We all need to eat more fruit and vegetables, and it is a great health benefit to combine both cooked and raw vegetables in your diet. Salads are a great way to increase the nutrient content of your meal, but I am not thinking of a bit of iceberg lettuce, tomato and cucumber. Think a combination of salad leaves, a selection of fruit and vegetables such as grated carrots, grapes, apple, oranges, beetroot and peppers – the combinations are endless. Try to make salads as vibrant and colourful as possible – the healthiest foods are always coloured.
This is my favourite salad – if I am feeling really extravagant I might add a little crumbled goat’s cheese!
• Place the pine nuts on a baking tray and spread them out. Place on the high rack (the grill rack preferably) and set the temperature to its highest setting. Roast for a couple of minutes until they start to brown. Be careful as they can catch very quickly. Remove and set aside.
• Place the onions, beetroots and red peppers on a baking tray, spray with olive oil, season and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Preheat the halogen oven to 200°C. Place on the low rack and bake for 20–30 minutes.
• In a small bowl, make a dressing by mixing the extra-virgin olive oil with 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar. Season to taste.
• Remove the roasted vegetables from the oven.
• Place the salad leaves on four serving plates and top with the roasted vegetables.
• Sprinkle with the pine nuts and finish with a drizzle of the dressing.
• Serve immediately.
Did you know? Beetroot is not just a great blood purifier. It is also known to be high in potassium. Potassium is vital for a healthy body, and is especially helpful in maintaining a balanced blood pressure.
I am a big fan of paprika so it comes as no surprise to hear I also love chorizo. When cooking, chorizo oozes a lovely red oil which looks as good as it tastes.
• Place the sliced chorizo and the coconut oil in an ovenproof dish.
• Place on the high rack and cook at 235°C for 5–10 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure an even cook.
• Once the chorizo is cooked, remove with a slotted spoon, retaining the oils in the dish. Set the chorizo aside.
• Add the olive oil and the seeds to the dish. Cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly.
• Place the salad leaves in a serving dish and stir in the onion and chorizo.
• Pour over the oil and seeds and serve immediately.
Did you know? Seed mix containing flax, sunflower and pumpkin seeds helps provide vitamins E and B, folic acid, manganese, magnesium and Omega-3 and 6.
Puy lentils are seriously underrated. If you haven’t tried them, I urge you to give them a go – their slightly nutty flavour works so well with the roasted vegetables and goat’s cheese.
• Place the vegetables in an ovenproof dish. Drizzle with olive oil and season.
• Place on the high rack and cook at 200°C for 20–30 minutes, until soft and roasted.
• Meanwhile, place the lentils in a saucepan. Cover with water and add the rosemary. Bring to the boil and cook for 15–20 minutes. Drain, discard the rosemary and place in a large serving dish or four individual dishes.
• Remove the vegetables from the oven and tip them over the lentils.
• Sprinkle with the crumbled goat’s cheese.
• Serve immediately.
Did you know? Rosemary has been shown to have energising effects.
There is nothing better than British asparagus when in season – it goes so well with egg, but make sure you slightly undercook the eggs as you want oozing yolks.Yum!
• Place the asparagus on a baking tray. Drizzle with coconut oil or olive oil and season with black pepper.
• Place on the grill rack (see p.3), set the temperature to 250°C and cook for 8–10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil and garnish two plates with the salad leaves.
• Approximately 3–4 minutes before the asparagus is ready, poach the eggs.
• Remove the asparagus from the oven, and place over the salad leaves.
• Top with the poached eggs and finish with some Parmesan shavings, black pepper and a drizzle of your favourite salad dressing.
If you have never had beetroot, I urge you to try this salad. Forget the bitter, vinegary beetroot you buy in a jar, this is totally different.The sweetness of the roasted beetroot combines well with the peppery salad leaves. Add some crumbled low-fat feta for a creamy contrast.
• Place the beetroots and red peppers on a baking tray. Drizzle with a little coconut oil or olive oil, ensuring the vegetables are evenly coated.
• Add some sprigs of rosemary.
• Place on the medium rack and cook at 180°C for 30–40 minutes until soft.
