Power Salad

A little cafe up the road from where I work has this amazing energy salad on the menu. For a while there I would head over about 2-3 times a week and invariably end up ordering it. It is a very simple salad and incredibly easy to put together so I have started making it myself. 

The recipe below is for one serving and can easily be scaled up. I usually cook a cup of dry red quinoa and refrigerate it to use over 3-4 days. When I am ready to make the salad, I just measure out for as many servings as I am making. 

I find that just about any basic vinaigrette works well with this salad. The star of the show here is the hot smoked salmon. I am using peppered hot smoked salmon which gives it a bit more oomph but it is also very good with plain smoked salmon. 

Yield - 1 serving
Time - 20 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 Cup cooked Red Quinoa

1/2 Finely chopped Broccoli

1/2 Finely chopped Kale

2 Tablespoons toasted sunflower seeds

75 grams Hot smoked Salmon

1/3 cup Basic vinaigrette

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Leave a Comment | LABELS: Salads, Seafood, Weeknight Lifesavers

Pico de gallo

Pico de gallo, or very simply "pico", is a fresh mild salsa that is a must have on taco nights. No chiles were harmed in the making of this salsa. It is mild enough for the meekest of Mexican food lovers.

Pico takes me back to warm Florida summers. Scratch that. HOT Florida summers. 

Tomatoes are the real star of this show, so make sure the tomatoes are ripe, firm and fresh. In this recipe I have used lemons instead of limes, just because I had them on hand. If you have limes, use limes. If you have Key limes, use Key limes. And give Florida a kiss for me. 

Pico de gallo

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4 comments LABELS: Dips and Spreads, Latin, Salads, Vegetarian

Healthy Chicken Salad - No Mayo!

Love a good juicy chicken salad sandwich but don't like mayonnaise? Step away from that store bought jar of nastiness, this recipe is just the thing for you! Greek yoghurt with a smidgen of mustard makes a great healthy base for this chicken salad.

Yield - Makes 2 Sandwiches

Time - 10 Minutes

No Mayo Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts

Ingredients

Chicken breast - 1, cooked and shredded
Walnuts - handful, chopped roughly
Dried Cranberries - Handful, chopped roughly
Scallion - 1 sliced
Low fat greek yoghurt - 3 to 4 tablespoon
Mustard - 1 squirt
salt

Method

In a bowl whip together the greek yoghurt, mustard and salt

Add the shredded chicken, walnuts, cranberries and scallions and toss with the dressing

Refrigerate till ready to use.

Leave a Comment | LABELS: Poultry, Salads

Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas, Garden vegetables and fresh herbs

This salad will save your life on a hot summer's day. It will. Trust me!

Especially if you live in Florida and it is July or August. (I am in New Zealand now and it is neither July nor August, but I still remember good ol' too-hot-to-be-anywhere-near-the-kitchen Tallahassee in the summer)

How you ask?

1) No stove. (On a hot day this is reason enough)

2) Refreshing minty goodness.

Do I have your attention now?

Here goes!

Yield: 4 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Refrigeration: 30 minutes or longer

Bulgur Salad with Chickpeas, Garden Vegetables and Fresh Herbs

Ingredients

Bulgur- 1 cup
Carrots- 3 (shredded)
Chickpeas- 1 can (drained and rinsed)
Red Bell Pepper - 1 (diced)
Parsley - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Mint- 1/2 cup (chopped)
Hot Water - 1.5 to 2 cups**
Lemon- 1 to 2
Olive oil- 2 tablespoons (Optional if you are cutting down on fat, but I love the flavor)
Salt and pepper to taste


This salad is extremely versatile, I like this combination of vegetables and herbs most to my taste.  You can add tomatoes and cucumbers too. You can also add more or less of any ingredient depending on what you have!

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Leave a Comment | LABELS: Mediterranean, Salads, Vegan, Vegetarian