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.