Home About Paula Talks and Workshops Your Health Food Industry What's New Contact Links Sitemap Your Health        Eating Well Your Children Health Issues Exercise for Health Recipes - Breakfasts - Smoothies - Soups - Salads - Marinades & Dressings - Mediterranean Recipes - Desserts - Baking   Main Courses - Fresh Tuna with Pasta & Green Beans   Eunice Power Recipes - Chilli Non Carne - Pesto with Cod & Butter Beans - Simple Beef Casserole - Baked Peppers with Tomato My Favourite Salads        Salads have come a long way from the token leaves of limp lettuce and wedge of tomato on the side of a plate. With so many varieties of Summer leaves and garden vegetables available now, we’re really spoilt for choice. And far from being the side order they once were, salads are now a main meal in their own right – practically anything and everything goes into them. There’s something for everyone here: whether you’re gluten intolerant, controlling your blood glucose levels, watching your weight or simply looking for a delicious refreshing easy-to-prepare summer dish. For Seafood Lovers          Salmon and Avocado Salad (serves 3-4) Free from Eggs, Soya, Yeast & Nuts Salmon is a source of heart-healthy omega 3 fatty acids, while avocado contains monounsaturated fats which can help to lower levels of bad LDL cholesterol and improve levels of good HDL cholesterol. 200g tinned or fresh cooked salmon 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon reduced fat crème fraiche A big handful of watercress, chopped 1 tablespoon of torn basil 1 ripe avocado, peeled, stoned and diced Freshly ground black pepper Flake the salmon. Mix all the ingredients together and season with black pepper to taste. Serve with your favourite green salad leaves.        Prawn salad (serves 2) Free from Eggs, Soya, Yeast & Nuts 250g peeled freshly boiled prawns Juice and zest of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons reduced fat crème fraiche 1 tablespoon extra-light mayonnaise 1 teaspoon tomato ketchup Dash of Tabasco (or to taste) 2 spring onions, finely chopped 1 stick celery, finely chopped Half an iceberg lettuce, shredded Teaspoon cayenne pepper Combine the prawns with the lemon juice. In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, crème fraiche, ketchup, Tabasco, lemon zest spring onions and celery. Add the prawns and mix. Arrange the lettuce on two plates and arrange the prawn mixture on top. Dust with some cayenne pepper. To boost your fibre and antioxidant intake, serve with some thinly grated carrot, strips of red pepper and cucumber and some halved cherry tomatoes. Avocado and crab salad (serves 1) Free from Eggs, Wheat, Soya, Yeast & Nuts 1 small avocado or ½ large avocado Juice of 1 lemon 90g cooked crab meat, shredded ½ tbsp low fat natural yoghurt 1 tsp capers, rinsed and dried 1 spring onion, finely chopped Splash of tabasco sauce Freshly ground black pepper Pinch paprika Combine the crab meat with the yogurt, capers, spring onions and Tabasco. Season to taste with black pepper, paprika and half the fresh lemon juice. Keep this in a small lunch box, separate from the avocado and lemon. When ready to eat, peel and dice the avocado and squeeze the rest of the lemon juice over. Add to the crab meat and serve.          For Meat Lovers          Thai beef salad (serves 4 as a main course) Free from Eggs, Dairy & Nuts 450g sirloin steak 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped Juice of 1 lime Bag of rocket leaves Half a large cucumber, sliced into matchsticks Small handful of mint leaves, chopped Small handful of fresh basil, chopped Small handful of fresh coriander, chopped Dressing 2 red chillies, deseeded 2 tablespoons soya sauce Juice of 1 lime 2 tsp brown sugar 1 stem lemongrass, finely sliced (optional) Marinate the beef in the soy sauce, ginger, garlic and lime juice for at least 30 minutes. Cook the beef on a ridged grill pan to your liking (it’s best to have it medium-rare). Allow the beef to rest for 10 minutes, and then slice into thin strips. Meanwhile make the dressing by combining all the ingredients together. Toss the rocket, herbs and cucumber together in a bowl and mix with some of the dressing. Arrange on a plate and top with the strips of beef, drizzling with the rest of the dressing. * Note from Paula Some brands of soya sauce contain wheat and are not suitable for Coeliacs. Look for a soya sauce that is wheat and gluten free. Chicken with cannellini beans (serves 4) Free from Wheat, Dairy, Yeast, Nuts & Eggs 4 medium-sized chicken fillets, grilled 