SALAD DAYS ON A BUDGET

The past few days of glorious heat and sunshine is a foretaste of summer: salads, barbeques, dining al fresco.  Was it too good to last?

Fantastic 4-ingredient salad:
Frugal, vegan, clear instructions on cutting and laying out 

Maybe for the weather which is already returning to normal with bluster, rain and high winds.

However, the demand for crunchy, refreshing salads will continue.  

Salads at all times are versatile, boost the body with health-giving ingredients and aid digestion.  All without spending a fortune.  

They're also a great learning opportunity for family members cobbling together something pretty for the table. 

This week's focus is on budget-friendly salads that involve as few ingredients as possible plus single vegetable salads.   

They are colourful, rich in textural contrast and involve easy exciting dressings. Keep a copy of the recipes within easy reach;  they'll make your life easier again and again. 

Simple Salads

Fantastic Frugal Salad (photo above): 4 inexpensive ingredients; for a change, replace carrots with leftover cooked veg like cauliflower or green beans

                                 Kale & Citrus Salad

Fresh, zesty combo of crisply air-fried kale, oranges and salty Parmesan;
so easy and tasty, even guys make it 

 Mediterranean Tomatoes

                                  

So simple, so sensational; stunning flavour.  Turns common-all-garden tomatoes into gourmet treats!  Add a slosh of red wine vinegar for a piquant accent.  

Caesar Salad 

An old favourite that continues to please, anytime, anywhere.  2 main inredients plus a simple or complex dressing  to die for.  Partly make-ahead, portable, Triple Duty

                              Mixed Salad, Prettily Presented 

Outer layer: English lettuce; layer 2: halved cucumber slices; layer 3: carrot peelings; layer 4:sliced raw mushrooms (with stems); centre: halved baby yellow and red tomatoes topped with lightly cooked tenderstem broccoli (cooked in boiling water 3 minutes and shocked in ice or cold water). Surface scattered with chopped green beans (cooked as above) and red onion rings.  Add choice of bell pepper, cress, lamb's lettuce.  Also leftover veg like diced butternut squash or raw cauliflower florets or corn. Serve with Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Single Vegetable Salads

Single-vegetable salads help cut the food budget. They're simple but sassy and can be part-prepared ahead of time.  All offer alternative ingredients in case the cupboard is getting bare.  And all are delightfully delicious.

Soft Lettuce with Green Herb Dressing

Kids love watching chef mum or pop twist the lettuce's base and the leaves falling, petal-like onto the serving dish.  English 'butter' lettuce are considered a luxury by by some.  Easy-peasy refreshing delight.

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  Sweet & Sour Cucumber

  

  
  

  The humble cucumber takes on hidden depths in a mild but exotic dressing of maple syrup, soy, herbs & chilli.  Start at least 4 hours before needed.
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  Radish

  

  Here's a solution for rubbery, sad-looking radishes languishing in the back of the fridge.  Use the whole bag (55p 5/24); slice and bathe in a tangy creamy dressing with lovely, crunchy seeds. The radishes lose their bite and the kids won't complain.  Needs 2 hours prep.

  
  

Beetroot and Orange

Remember how much we love beetroot when we are unexpectedly served it?
In this recipe, The beets glistening prettily with orange vinaigrette, scattered with grated orange zest and delicate chives.  Perfect when regular salad ingredients are in short supply.

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Copyright: These salads have been created by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may only be reproduced in home kitchens.  Not for commercial use.

TRANSITION SALADS: BRIDGE THE SPRING SUMMER GAP

These 'transition' salads are more like 'whole-meal salads' with plenty of protein either in or alongside  a serving. 

This quartet of substantial plates are only a small number of similar salads available in the Archive.  

(By the way, spinach is at its best right now and while not exactly cheap scores high in terms of health; use leftovers on smoothies or in soups and stews) 

St Patrick's Layered Spinach Salad (Triple Duty)

Layers of spinach, raw mushrooms, tomato, beetroot & pumpkin seed provides delightful mouthfuls.  It easily transforms into a vegan, vegetarian, pescatorian or carnivore delight.

