Salad Days and Starting Right For The New Year

Another new year brings with it a new set of resolutions, including a more balanced diet with salads and vegetables. 

And to help you get started, here's five refreshing salads prepared by Makati Shangri-La, Manila's Executive Chef, Nicola Canuti, presented during World Food Day for your table (for more on the previous World Food Day celebration at Makati Shangri-La, Manila's Circles Events Cafe, see my earlier post, Fresh, Local and Sustainable: Celebrating World Food Day at Makati Shangri-La, Manila's Circles Events Cafe). Check out the recipes below and start the new year with a healthier diet and lifestyle...

Lentil, Avocado and Kale Salad

Ingredients:
200g cooked lentils
200g cooked Kenya beans
100g sliced avocado
100g cooked kale
50g fresh basil leaves
30ml maple syrup
50ml extra virgin olive oil
10ml white wine vinegar
5g salt
5g pepper

Dressing:

Mix extra virgin olive oil, maple syrup and white wine vinegar then add salt and pepper.

To Finish:

Mix all the vegetables together, season with maple dressing and serve. 

Broccoli and Pumpkin Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
500g roasted broccoli
500g roasted pumpkin
20g pumpkin seeds
5g salt
5g pepper
80ml extra virgin olive oil
40ml white wine vinegar
40g honey

Dressing:

In a bowl, mix honey, olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

To Finish:

Mix all the vegetables together, season with vinaigrette, add pumpkin seeds and serve.

Red Cabbage

Ingredients:
250g sliced red cabbage
80g sliced onion
200g sliced carrots
250g sliced beet root
50g dried cranberries
20ml extra virgin olive oil
20ml white wine vinegar
30ml honey
5g salt
5g pepper

Dressing:

Mix white wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

To Finish:

Mix all the vegetables together, season with vinaigrette and serve.

Grilled Vegetable with Parsley Pesto

Ingredients:
350g grilled eggplant
350g grilled zucchini
350g grilled bell pepper
5g salt
5g pepper
20ml extra virgin olive oil
10g pine nuts
10g grated Parmesan cheese
50g fresh parsley leaves
5g garlic

Pesto Dressing:

• In a mortar, crush pine nuts with Parmesan cheese, garlic and salt.
• Crush well then add parsley leaves.
• Then gradually add the extra virgin olive oil until the consistency is perfect.

To Finish:

Add pesto on grilled vegetables and serve.

Corn Salad with White and Black Beans

Ingredients:
250g black and white beans
150g potato
150g tomato
1 can corn kernels
50g spring onion
20ml extra virgin olive oil
20ml apple cider vinegar
5g salt
5g pepper

Dressing:

Mix apple cider vinegar with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

To Finish:

Mix all the vegetables together, season with vinaigrette and serve.

And there you have it. Five refreshing and easy to prepare salads to get you started on the right track. Make it right this year...

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