Spicy Fall Salad; Day 2, Navratri Special.

We often think that salads are for summer and avoid making/ having them during fall/winter. The truth is that salads can be made and had during any season. It is the ingredients in the salad that change with the season. Summer means more cooling salads with a variety of seasonal summer fruits while fall/winter calls for salads with root vegetables, squashes, beans and corn. Today I am sharing with you one such salad that is protein-packed and filling. This is a salad that could be had for any season. Here, even though it is fall, afternoons are still warm( make it hot), while mornings are chilly. Coming back to the salad, this salad has been spiced with some peppers. The spiced part is of course optional. Not everyone can handle the chillies. Spiced or not, this salad is absolutely delicious! It is super-easy to make and enjoyable by most people. Can be eaten whether you are fasting or not..

Servings: 4-6 ( serving size: 2 cups per person)

Ingredients:

Cooked Chickpeas: 2 cups
Tender green peas: 2 cups
Corn kernels: 2 cups
Broccoli florets: 1 cup
Celery: 1 stalk, chopped
Avocado: 1 medium size, chopped into medium pieces.
Spicy red pepper: 1, small, deseeded and chopped ( any kind can be used). ( OPTIONAL)
Dill leaves, chopped: 1 tbsp
Lemon juice: 2 tbsp
Lime juice: 2 tbsp
Salt: to taste
Black pepper: a pinch ( optional)

Method:

Blanch the broccoli , green peas and corn in hot water. Drain it completely and keep aside .

Take all the other ingredients to the salad bowl. Add in the blanched and cooled  broccoli, corn and green peas.

Mix well.  Garnish with a few sprigs of dill. Serve chilled.

I am bringing these goodies to Throwback Thursday #10, Fiesta Friday # 90 and Saucy Saturday. At the Fiesta,Effie @ Food Daydreaming and Lindy @ Lindy Mechefske are co-hosting this weekend.

Cooking made easy:

Each time I make a salad, I say this: use what is available. It is a salad. You can add anything  that you have on hand. You can add nuts, cheese cubes, feta or cottage cheese.. Pretty much anything as long as they go with each other.

For the easy way out, you can use canned chickpeas, green peas and corn. Of course, I don't recommend canned stuff. But, in a pinch it is okay.

Tip for healthy living:

While canned vegetables and beans is a easy way out, it is not the most healthy way to eat vegetables and beans. Remember, for something to have a long life, it has to be preserved somehow.Sodium is often used to enhance flavor and the increased amounts of sodium in canned items can take a significant toll on the human blood pressure and  increase the risk of heart disease. The BPA present in the inside lining of the can may also be a concern as it leeches into the fluid present in the can.

Food for thought:

Inhale the future without any expectation. Hold the present and exhale the past without regret.
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