LAMB'S LETTUCE SALAD WITH AVOCADO DRESSING: Easy-peasy, Healthy

A 'Bring On Spring' salad...

Lambs Lettuce, Cucumber, Radish & Avocado Dressing

If - like 67 - you're getting sick of crunchy lettuce and are longing for soft-leafed floppy Bibbs/English lettuces, this salad is for you.

Lamb's Lettuce - also known as màche or corn salad - is back in the shops.  It has a soft texture, belying its rich green colour.  It's not expensive - about £1.60 for a good sized pack - and requires almost no prep.  Just rinse, dry and spread on a plate. 

The photo above has a few half moons of cucumber and some thin slices of radish for colour, texture and flavour contrast.  67 likes the simplicity of it but you could add whatever raw or cooked veg you like, perhaps beetroot?

The dressing is equally easy: fat-free yoghurt, mayo and ripe avocado mashed with a smidgen of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper.

It looks gorgeous and tastes great.  Not bad for a few minutes work!

Cost: about £1.25

Serves: 4-5; both salad & dressing multiply easily

Ingredients:

Salad

couple of handfuls lamb's lettuce

2-inch slice of cucumber, sliced in half mons

3-4 trimmed radishes, thinly sliced

Dressing

1 generous tablespoon fat-free yoghurt

1 generous tablespoon mayonnaise 

1 small slice ripe avocado, peeled (about 2-3 tbsp)

1 generous tsp balsamic vinegar

pepper & salt

Method:

NO-SWEAT COOKING: ROASTED VEG, vegan, almost no prep, healthy

Multi-layered lively veg melange: delicious, hot or cold

Easy-peasy ultra-healthy low-fat oven cooked supper:
 Roasted Summer Veg, Pumpkin Seeds & Potato Wedges 

Photo 30/5/18

Roasted Veg with chunky Potato Wedges is a quick, low-maintenance, 'skinny' meal that is as far from dull and boring as it could be.  

The chunky potato wedges and mixed veg (a base of courgettes, tomatoes and mushrooms) require little prep.  Roasted in the oven until burnished and juicy, the veg are lightly bathed in balsamic vinegar then beautifully accented with lemon zest, chilli flakes and toasted pumpkin seeds.  

Colourful and lively with flavour, it will leave vegans very happy and/or provide appealing sides for animal protein.   

The roasted veg can be eaten cold; save time and effort by doubling or tripling the recipe.  A little bit more of this and a bit less of that is no problem

Cost: £1-2, depending on what's in the cupboard 
Serves: 2

Ingred:
   1 large baking potato   

   200 gm/7oz courgette in 1.5 inch half slices 
    80gm/scant 3oz sweet pointed pepper, pref, in chunks of about 1.5 inches (or bell pepper de-seeded & membranes removed) 
   2 generous handfuls (100'ish gm) cherry tomatoes, halved
   1/2 cup (100'ish gm) quartered mushrooms
   1/4 cup small cauliflower florets

   small handful tenderstem broccoli, thick stems halved or quartered  
   any leftover raw veg such as mange toute

   olive oil
   pepper & salt
   smoked paprika (opt)

   1-2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

   zest of a lemon
   1-2 tsp lemon juice
   1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar
   1-2 pinches chilli flakes, to taste
   1/2 tsp sumac (opt)

   finely sliced radish 

Method:

1. If veg are not organic, blanch 20 mins in a solution of 9 parts water & 1 part vinegar; drain & rinse
2. Preheat oven to 190c/375f/gas 5
3. Cut potato vertically into 6 wedges; spray generously, or toss, with olive oil; season with pepper, salt and smoked paprika if using.  Spread out on a small ungreased tray; place on centre shelf of oven
4. Trim the stems & remove strings of veg.  
5. Place all vegetables except easy cook veg like green beans or mange tout plus radishes on baking tray; add a tablespoon olive oil, toss with clean hands; spread out, hiding tops of broccoli under bits of pepper (to prevent the 'burnt tree' effect)
6. Cover lightly with a layer of foil; place on top shelf; bake 15 mins
7. After 15 mins, flip wedges to brown other side
8. Remove foil from veg tray; add easy-cook veg and continue cooking another 15 mins or until soft & browning at the edges
9. 5 mins before end of cooking, make room on tray of wedges for the pumpkin seeds; roast no more than 5 mins
10. Pour balsamic over veg; add lemon juice; stir in lemon zest, chilli flakes and sumac.
11. Garnish with pumpkin seeds & radish slices; serve alongside wedges 

Tips:

1. Sweet pointed peppers are more expensive than bell peppers but are sweeter and more tender.  Plain bell peppers work just as well.
2. Leftover Roasted Summer Veg can be added to other salads, rice or pasta OR cooked in a frittata

More vegetarian/vegan dishes on Nav Bar/Recipes II

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This recipe has been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.