If quick and easy lunches are your thing then this recipe is for you. During the work week, convenience is a big deal when it comes to food. These noodles are fast, delicious and take less than 15 minutes to prep, no matter your kitchen skills.
GREEN WINTER SLAW
If you’ve been following my blog or Instagram for a while now you may have noticed that I quite like slaw. And by quite like I mean I like it a lot. I like that it’s so easy to do and adds crunch and vibrancy to any meal. It’s also super versatile and can be Asian inspired or lean towards Mexican or even italian. This slaw is fresh and crunchy and uses ingredients that are in season in Melbourne at the moment. Fresh crunchy salads aren’t only for summer they can add a lightness and crunch to delicious winter comfort food. This slaw uses snow peas, kohlrabi and cabbage and is dressed very simply. You could use an avocado dressing if you’re more into mayonnaise with your slaw (but ti’s not actually mayo!).
CAULIFLOWER RICE, ALMOND AND HERB SALAD
Cauliflower rice is such a great way to get an extra vegetable into your meal. It’s easy, has a lovely light texture and soaks up flavour. The flavours and textures of this salad are addictive: sweet, savoury, a little bit of heat, with chewy dried fruit, crunchy nuts and finished with fresh herbs. You can serve it warm in winter or cold at a summer barbecue.
AVOCADO, BASIL AND YOGHURT DRESSING (AKA SHREK SAUCE)
I have to thank my mum for this little creation, a few weeks ago she asked me to make a green salad for a Sunday feast we were having (these are a weekly event, Dad cooks entree and mains and Mum comes in with a spectacular dessert – it’s a wonder I’m not obese!), and I decided to take her very literally haha. Everything I put in the salad was green (cos lettuce, cucumber, finely sliced celery, parsley, pumpkin seeds etc) and to up the greenness I wanted to make a bright green dressing. And voila, this happened. It is super tasty, full of nutrients and oh so creamy.
RAINBOW SALAD BOWLS
At the moment I’m all about lunch. I have a couple of go to favourite lunches. No. 1 is last night’s dinner (I am a lazy girl at heart!) and No. 2 is a rainbow salad bowl (which often involves last nights dinner ha). They’re such a great way to get loads of high nutrient unprocessed foods into your diet and are ridiculously tasty. Also, you never get bored of them because they can be varied endlessly. This post gives you a set of guidelines of what to include to be sure of a delicious and nutrient packed lunch, but remember they are guidelines, not rules, so take the reigns and make your salad bowl your own. The key is to get the balance right.
ASIAN SLAW
This is my go to slaw. It makes it into my rainbow lunch bowls, chicken burgers and is the base of my favourite chicken salad. I also love serving it with a roast chicken! I even mix around some of the ingredients in the dressing and take it more towards Mexican and add it to tacos. It’s full of flavour, texture and colour. What more could you want?
BEETROOT, BASIL AND GOATS CHEESE SALAD WITH MAPLE MUSTARD LAMB CUTLETS
This is a winning combination. The sharp goats cheese with the fresh peas and sweet beetroot is fantastic and set off by the fresh herbs, lemon zest and the crunch of the walnuts. This salad is also delicious without the lamb but the two together make up one of my favourite meals, you can easily serve this with some flat bread or roast chat potatoes.
ORANGE, MINT, FENNEL AND CANDIED WALNUT SALAD
Yesterday felt like a summer’s day, I was craving a summery salad and simple pasta for dinner. I love this salad as a side at a barbecue (such as with the Middle Eastern inspired bbq chicken), or with pizza or pasta. It’s light and has a great balance of flavour, texture and nutrients – and that’s pretty much what my approach to eating is all about. And just check out those colours…
SPICY SWEET POTATO CRISPS
I clearly had no idea what to call these. They are sweet and tangy and crispy and fresh. And spicy. Well as spicy as you want them I guess! It’s also sort of a salad. Or a nibble. Or a side dish. Or even a bar snack, along with popcorn cauliflower florets of course! The crisps themselves are baked rather than fried and placed on a mixture of sauces (green thai curry, molasses, black vinegar). They are then topped with a light and fragrant salad of fresh herbs and spices. It’s all a bit magical and crazy really, thus the trouble with the name.
ZUCCHINI, PEA AND MINT SALAD
This salad tastes like summer. Eat it by itself. Eat it with a vegetable gallette. Eat it with barbecued lamb or chicken or fish or steak. Mix it with pasta. Just do yourself a favour and eat it. It’s super quick and simple to make, tastes great and looks pretty. It’s also full of stuff that’s good for you. Green stuff, good fats, great things. So stop reading these words and skip down to the recipe.