• Meanwhile, toss together the rocket and onion in a large serving dish.
• In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, vinegar and seasoning. Combine, adjusting the vinegar and olive oil to taste.
• When the beetroots and peppers are done, you can either leave them to cool a little or serve them immediately placed on top of the rocket. Pour over the dressing and toss to combine.
NB: For extra flavour, try adding some diced feta cheese.
Did you know? Beetroot is a rich source of potassium. Studies have shown that potassium can help protect you from kidney stones.
The roasted beetroot and cumin combined with salads, fruit and vegetables make this salad divine. Every mouthful is an explosion of flavours and nutrients!
• Place the coconut oil in an ovenproof dish and melt on the high rack at 200°C for 2 minutes. Miss out this step if using olive oil.
• Place the onion and beetroots in the dish and toss well to coat in the oil. Sprinkle with the cumin seeds and return to the oven on the high rack for a further 20 minutes, turning regularly.
• Test for doneness: if the beetroot is not yet cooked, pop it back on the lower rack and cook until soft.
• Place the salad leaves in a large serving dish or individual dishes. Add all the remaining ingredients and combine with the cooked beetroot.
• When ready to serve, drizzle with the vinaigrette.
The natural saltiness and crispness of the bacon works so well with the mildness of the peas – I combine this with peppery salad leaves.
• Place the bacon on the grill rack (see p.3) and grill at 250°C for 4–5 minutes on each side, or until crispy.
• Meanwhile, place the salad leaves in a large serving bowl and mix in the spring onions, peas and sugar snap peas.
• Remove the bacon from the oven and roughly chop.
• Combine with the salad leaves and drizzle with a little salad dressing. Season to taste.
• Serve immediately.
I really love warm salads – they make a welcome change from steamed vegetables.
• Place the root vegetables (all cubed to a similar size) in a tin or browning tray.
• Drizzle with coconut oil or olive oil and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle with the oregano, add a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and season.
• Place on the high rack and cook at 210°C for 20 minutes, or until soft and sweet.
• Meanwhile, toss the salad leaves with the red onion (or spring onion) and red pepper, and divide onto four serving dishes.
• When the vegetables are cooked, place in the centre of the salad leaves and top with a sprinkle of feta or goat’s cheese.
• Serve immediately.
Did you know? Beetroot is a great blood purifier. It is rich in bioflavonoids, carotenoids, vitamin C, folic acid and manganese.
Place this salad on a bed of spinach, watercress and peppery lettuce leaves – it really needs that contrast. Fantastic on its own or as an accompaniment.
• Put the pecans on a baking tray and place on the high rack. Cook at 210°C for 5–8 minutes. Keep an eye on them as you don’t want them to burn.
• Place the salad leaves in a large serving dish. Add the orange slices and feta cheese.
• Sprinkle with the pecans and drizzle with a little low-fat vinaigrette dressing.
• Serve immediately.
Did you know? Feta is a good source of calcium and vitamins B2 and B12. It is high in fat, however, so opt for a low-fat version.
This is a simple salad with a big twist! Place plump cherry tomatoes roasted with garlic and thyme on a bed of peppery salad leaves and top with mozzarella chunks. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar or virgin olive oil for a really delicious salad.
• Pierce each tomato with the tip of a very sharp knife – this will stop them from exploding when cooking.
• Place the tomatoes on a baking tray or ovenproof dish. Scatter the garlic and thyme around the tomatoes.
• Drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a small amount of salt and sugar.
• Place on the high rack and cook at 200°C for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the salad leaves in a serving dish.
• When the tomatoes are cooked, place them with the garlic and thyme onto the salad leaves. Top with the mozzarella chunks.
• Finish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar or extravirgin olive oil.
• Serve immediately.
Did you know? Tomatoes are a great source of carotenoid lycopene, which has been shown to help protect against cardiovascular disease.
Not so much a tower I suppose, but definitely an eyecatching and very, very tasty dish.This takes a maximum of 15 minutes to prepare and looks very professional – excellent for a quick and tasty supper, or reduce the quantities and serve as a dinner-party starter.
• Wash the mushrooms, remove the stalks and brush with the garlic-infused oil. Fill the mushrooms with goat’s cheese and season with black pepper.
