Salad Sensation!!!

Oh how the lowly salad can be turned into a bowl of wonderfully delicious morsels of joy...........with just a little know how!!!

Having previously stumbled across a Jamie Oliver app on the iPhone which provided a session on how to make a jazzy salad, I raised an eyebrow and contemplated the potential.  The benefits of veggies, in particular green leafies are well known.  You can do your body and mind a world of good by eating more....so finding a way to make a healthy dish (and in particular a salad) a pleasure to eat and not a fork fight is a winner as far as i'm concerned!!!

It wasn't however until I watched a DVD by the wonderous Sherry Strong  (more on this angel from another world later) that I managed to produce some salads to rock my world!!!

So here are my tips (and these are tried and tested as my girlfriends are now hooked and loving their homemade salad lunches!!)

Ingredients (not limited to....and you don't need to have everything, can just add what you like!!)

• A couple of handfuls of Leaves (Rocket, Cos Lettuce, Butter Lettuce, Mixed Salad Leaves, Spinach.......any of the above, mix them up) cut into shreds
• One cup of chopped veggies (broccoli, zucchini / courgette, capsicum / peppers, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, green beans......anything you can think of) I think it's best to chop them up nice and small.
• One carrot or small beetroot grated
• Small handful of chopped nuts and seeds
• Small handful of chopped dried fruit (apricot, sultanas, dates, prunes etc....)
• Goji berries, desiccated coconut
• Grains (half a cup of cooked quinoa or brown rice).  It's easiest just to follow instructions on the quinoa packet.  I just rinse and cook.
• Cheese (I LOVE Goats Cheese, could use feta, mozzarella is also fabulous)
• Roasted veggies (sweet potato, pumpkin, parsnip etc.... to do this, cut into bite size chucks and roast in the oven in a drizzle of oil at 180 degrees for about 30 minutes)
• Could add boiled egg, tuna etc.....

Here are a couple of examples that I have had this week that were delicious:

Salad 1

• Handful of leaves chopped
• Handful of nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashews) chopped
• Sprinkle of sunflower and pumpkin seeds
• Sprinkle of raisins
• Goats Cheese
• One carrot grated
• Squeeze of lemon juice and dash of extra virgin olive oil
• Couple of broccoli florets chopped
• A few green beans chopped

 
Salad 2

• Handful of chopped leaves
• Half a cup of cooked quinoa
• Goats Cheese
• 2 dates chopped
• One carrot grated
• Handful of chopped nuts and seeds (walnuts, cashews, sunflower and pumpkin seeds)
• One stick of celery chopped
• Squeeze of lemon juice

I also made this salad for dinner last week and it was super satisfying.
http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/01/warm-spinach-salad-with-quinoa-and.html

Go get started, take a salad for your lunch or have in the evening.  Once you start you will be hooked.  Such a great way to love your food, love your body and feel fantastic!!!

P.s. I love to use all organic veggies.....the choice is yours of course :)