410g tin of cooked cannellini beans, drained 150g cherry tomatoes, halved 2 spring onions, thinly slices 1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons lemon juice Freshly ground black pepper Mix together the olive oil and lemon juice in a small jug. Season to taste with the black pepper. Assemble the beans, tomatoes, spring onions and mint in a bowl, and toss with the dressing. Slice each chicken fillet diagonally. Serve the salad on plates with a sliced chicken fillet on top. Mango and avocado salad with smoked chicken (serves 4) Free from Eggs, Dairy, Soya, Yeast & Nuts 2 ripe avocados 2 tsp lemon juice 1 small mango 3 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp wholegrain mustard 1 tsp clear honey 2 tsp cider vinegar Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Handful of watercress 50g (2oz) cooked beetroot, finely sliced 175g (6oz) smoked chicken, thinly sliced Halve, stone and peel the avocados/ Slice or dice the avocado flesh and place in a shallow bowl with the lemon juice. Cut the mango in half either side of the central stone, peel away the skin and slice or dice the flesh. Mix the olive oil with the wholegrain mustard, honey, vinegar, salt and ground black pepper and mix well. Remove the avocado from the lemon juice and mix the juice into the dressing. Arrange the watercress and beetroot on 4 plates or in a salad bowl and add the avocado and mango flesh. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and top with the slices of smoked chicken. Serve immediately. Tarragon chicken salad (serves 4) Free from Eggs, Wheat, Soya, Yeast & Nuts 224g of pre-cooked chopped chicken breast 6 spring onions, chopped 224g black grapes, halved 4 tbsp plain low fat fromage frais 2 heaped teaspoons of tarragon Mix all the above ingredients together in a bowl and serve on four plates. For those who love their Greens Pasta with feta, spinach and sundried tomato (serves 3-4) 160g pasta such as penne (uncooked weight) 3 tablespoons sundried tomatoes, roughly chopped 2 tablespoons of oil from the sun-dried tomatoes Large handful baby spinach leaves, torn 200g feta cheese Cook the pasta until tender and drain. Combine with the tomatoes, oil and feta and leave until cool. When the pasta has cooled, add the spinach and serve. * Note: Coeliacs should use gluten-free pasta. Super Summer salad Free from Eggs, Dairy, Wheat, Soya, Yeast & Nuts 1 cucumber, peeled 1 tbsp honey 1 orange ½ avocado ½ red pepper 1 cup grapes sprig of parsley 1 celery stalk Slice ingredients into bowl except red pepper. Blend avocado with honey, then pour over top and decorate with thin slices of red pepper and a sprig of parsley. Couscous and chickpea salad Free from Eggs, Dairy & Nuts Put 200g of couscous in a bowl and pour over 200ml of hot vegetable stock. Cover and leave for 5 minutes. Halve a lemon and squeeze. Pour into an empty jar with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of soya sauce. Seal and shake well. Drain chickpeas, finely chop a red onion (optional) and quarter a few cherry tomatoes. Add lots of fresh mint, basil, parsley and the dressing to the couscous. Stir well and season with black pepper. Serve straight away. Delicious Side Salads Broccoli, carrot and mixed seed salad (serves 4) 4 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated 1 medium-sized head of broccoli 2 tablespoons of mixed seeds (poppy, pumpkin, sesame), roasted Juice and grated zest of one orange 4 tablespoons reduced fat French dressing Wash the broccoli and divide into small, similar-sized florets. Combine in a bowl with the carrot, orange juice and zest and dressing. Sprinkle with the mixed seeds. Serve with 30g of goat’s cheese per person (optional). Potato and mint salad (serves 2) 200g small new potatoes 1 tablespoon reduced fat crème fraiche 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 2-3 mint leaves, chopped Boil the potatoes until tender, leaving the skins on. Drain and place in a bowl. When the potatoes are cool, mix them with the crème fraiche, mustard and mint. Serve with some marinated chicken, salmon or fresh tuna and some tomatoes and crisp summer leaves as a main meal.                   top of page                 Keep in mind that research on these matters is on-going and is subject to change. The information presented is not intended as a substitute for medical treatment. It is intended to provide ongoing support of your healthy lifestyle practices.                   © Paula Mee 2010 Privacy Statement        Home page                Powered by go2web