• Place the mushrooms on the high rack and cook at 220°C for 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the salad leaves on two dinner plates. Sprinkle over the cucumber, red pepper, spring onions, apple, orange slices, cherry tomatoes and toasted pine nuts or seeds.
• When the halogen beeps, add the ciabatta slices to the high rack and cook for a further 3–4 minutes.
• When ready, place a ciabatta slice in the centre of each plate. Top with the stuffed mushroom and 2–3 sun-dried tomatoes.
• Finish with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and sweet chilli sauce.
• Serve immediately.
Did you know? Carotenoids are found in green vegetables such as spinach and broccoli, as well as rocket, sweetcorn and egg yolk.
I make a big batch of this and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days, ready for when I want to add a dollop to a meal, sandwich or wrap.
• Place the cabbage in a large serving dish. Add the carrots and spring onions.
• Stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and zest.
• Place the coconut oil on a baking tray and melt on the high rack at 200°C for 1 minute.
• Toss the seeds in the oil and cook for 3–4 minutes.
• Stir into the coleslaw and serve.
Did you know? Carrots are packed with beta carotene, which our body converts to vitamin A. Vitamin A is known to help with eye health, and a lack of it is said to cause night blindness, which is why we are always told to eat plenty of carrots to see in the dark!
I love quinoa – it is so easy to cook and provides a good source of protein and fibre. Mix it with the vegetables and zinc-rich pumpkin seeds and you can see why this is such a great salad. Use a flax-oil vinaigrette dressing to add more Omega-3 to your meal.
• Place the quinoa in a saucepan with approximately 350ml of boiling water. Simmer gently until the quinoa has softened but still has bite – you don’t want it to be mushy! If the water has not evaporated, drain off any excess and transfer the quinoa to a large serving dish.
• Toss in all the remaining ingredients, apart from the oil, pumpkin seeds and dressing.
• Place the pumpkin seeds in a small bowl and toss in the oil.
• Tip the seeds onto a baking tray, spreading them out so that the seeds are all lying flat.
• Place on the high rack (the grill rack preferably) and grill at 235°C for 1–3 minutes, turning the seeds until they are lightly toasted.
• Pour into the salad and toss well to combine.
• When ready to serve, drizzle over the vinaigrette dressing.
Did you know? Pumpkin seeds are not only a good source of zinc but also magnesium – one of the most important and most used minerals in your body.
I love the explosion of flavours in this salad.The chorizo oozes a rich paprika oil so there is no need to add a dressing. Serve with peppery salad leaves such as spinach, watercress and rocket.
• Place the chorizo in an ovenproof dish. (You do not need to add any oil as the chorizo will ooze oil as soon as it starts to heat up.)
• Place on the high rack and grill at 235°C for 3–5 minutes, until the chorizo starts to give up the oils and becomes golden.
• Pierce the tomatoes slightly using a sharp knife. Add the tomatoes, garlic, lemon zest and chickpeas to the chorizo, stir to combine and cook for a further 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the salad leaves and onion in a serving dish.
• Add the chorizo mixture, toss to combine and serve immediately.
Did you know? Spinach is rich in antioxidants, manganese, magnesium and beta carotene.
This is an interesting variation on ham, egg and chips! If you don’t want to use ham you could go for chicken or diced feta cheese instead.
• Place the coconut oil in an ovenproof dish and melt at 200°C for 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, wash the potatoes. They need to be bite-size so if they’re too big cut them in half. Ideally they should all be roughly the same size for an even cook.
• Remove the dish from the oven. Add the garlic, thyme and potatoes, tossing well in the oil. Season with a little black pepper.
• Place the dish on the high rack and roast for 30–45 minutes, turning occasionally until the potatoes are cooked.
• Meanwhile, hard-boil the eggs (6–7 minutes for softer hard-boiled eggs). Place immediately in cold water to cool before removing the shells and quartering.
• Place the salad leaves in a large bowl. Add the onion, cherry tomatoes and ham.
• Add the roasted new potatoes and eggs, and combine gently. Add a few splashes of light dressing or balsamic vinegar and season to taste.
• Serve immediately.