during the week, I swap every other day for a salad.

• Cooked quinoa
• 1 Roasted beetroot
• 1/2 Roasted capsicum
• 1/4 Cucumber
• Couple pieces Gem lettuce
• Handful Spinach
• Tsp whole grain mustard

1. Toss cooked quinoa and cooked chopped vegetables and salad with a tsp whole grain mustard. Sorted

Green salad with mango

This is a delicious salad that you can have on its own or with a side dish. Using up lots of greens, so healthy and moorish.

• Any greens: I used asparagus, green beans, broccolini and mange touts. About 6 of each vegetable
• Salad: I used a handful of gem and rocket
• Dessert spoon Tahini dressing
• 1/4 Mango

1. Simply cook vegetables in water for about 3-5 minutes

2. lay on plate with mango and drizzle with tahini dressing!! Simple

Zucchini salad

I love this salad, full of flavour. You have the roasted zucchini with garlic powder, the juicy roasted tomatoes, a tangy lemon and mustard dressing, combined with honey roasted hazelnuts. What is there not to love!

• One whole zucchini
• Handful hazelnuts
• Tsp garlic powder
• Tsp honey
• Handful mini tomatoes
• enough rocket for a salad
• 1 spring onion
• Tsp dry onions
• 1/4 lemon
• Tsp whole grain mustard
• OVEN 180c/160c fan

1. Simple slice the zucchini, lengthways and lay on a baking tray, Drizzle with oil and rub into the zucchini, then sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake for about 15 minutes, depending on how thin you have cut them

2. Put tomatoes on a tray and bake for about 10 minutes

3. Cut hazelnuts in half, put on baking tray, drizzle with honey. Roast for 10 minutes

4. Lay rocket on plate and cut and sprinkle over spring onion

5. Once everything has finished roasting, let cool a little and lay on plate.

6. Mix 1/4 lemon juice and mustard together and drizzle on. Add fry onions. Serve

Chilli, tomato roasted chickpeas

This was an absolute favourite of mine. I have started using the sauce for lots of recipes. I mixed a spoonful of maple syrup, chilli and tomato purée together and coated the chickpeas and potatoes. Roasted for 40 minutes and then tossed through salad. So good, simple and gives the salad heaps of flavour .

• Handful of mixed leaves
• 4 or 5 mixed tomatoes
• Chunk of cucumber
• 1/2 lactose free Mozzarella
• 4 small potatoes
• 1/2 tin chickpeas
• Dessert spoon tomato purée
• Tsp chilli
• Tsp maple syrup
• Fresh herbs: any herbs, but basil and parsley are my favourite!!
• OVEN 200c/180c fan

1. Simply chop up the potatoes small and drain and dry the chickpeas in kitchen roll.

2. Mix the sauce together and toss the potatoes and chickpeas in the sauce, put on a baking tray and drizzle with oil. cook 40 minutes, turning occasionally.

3. Chop and put all remaining salad into a bowl.

4. Once potatoes are cooked, toss through the salad. Add some herbs, like basil and parsley.

Goat Cheese and Lentil Salad

Beautiful tangy salad, with protein filled lentils, creamy goats cheese and a vibrant lemon and mustard dressing. serves 2

• 1/2 tin brown lentils
• 10 cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 capsicum
• 1/4 iceberg lettuce
• 1/4 cucumber
• 1/4 lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp English mustard
• 2 dessert spoons olive oil
• Tsp honey
• 1 crushed clove garlic

1. Simply slice tomatoes, cucumber, capsicum and lettuce and toss in a bowl, together with the lentils.

2. For the dressing, squeeze fresh lemon juice into a bowl, add the mustard, olive oil, honey and crushed garlic and season with salt and pepper.

3. Add the goats cheese, add dressing to salad and serve!

Pomegranate, ginger and mint cous cous

Well this is a nice little salad, great way to use pomegranates when they are in season. Pomegranates give a nice sweet pop to the flavours, with a bit of ginger to liven things up. Some beautiful roasted capsicums tossed through as well, makes this a colourful dish. You can of course add some extras like, rocket, feta, falafel or perhaps some chickpeas. One serve

• Handful mint and parsley
• 2 tsp fresh Ginger or powder
• 2 shallots
• 1/2 pomegranate
• 2 x 1/2 capsicum (different colours)
• 1/4 cucumber
• Serving Cous cous (this is wholewheat pearl)

1. Cook cous cous to packet instructions. (about 10-15minutes, cold water to boiling)

2. Add chopped and peeled shallots to the cous cous

3. Roast sliced capsicum in the oven 180c /160c fan for about 10-15 minutes

4. Once cooked, add together and let cool. Chop and add the cucumber, ginger and herbs. Add the pomegranate and season

Butter bean and feta salad

This is a lovely filling salad, with butter beans, tossed through with a little chilli oil and smoked paprika. Then I added the usual tomatoes, cucumber, red capsicum and rocket, topped off with vegan feta. Then I added a lemon and mustard vinaigrette. Tangy, creamy deliciousness!! Serves 2

• Half capsicum
• 8 baby tomatoes
• Half tin butter beans
• Half bag rocket (30g)
• 1/4 cucumber
• Tablespoon chilli oil
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 lemon (juice)
• 1/2 tsp English mustard
• 2 dessert spoon olive oil
• Tsp maple syrup
• 20g vegan feta

1. Drain off butter beans, toss in a frying pan with the chilli oil and the smoked paprika, literally for a couple of minutes. Set aside

2. Chop and toss the rocket, cucumber, tomatoes and capsicum in a bowl.

3. In a separate dish, mix the lemon juice, mustard, olive oil and maple syrup and stir and season with salt and pepper.

4. Cut up the feta, toss the feta and beans through the salad. Then drizzle over the vinaigrette.

Roasted Beetroot with vegan feta

I love roasted vegetables, in particular beetroot. As I am sure I have said before, it’s a great way to get extra vegetables into meals, Roast a tray of vegetables and use it throughout the week. For this salad I roasted the beetroot with balsamic vinegar, so it was a fantastic flavour, sweet and slightly sticky. Some lightly fried red onion, vegan feta and spinach added to the dish. Then I added a homemade vinaigrette, made with olive oil, lemon, red wine vinegar and honey. Finally done fresh mint tossed through.