This is a departure from my regular genre of writing faith-based content. But, then again, creating something from scratch has been said to be an act of worship. So, perhaps this is a type of faith-based writing? I’m not so sure. But I’m hoping my 'salad spiel' will be helpful the next time you want to toss together something fresh and delish.
As the title suggests, I'll dive into what it takes to make a non-boring, doesn’t-feel-like-I’m-on-a-diet salad.
I’m no expert in the kitchen, but here’s the basic premise of this post: dress it up.
As they say in the fashion world: accessorize, accessorize, accessorize. (Actually, they probably also say, “Less is more,” but today, we’re channeling one of those over-the-top haute-couture designers who bring the bling.).
But we're talking food, not fashion, so let's get cooking:
Start with the basic ensemble—the “capsule wardrobe” of the salad spectrum: lettuce, rocket leaves, cucumbers, tomatoes, yellow and red peppers, red onion, and purple cabbage—things that you can get fairly easily on a grocery app. You can choose some or all of the above.
Next, throw on the “accessories”: we’re talking fruit, dry fruit, nuts, and seeds. My favourites include the pomegranate (that comes conveniently peeled so I don’t look like I just committed a gruesome murder after I dissect one of these delectable fruits), strawberries, orange segments, apple slices, cranberries, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, and wait for it, air fried dried noodles (if you’re going the Asian route).
Then, spritz it up: the dressing is everything. Okay, almost everything. Honestly, I don’t do measurements because the volume of the salad I make changes based on the number of people we’re serving. I would recommend you go with your gut on this. Just make extra. You can save it in a nice glass bottle for later.
Time now for some tried and tested—yet completely unprecise and unscientific—salad recipes from my home to yours. Let me guarantee that you won’t turn out culinary masterpieces with these recipes. But you will be able to make a salad that you want to polish off.
The Girl Next Door Salad: This salad is not a showstopper. Your guests won’t be wowed—but they will likely want a second helping.
Here’s the basic ensemble: arugula or rocket leaves, English cucumbers sliced or in circles, thinly sliced red onion, and sliced red and yellow peppers.
The accessories: pomegranate, sliced or chopped apple, and cranberries.
The thing that pulls it together? The Honey-I’m-Home dressing: Add mayo, Greek yogurt, English or Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and chili flakes (for zing) to a bowl. Whisk like crazy. Pour over your salad and mix well just before you serve. Garnish with pumpkin seeds.
Pro-tip: Try to get hold of the baby rocket leaves which are less gritty than the bigger leaves. Also, get a whole lot of salad leaves because they tend to shrink. If you can't get rocket leaves, romaine lettuce will work.
The I-Got-Skillz Salad: This salad works best with an Asian-themed meal. Your guests may think you’re a whiz in the kitchen. The truth is you rock at throwing things together in a bowl. No one needs to know that. Just sayin’.
Basic ensemble: The humble cabbage, a tiny wedge of purple cabbage for colour, green capsicum, and red onion—thinly slice all the above ingredients. Chop up some spring onions/ scallions.
The accessories: Roasted peanuts and, here’s where it gets interesting, (and possibly unhealthy)—noodles. Take raw (uncooked) Maggi noodles and break them into smaller, thinner pieces. Pop it into the preheated oven or the air-fryer till the noodles turn golden brown. Keep aside.
Bring it together with a kicker Asian dressing: In a bowl, whisk together, soy sauce, juice of one lime, water, honey, peanut/ groundnut oil (this stuff is strong), a small bit of chopped fresh garlic, and chili flakes. Pour over the “basic ensemble” and mix well. Just before serving, throw in the roasted peanuts and baked noodles. Toss lightly and serve immediately.
I’m not an accomplished cook. But I do enjoy putting together a salad. It’s forgiving. It’s fun. And it gets me to eat my veggies. I hope I can encourage you to elevate your salad game. The veggies are your paints. The cutting board is your pallet. The salad bowl, your canvas. Go create your masterpiece. If nothing else, it will at least make you feel healthy. And that’s always a good start.
Photo by Anna Pelzer on Unsplash