Salad is an integral part of meals in my home. This is especially true if I make one-pot rice dishes like pulao and biryani. I often play around with the ingredients in my salad depending on what is available in my refrigerator at that time.When I made this particular salad, I had lots of ripe avocados which I feared might go bad and wasted if I didn't use them quickly! I decided to toss them into my regular cucumber-tomato-onion salad. The result was a nice and creamy salad which even the kids enjoyed. Since I avoid dairy, most of the time I use olive oil-lemon juice marinade.I again play around with the herbs, the most common one that I use being cilantro( coriander leaves). I cannot help it, it is the Indian in me.:)
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
Cucumber: 1 medium sized.
Avocado: 1 medium sized.
Tomato: 1 medium sized.
Onion: 1 medium sized(Any onion can be used, I have used yellow)
Scallions( spring onion): 3
Lemon juice: from 1/2-1 lemon ( depending on the size)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 3 tbsp
Cilantro: 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Sea Salt: to taste
Black pepper: 1/2 tsp, freshly ground
Method:
Peel one cucumber and dice it. Dice one tomato, one onion( I have used white onion) and one avocado & add to the bowl. Chop up 3-4 scallions( spring onions) and add to the bowl. Now squeeze 1 tbsp lemon juice into the bowl. Add 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 2 tbsp chopped cilantro/coriander leaves, 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper, sea-salt to taste and toss well.
Serve chilled.
Enjoy!
Cooking made easy:
The avocado when tossed like this in the salad, it gives a nice creaminess to the salad.
Lemon juice in the salad prevents the avocados from discoloring.
You can also add black/ green olives , carrots diced small, red radish diced,small cauliflower florets, feta cheese or cottage cheese to this salad and make it even more interesting and nourishing.
Tip for healthy living:
Cucumber slices may help alleviate the dark circles underneath the eyes. Cut cucumber into 0.5 cms thick slice and place them on your eyes with your eyes closed for 20-30 minutes. Take a nap. You will wake up feeling refreshed.
Food for thought:
Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.Confucius
With the temperatures getting warmer, I find myself back to making salads for dinner. I like to eat salads for dinner as they are filling without being too rich with too many calories.Truthfully, I am not a great fan of garden salads. I eat them occasionally.I eat plenty of greens. They form a staple part of my everyday diet. But, I like my greens cooked. I enjoy other varieties of salads. I make quinoa black- bean salad, chickpea salad, cucumber salad, carrot salad, cabbage slaws; all of which I enjoy. Tonight I was in a rush. I had some leftover cooked quinoa in my fridge. I decided to make quinoa-avocado salad. It's refreshing, wholesome, filling, quick and easy as you will see in the recipe below.
Servings: 2
Ingredients:
Quinoa: 1 cup
Avocado : 1 large, peeled, pit removed and chopped into medium sized cubes.
Cucumber: 1 small, diced
Tomato: 1 medium, diced
Raisins: 1 tsp
Parsley : 1 tbsp, chopped
Olive oil: 3 tbsp
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Pepper: 1/8 tsp
Method:
Boil 2 cups water in a saucepan with 1/2 tsp salt. When the water comes to a boil, add the washed quinoa, reduce the flame to low, cover the saucepan and let it cook for 15-20 mins. When done all the water should be gone and you should see small curly strands on the quinoa. Fluff it with a fork/ spoon and keep aside to cool.
Toss the chopped avocado with lemon juice and keep aside.
In a salad bowl, add the diced cucumber, tomato, cooled quinoa, raisins, parsley, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix well. Now add the avocados and lightly toss it.
Refrigerate and serve chilled.
Enjoy!
Cooking made easy:
Avocados discolor upon exposure to air. One way to prevent this is to toss it with lemon juice.
A great way to store leftover avocado slices is to wrap it in cling film in such a manner that the entire surface of the avocado is in contact with the cling film. This will also prevent it from getting discolored.
Tip for healthy living:
Avocados and quinoa both belong to the food category known as " super foods". Superfoods are foods that are nutrient-rich and are beneficial to one's health and well-being. Apart from being gluten free and a good substitute for grain, quinoa is a great source of protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. Avocados are rich in healthy fats, protein, vitamins, protein and dietary fiber.
Remember, while all the above benefits are true,the term "superfood" has no scientific meaning and also seems to have been coined more with the idea of promoting a more healthy and plant-based diet.
Food for thought:
Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls. Mother Teresa
