Traditional salads are handy for quarantine times, in that they tend to require very little cooking, so no need to sweat over a hot stove in heatwave conditions (nothing quite like a no-cook meal, eh?). But their lightness and brightness all too often this comes at the cost of raging hunger later on. After all, lettuce isn’t exactly filling, amirite?
Well, not to worry, as we’re here to tell you that it’s absolutely not the law of food that salads have to contain leaves and leaves alone. It is totally possible to make a series of proper, big, filling meals that also just happen to be salads; they’re filled with delicious things like falafel, roast sweet potato, juicy grilled chicken, softly oozing boiled eggs and crisp, satisfying veggies like asparagus, cucumber and fresh peas (not all at once, mind). And do you know what the best thing is? These are all really healthy to boot. You’re welcome.
When we first heard about kale salads, we’ve got to say we weren’t convinced – raw kale isn’t appetising. But promise you’ll try this out because, as ridiculous as it may sound, massaged kale is a game-changer and this one in particular really stands up to the strong creamy flavours of a Caesar. Here it comes with a healthier, more nutritious Caesar dressing, salty anchovies, a generous amount of grilled chicken and plenty of parmesan. The fact that kale is more fibrous than romaine lettuce means you’ll be far more satisfied than with a standard (saturated fat-laden) Caesar salad, and topping it all off with some low GI rye croutons will definitely keep hunger at bay. Plus, the chicken and the egg-based dressing means you’re getting protein galore, sending signals of satiety straight to your brain. Here’s what to do.
You will need:
1 large skinless chicken breast fillet
50g kale
30g parmesan
4-5 anchovy fillets (optional)
1 large egg yolk
3 tbsp Greek yoghurt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Squeeze of lemon juice
1 slice rye bread
Instructions:
Start by making the croutons; cut the rye bread into small squares and bake in a medium oven while you make the salad.
Make the dressing by whisking together the egg yolk, yoghurt, mustard, olive oil and lemon juice until well combined and smooth. Grate in half of the parmesan and season to taste.
Check that there are no thick, woody stalks in the kale and pop it in a bowl. Pour the dressing over it all and spend up to five minutes really massaging it in to the kale; this marinates and softens the kale.
Season and grill the chicken – this should take around five minutes each side. Let it cool slightly, then slice it into 2cm strips. Add to the kale, then add the anchovies too.
Finish by grating the remaining parmesan over the top, a twist of black pepper and scattering the rye croutons.
Hot smoked trout or salmon goes brilliantly with such summery bedfellows as Jersey Royal potatoes, asparagus, fresh peas and peppery watercress, and the fact everything is so seasonal makes it feel quite special. Smoked trout gives you a whacking great load of hard-to-find vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids in addition to being an excellent source of protein, but we’ve amped up the protein load even further with some lovely six-minute soft-boiled eggs. The veggies provide vitamin C, fibre and lots more and the Jersey Royals provide some much-needed carbohydrate to keep energy levels up. It’s all brought together with a hot horseradish dressing and some lovely lemony dill. This one really is summer on a plate and – more to the point – a really complete meal that ticks all the nutritional boxes.
You will need:
1 fillet smoked trout or salmon
1 egg
3-4 Jersey Royals
5 asparagus spears
Handful fresh peas
25g watercress
1 tsp hot horseradish sauce
2 tbsp crème fraîche
A pinch of fresh dill
Squeeze of lemon
Instructions:
Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes until tender and set aside.
Get a pan on to a rolling boil and simmer the egg for six minutes, then plunge into cold water until cool enough to handle.
Snap the woody stalks from the asparagus, then cook the asparagus and peas together in a pan of boiling water for about 3 minutes, then set aside.
In a bowl, bring together the potatoes, asparagus and peas and toss with the watercress and dill.
Make the dressing by mixing the horseradish, crème fraîche and lemon together and stirring through the veggies. Now flake the trout over the top.
Your egg should be cool enough now; firmly roll it on a chopping board until the shell cracks almost all over and it should then be easy to peel. Slice it in half over the salad (to catch any escaping yolk!).
Eating the rainbow (aka eating loads of different coloured veggies in one meal) isn’t just prime Instagram fodder, it’s also amazingly good for you. Not only do you ensure you achieve a wide range of vitamins and antioxidants, eating a large variety of foods also tricks your brain into thinking you’re eating more than you are. This Middle Eastern-inspired bowl of vegan-friendly goodies will definitely keep those satiety levels in check thanks to protein-rich falafel, slow-release starches via the sweet potato and a healthy dose of good fats from the avocado. It’s bulked out with colourful grated carrot, cucumber, beetroot and cumin-roasted cauliflower and dolloped with coriander and mint garlic yoghurt dip – vegans feel free to leave out or use CoYo which is good.
You will need:
2-3 readymade falafels
1 small sweet potato, chopped
1 small cooked beetroot, diced
1 small carrot, grated
3in cucumber, diced
1/2 avocado, sliced
1/4 small cauliflower
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
Handful coriander
Handful mint
Small clove garlic
2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 190C. Roast the sweet potato chunks on a baking tray with a little olive oil, and the cauliflower on another tray with a tiny amount of olive oil, and the cumin and turmeric sprinkled on top. The sweet potato will take around 30 minutes and the cauliflower a little less time.
Assemble the Buddha bowl by arranging each of the diced, sliced or grated veggies around the bowl in sections, leaving space for the falafel, cauliflower, sweet potato and dip in the centre.
Make the dip by blitzing the garlic and fresh herbs in a food processor, Nutribullet or similar. Add the yoghurt and blitz again briefly.
Heat the falafels in a pan or the oven according to packet instructions and pop them all on the plate along with the cooked cauliflower and sweet potato.
Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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