SUMMER SPECIAL: THE HEALTHY SALAD BAR..!

BY: DR. KAVIRAJ KHIALANI- CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF.

A salad technically may be described as a usually cold dish consisting of vegetables, as lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers, covered with a dressing and sometimes containing seafood, meat, eggs or simply vegan or vegetarian as well.

While some classify salads on the basis of any of various usually cold dishes: such as raw greens (such as lettuce) often combined with other vegetables and toppings and served especially with dressing, small pieces of food (such as pasta, meat, fruit, or vegetables) usually mixed with a dressing (such as mayonnaise) or set in gelatin.

Talking about the basic five types of salads salad, any of a wide variety of dishes that fall into the following principal categories: green salads; vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads.

Today’s definition of salad is a variety of cold dishes that include small pieces of food (such as pasta, meat, fruit, or vegetables) mixed with a dressing or mayonnaise. To put it simply, if it’s dressed you can feel confident calling it a salad!

Lettuce alone is not a salad, even chopped. Embellish it with some cherry tomatoes, diced red onion, bacon bits, blue cheese dressing
and a healthy grind of black pepper and you’ll have a salad. Yet there’s another definition that’s relevant to the “is potato salad a salad” debate.

In a broader sense, a salad is defined as a dish made up of cut meat, seafood, eggs, pasta, or fruit that’s mixed with a dressing and served cold. Hence potato salad, chicken salad, and pasta salad. To list a few more examples starting up with macaroni, Macaroni salad is a type of pasta salad, served cold made with cooked elbow macaroni and usually prepared with mayonnaise.

Much like potato salad or coleslaw in its use, it is often served as a side dish to barbecue, fried chicken, or other picnic style dishes.
While the list of vegetables that can go into a salad are vast and varied The list of salad vegetables includes broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, endive, escarole,

green onions, lettuce, mushrooms, peas, bell peppers, chili peppers, radishes, romaine, spinach and tomatoes. The five basic elements to a salad include There are five elements to a perfect salad: greens, sweetness, creaminess, crunchiness, and dressing.

Here are a few simple yet scrumptiously designed summer salad recipes for our readers this Summer of 2023.

Recipe-1] QUICK FIX TOSSED SUMMER SALAD

Ingredients:

For the base of the salad:

• Assorted lettuce leaves – 1 cup

For the body of the salad:

• Cooked quinoa- 1 cup
• Cooked beans-1/2 cup
• Cooked beans/ steamed sprouts-1/4 cup
• Cucumber-1/2 diced
• Yellow/ red/green capsicums-1/4 cup strips
• Tomatoes-1/2 cup diced
• Shallots- 4-5 no peeled and halved

For the dressing of the salad:

• Oil/ olive oil-3- 4 tbsp.
• Lime juice- 2-3 tbsp.
• Honey-1-2 tsp
• Ginger juice-2 tsp
• Capsico sauce-1 tsp
• Tomato ketchup-1-2 tbsp.
• Mint leaves- 8-10 no
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chili flakes-1/2 tsp
• Orange segments- ½ cup

For the garnish of the salad:

• Assorted nuts/ seeds/ micro-greens
• Feta cheese-1/2 cup crumbled.
• Roasted crushed peanuts

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the salad recipe as listed.
2. Place the assorted lettuce leaves in chilled water until used.
3. Prepare the dressing by combining all in a mixing bowl and giving it a nice mix or shake in a jar.
4. Prepare all the components of the body and add them into the dressing, give it a nice toss and check for seasonings.
5. Drain out the leaves, place them pat dried on a serving salad plate and top with the prepared tossed salad and garnish appropriately and serve immediately.

Recipe-2] BERRY SUMMER RELISH SALAD

Ingredients:

For the base of the salad:

• Assorted lettuce leaves -1 cup

For the body of the salad:

• Assorted berries -1 cup
• Cucmber-1/2 cup diced
• Red radish-1/2 cup sliced
• White radish-1/2 cup sliced
• Tomatoes- 4-5 no cherry
• Avocado- 1 ripe, peeled and cubed

For the dressing of the salad:

• Fresh tender coconut- ¼ cup malai
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Mustard paste-1/2 tsp
• Fresh basil leaves- 5-6 no
• Olive oil-2-3 tsp
• Mixed herbs-1/ 4 tsp
• Chili flakes-1/4 tsp
• Capsico sauce- few drops
• Honey-1-2 tsp
• Sugar-1/2 tsp

For the garnish of the salad:

• Assorted nuts/ seeds/ herbs for garnish

Method:

1. Prepare all the components of the salad recipe as listed above.
2. Place the lettuce leaves in chilled water until used.
3. Prepare all ingredients for the body of the salad and keep handy.
4. Shake up all the ingredients into a mixing jar/ bowl.
5. Drain out the lettuce leaves from the water, pat dry them and place them on a serving salad plate.
6. Just before dishing out, toss the body of the salad with the dressing and check for seasonings, tart flavor in the salad and adjust the same accordingly.
7. Plate up the salad recipe and garnish it appropriately and serve it immediately.

Recipe-3] PICK – CHOOSE AND TOSS SALAD

Ingredients:

For the base of the salad:

• Assorted lettuce leaves- 1 cup

For the body of the salad:

• Carrots-1/2 cup blanched
• Potato wedges- boiled and tossed-1/2 cup
• Spinach leaves- 1 cup blanched
• French beans- 4-5 cut, blanched
• Green peas-1/2 cup boiled
• Snowpeas-1 cup blanched
• Sprouts-1/2 cup steamed
• Zucchini- ½ cup cubed, blanched
• Sweet corn-1/2 cup boiled/roasted

For the dressing of the salad:

• Oil/ olive oil-2-3 tbsp.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Mixed herbs-1/2 tsp
• Chili flakes-1/2 tsp
• White vinegar-1-2 tsp
• Honey-1 -2 tsp
• Date puree-1/4 cup
• Capsico sauce-1/2 tsp
• Peanut butter-1-2 tbsp.
• Warm water-2-3 tbsp.
• Assorted nuts/seeds-1-2 tsp

For the garnish of the salad:

• Avocado-1 ripe, peeled, cut into wedges
• Flaxseeds/ sunflower seeds-1-2 tsp
• Fresh mint/ coriander/ parsley-2-3 tbsp.

