How to make an easy kale salad

By Thomasina Miers

When I was in LA a few years ago, raw kale was all the rage. I’m not convinced by the superfood smoothie option they have over there, quite yet, but when kale leaves are young and sweet they are lovely in a salad like this, where the sweetness and softness of the cherry tomatoes contrasts so well with the fibrous, slightly minerally flavour of the greens. This is a delicious and healthy side that works with almost anything…

Kale and cherry tomato salad

Prep 10 min Serves4

1 orange

130g curly kale, hard inner stems removed, leaves roughly sliced

300g cherry tomatoes, quartered

½ red onion, halved and finely sliced

1 small bunch parsley, roughly chopped

1 small fresh red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped

For the dressing

2tbsp red wine vinegar

1tsp caster sugar

90ml extra-virgin olive oil

1tsp Dijon mustard

1 Cut the top and bottom of the orange away and, running a knife from top to bottom, cut away the skin, taking the white pith with it. Segment the orange, then cut each segment into 2 to 3 pieces and put in a bowl.

2 Combine all the dressing ingredients in another bowl and season. Put all the other salad ingredients in the bowl with the orange, then toss with the dressing and serve at once. 

Per serving:

203kcal

2.7g protein

17.6g fat

2.5g saturates

8.4g carbs

8g sugar

4g fibre

0.2g salt

Low cal, low sats, low sugar, gluten free, dairy free, low salt, 

2 of your 5-a-day

Thomasina’s tip: make sure you buy a lovely crisp bunch of kale – you want fresh tender sprouts, not tough old leaves.

© Thomasina Miers. Recipe from Chilli Notes by Thomasina Miers (Hodder & Stoughton, £25)

Get all your five-a-day in one dish!

By Harry Eastwood

This salad is a deconstructed version of ratatouille, which makes for a delicious, fresh and full-flavoured alternative to the traditional vegetable stew. It can be made ahead – and, in fact, tastes even better. It ticks plenty of health boxes as it’s high in fibre and low in calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt. Most people can enjoy it, as it’s vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free. And the best thing about it? One serving counts as a full five portions of your five-a-day.

Ratatouille salad with anchovies and lemon

Serves 4

1 large aubergine, cut into small cubes

2 medium courgettes, topped, tailed and cut into very small cubes

4tbsp olive oil

1 large Spanish onion, peeled and finely diced

1 medium yellow pepper, cored and chopped into small cubes

1 medium orange pepper, cored and chopped into small cubes

2 garlic cloves, crushed to a paste

3 anchovies, very finely chopped

10 medium ripe tomatoes on the vine

Freshly squeezed juice of ½ lemon

Handful of basil leaves, torn from the stem

1. Heat a large frying pan until very hot.

2. Toss the aubergine and courgette cubes in the olive oil until evenly coated. Add them to the hot frying pan and cook over a high heat for 5 min, until the edges have turned a golden colour. You may find that you need to do this stage in two batches.

3. Tip the hot vegetables into a large bowl with the onion, peppers, garlic and anchovies. Season generously with pepper, then cover with clingfilm. Set aside for 10 min, while you prepare the tomatoes.

4. Chop the tomatoes in half and scoop out the seeds and centre with the help of a spoon. Finely chop the flesh, then add to the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.

5. Finally, squeeze the lemon juice over the salad. Set aside (wrapped in clingfilm) for 1 hr in the ambient temperature of your kitchen to let the flavours mingle and develop. Scatter the basil leaves over just before serving and add more pepper if needed. Serve with crusty bread, if you like.

SWAP IN/SWAP OUT

I love the savoury flavour the anchovies bring, but you don’t have to add them – this ratatouille is delicious without. You could include pine nuts if you want the salad to be a little more hearty and reduced-fat feta or mozzarella chunks are lovely thrown in at the last minute, too.

Per serving: 210kcal, 6g protein, 12.8g fat, 2g saturates, 19.2g carbs, 17.1g sugar, 9g fibre, 0.3g salt, 77mg calcium, 2.7mg iron

 

Harry’s supporting our mission to Fight the Fads – Make Every Meal Healthier. To find out why she’s rallying against the fad diet industry, pick up our October issue.

For more substantial salad recipes, check out Harry Eastwood’s A Salad For All Seasons (Bantam Press, £20).

It's all about color

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Veggies! Veggies! Veggies! YUM. This simple salad recipe is sure to be a family summertime favorite using bright and colorful veggies to attract the eye and fresh ingredients to excite the taste buds.

In eating salads almost everyday I was in need of something to make my basic garden salad into something new and exciting! My secret....FRUIT! What better way to eat your fruits and vegetables than tossed together and drizzled with some oil and vinegar. In essence, this salad is created with any and all veggies we have roaming around in our refrigerator and finished off with a fruit of your choice (my favorite are local Kenwood  strawberries or organic blueberries)



Firstly: Chop, chop, chop

Next: Add your leafy greens

Finally: Toss with Extra Virgin olive oil and Balsamic Vinegar and top with your favorite cheese and nuts or just leave plain

Refrigerator Salad recipe:

serves 2

-1/2 bell pepper (I used a yellow one)

-1 avocado 

-1/2 cucumber 

-4 green onions 

-1/2 cup cherry tomatoes 

-1/2 cup strawberries (or any other fruit that looks good to you) 

-3 cups leafy greens (I used kale and arugula) 

-Shaved Parmesan (optional)

-Roasted sunflower seeds (optional)

-Extra Virgin Olive Oil

-Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:

1. Cut all of your veggies. 

2. Add a leafy green of your choice. The more creative you get with this the better results! Use different colors and textures to add variety to every salad!

3. Drizzle with good olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

4. Toss everything together ( I find that using my hands works best as to ensure that every piece of lettuce is coated...shh don't tell anyone;)

5. Finally, decorate!!! I shaved Parmesan and added some roasted sunflower seeds for some added flavor and (bonus) it makes the salad look pretty.

6. Crack pepper over the top. 

Fun Facts: KALE

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/eight-healthy-facts-about-kale

Kale's Antioxidants

Kale is packed with antioxidants, which help neutralize harmful free radicals in the body. Some research suggests kale helps reduce the risk of certain cancers.


Kale is a Nutritional Powerhouse

Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids and helps lower blood cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease, especially when kale is cooked instead of raw.

Vitamins in Kale

One cup of chopped raw kale provides more than 100% of the daily value of vitamins A, C, and K.

The Kale Family

Kale belongs to the same family as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and collards.

Colors of Kale

Types of kale are differentiated by color (green, white, purple, or bluish green) and leaf shape.

Kale and Lutein

Kale contains lutein, a type of carotenoid (Carotenoids and flavonoids antioxidants associated with many of the anti-cancer health benefits) responsible for the plant’s color and nutrients. Lutein helps keep eyes and vision healthy.

Wishing you a healthy day, the Tori May way!

Until next time, 

xoxo

-T