Sprout & Pear Slaw

Gorgeous combination of textures and flavours, perfectly complemented with a lively creamy dressing.  Very healthy, it is low salt & preservative, lower fat & carb and  high in vitamin-rich fibre.  

Prawn Pea & Corn Salad

Created after the freezer broke down, this melange of prawns, peas and corn in a bed of crisp lettuce and juicy tomatoes was an unexpected luxury.  Sensationally delicious, definitely, but also almost-instant, high in protein and fibre and low-carb to boot!  

Spinach Bean & Vegetable Salad (Vegan)

A nutrient-filled budget-friendly dish that can cost as little or as much as you like, depending on your fridge or the depth of your pockets.  Very easy to prepare.  

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Copyright: These salads have been designed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may only be reproduced in home kitchens.  Not for commercial use.

Pre-diabetic/Weight Loss Report 13

Upheavals at home can mean the usual healthy eating programme goes completely awry.  

But remember: you can have strong cravings and satisfy them, but still maintain some semblance of healthiness.  

For example: have sausage rolls but make them mini-sized; indulge a desire for cheese (calcium!) but choose hard cheese embedded with fruit (eg stilton with apricots, Wensleydale with cramberries).  Have a bag of crisps but chose the low-fat, naked/low-salt variety.  

9 times out of 10, giving in to the cravings once will be enough.  

If appetite declines and weight watching is no longer necessary, don't let anyone panic on your behalf.  

Just be aware of what you are eating; make sure you have protein every day and eat some fruit & veg, even if in small quantities.

Your situation and your eating pattern will gradually improve.  

MAKE-YOUR-OWN HOT CHOW MEIN NOODLES, template, triple duty, budget-friendly, easy

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This hot version of last year's Chow Mein Noodle Salad was developed on a rainy bank holiday when salad just wouldn't do.

As good as Chinese take-away but much much healthier & cheaper

  

The ingredients are similar but 67 opted for pre-cooked high-protein Lentil Noodles (M&S), which in previous tests passed with flying colours.

The sauce is the same selling point; turning the noodles into something more-ish and almost addictive.  It has a sweet and savoury umami-ness (complex meaty savouriness).

If you need a bit of brushing up on how to home-cook Chinese, this recipe is a great template. There's a variety of vegetables and proteins to chose from. 

67 used a pork steak but you could easily substitute chicken, beef, prawns or tofu... or a mix.  

Other selling points?

It's a triple-duty dish with a single base; divide the noodles and vegetables according to the number of vegetarians and carnivores. Then proceed with the protein according to the recipe.  

Cost: depending on leftovers, min £2'ish (5/24)

Feeds: 2 but recipe multiplies easily

Ingredients:

Sauce:

2 tbsp sesame paste/tahini or peanut butter
2 tbsp jasmine tea, water or stock
1.5-2 tbsp soy sauce (1.5 if there are blood pressure issues)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar (or balsamic)

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tbsp veg oil (opt)

1/2 tsp sugar (opt)

1 tbsp minced or grated garlic

100-175'ish g/3.5-6.2g high-protein lentil noodles (M&S) OR

2-3 nests of uncooked medium egg noodles, wholemeal if health conscious 

150-200gm/5.2-7oz raw protein: pork, chicken, beef, prawns, OR firm tofu, drained and pressed

small handful of 3-4 of the following

broccoli

small cauliflower florets

green beans

celery

bell pepper

pea pods

mange tout

bak choy

peas

carrot shavings

Garnishes:

coarsely chopped roasted peanuts or almonds

chopped parsley or finely sliced green onions

 

Method:

1. Add dressing ingredients to a small jar/container with a tight fitting lid; shake vigorously; store in fridge until needed
2. If using lentil noodles, separate with chopsticks or a fork, store covered in fridge till needed
3. If noodles are uncooked, place in a large heat-proof bowl; cover with boiling water; leave 5-6 mins or until al dente; drain, rinse in cold water; separate with chopsticks or a fork; store covered in fridge 'till needed
4. Cut vegetables in generous bite size pieces; cover; set aside or refrigerate

   

   try to cut veg in similar size pieces