Method:

1. Prepare all the components of the salad and keep ready.
2. Work on the body and dressing of the salad and keep things ready by boiling/ blanching/cutting chopping etc.
3. In a jar combine together the ingredients for the dressing and shake it all well.
4. Place the lettuce leaves in chilled water and allow to freshen up a little.
5. Just before serving, pat dry the lettuce leaves, and place the body into the dressing and give it all a nice toss and check for seasonings.
6. drain off the excess water from the lettuce leaves, pat dry and place on the serving plate, portion out the tossed salad as well on the top and garnish appropriately.

Recipe- 4] SUNRISE SPECIAL SUMMER SALAD

Ingredients:

For the base of the salad:

• Assorted lettuce leaves- 1 cup

For the body of the salad:

• Guava-1 cup cubes
• Cucumber-1/2 cup cubes
• Yellow capsicum-1/2 cubed
• Cherry tomatoes- 3-4 cut 1 x 2
• Orange segments-1 cup
• Avocado-1 ripe, peeled and cubed
• Boiled beetroot-1/2 cup cubed

For the dressing of the salad:

• Olive oil-2-3 tbsp.
• Mustard paste-1 tsp
• Mixed herbs- ½ tsp
• Lime juice- 2-3 tsp
• Mint leaves- 8-10 no
• Roasted crushed cumin- ½ tsp
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Mango pickle masala- 1 tsp

For the garnish of the salad:

• Assorted grapes/ small cut fruits
• Assorted herbs/ micro-greens- 8-10 no
• Roasted nuts/ shredded tender coconut

Method:

1. Prepare all the components for the salad recipe as listed.
2. Place the lettuce leaves in cold water until used. Pat dry the leaves just before serving and place them onto a serving plate.
3. In a jar/ mixing bowl combine together the ingredients for the dressing and give it a nice mix/shake
4. Just before serving, drain off the water from the iceberg lettuce or so and place them onto a serving plate.
5. Toss the body and dressing of the salad together and place it on a bed of crispy lettuce leaves.

Recipe- 5] BEAN AND VEGGIE TOSS SALAD

Ingredients:

For the base of the salad:

Assorted lettuce/ iceberg lettuce- 1 cup

For the body of the salad:

• Boiled chickpeas-1 cup
• Boiled assorted pulses-1/2 cup
• Carrot cubes-1/2 cup
• Cucumber cubes-1/2 cup
• White radish cubes-1/2 cup
• Saute mushrooms-1/4 cup cut 1 x 4
• Babycorn-3-4 no, sliced and blanched
• Boiled eggs- 2-3 no, sliced
• Baked beans in tomato sauce-1/2 tin

For the dressing of the salad:

• Olive oil-2-3 tbsp.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Chaat masala-1/2 tsp
• Lime juice-2-3 tsp
• Ginger juice-1 tsp
• Mustard paste-1/2 tsp
• Cream cheese-1-2 tsp
• Mayonnaise-1/4 cup
• Chopped parsley-1 tsp

For the garnish of the salad:

• Assorted micro greens-1/2 cup
• Mint and parsley-1-2 tbsp.
• Assorted seeds-1/2 no
• Fresh herbs-1/2 cup

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients as per the list above.
2. Pre-cook the veggies a little when they are tough to fasten the tossing process.
3. In a mixing bowl add in the ingredients for the dressing and give it a nice toss.
4. Drain off the excess liquid from the lettuce leaves and pat dry, arrange them on a serving plate.
5. Portion out the salad and drizzle little more dressing on top and serve the salad with appropriate garnishes.

Recipe- 6] HERBED CHEESY POTATO SALAD

Ingredients:

For the base of the salad:

• Assorted lettuce leaves 1 cup

For the body of the salad:

• Boiled potatoes- 250 gms, peeled, cut
• Sweet potato-1/2 cup cubes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Celery-1/2 cup cut

• White radish-1/2 cup cut
• Sliced chicken sausages- ½ cup
• Sliced salami-1/2 cup
• Bacon- ½ cup saute first and use.

For the dressing of the salad:

• Mayonnaise-1/2 cup
• Cream cheese-2-3 tbsp.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Mixed herbs-1/2 tsp chopped
• Lime juice-2 tsp
• Parsley-2-3 tsp chopped

For the garnish of the salad:

• Cherry tomatoes- 3-4 no cut 1 x 2
• Assorted fresh herbs-2-3 tbsp.
• Roasted/ crushed peanuts/ cashews- 2-3 tsp
• Micro-greens- ½ cup for garnish.

Method:

1. Prepare all the ingredients for the salad and its components as listed.
2. Place the assorted lettuce leaves in water and steep them until used.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine together the ingredients for the dressing into a bowl, mix well and adjust seasonings as per taste.
4. Now add in the body of the salad and toss it well into the dressing. garnish the veggies appropriately and get ready to dish out the yummy salads.
5. Arrange the lettuce leaves on a plate, drain excess water and pat dry the fish. Plate up the body and dressing on the base and look for eye appeal/colors which are always soothing can be used.
6. garnish the salad appropriately using cheese shavings nuts/ seeds/ micro greens etc and serve it chilled.