If there's one food that really captures the heart after a good jogging or lazy day would be a bowl of salad. For me that is!!!Having salad as an accompaniment dish or by itself gives us enough energy .
A salad is the perfect way to use up that chicken or steak left from last night's barbeque. Any kind of lunchmeat is good, too - smoked turkey, ham, tuna, or salami are all great on salads. If you want to keep it meatless, just open up a can of beans -- kidney , cannellini , garbanzo and black beans all make tasty, satisfying salad toppers.
Fresh raw sweet corn adds a wonderful crunch when cut off the cob and sprinkled into a salad. The vines and brambles are bursting with plump berries -- try sprinkling some of them into your next salad. You'll be surprised at how delicious that touch of tart sweetness is in an otherwise savory salad. Toasted nuts are all the rage in fancy restaurant salads. Make a little gourmet magic of your own by tossing some pecans, walnuts, almonds or pine nuts into a skillet and stirring over medium heat until the nuts turn a shade darker and give off an enticing aroma. But then if you don’t feel like having beans or nuts than simply adding what you have in your fridge is just enough.
These are the tomato variety that I used.
Tomato color depends on varying amounts of carotene pigments in their flesh and skin. Most tomatoes are high in lycopene, the pigment that makes tomatoes red. Tomatoes also have varying proportions of betacarotene, the yellow-orange pigment found in carrots and other orange vegetables. Red tomatoes can range in color from deep purple, fiery red to pink. And the yellow golden tomatoes range from orange to lemon yellow and even white. Though pigment determines color, no variety is healthier for you than another. The tomatoes that I used was the yellow golden cherry tomatoes vine ripened.
Researchers also found the primary differences in taste of tomatoes has to do with the meatiness of a tomato, the concentration of seeds and gel or juiciness of a tomato. Sweetness and acidity is also in part a result of whether a tomato variety is meaty or juicy, as well as being influenced by the number of days to maturity. The longer a tomato has to mature on the vine, the higher the sugar content can be.
Vine-ripened tomatoes are rich in flavor and they contain more Vitamin C than commercial varieties. Even if your tomatoes are not fully ripened, they will be superior in flavor. Commercial tomatoes are also refrigerated soon after harvesting, which slows down the ripening process. You see, tomatoes continue to ripen after harvesting, but they ripen best at room temperature. It is said that tomatoes should not be refrigerated.Refrigeration mutes the flavor and halts ripening.
Green salads that I used
Talking about green salads, one essential step is washing them - before storing. First, remove the cores of tight heads of lettuce by banging the stem end of the head on a counter top and twisting. Then hold the head cut side up under running water and allow the water to push the leaves apart to prevent bruising.
Remove only wilted outer leaves. Although outer leaves may be coarser than inner ones, they should not be discarded unless they are bruised because they are especially rich in vitamins and minerals. Drain the head well before refrigerating.
After allowing the lettuce to drain thoroughly, pat leaves dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper toweling or whirl in a wire basket to remove as much moisture as possible. Then wrap greens in a soft towel, plastic wrap, foil or a plastic bag and refrigerate until ready to use. The crisper in the refrigerator is tailored for storing greens and other vegetables.
Finally, never use a knife to cut greens for salad use. Instead, tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. Torn leaves combine more easily with dressing and are easier to eat with a fork - not to mention the fact that they look better.
As for mangoes, choose that are firm but yield to slight pressure. Make sure the skin is unbroken, and the colour should be changing from green to yellow, orange or red. Check if it has too many black spots on it as it is a sign that them fruit is overripe. However one or two is fine. If you have brought some unripe mangoes from the market, you can speed the process by placing it in a paper bag with a ripe mango. Check daily to avoid over- ripening. Paper bag might help them ripen sooner, but they will not ripen at temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius).I remember my dad putting unripe mangoes into containers that stored grains.He said it ripes faster that way.
This tropical high calorie fruit is a great source of potassium and vitamin A and C.
Ingredients
½ purple capsicum (cut into cubes)
10-15 yellow cherry tomato
Salad leaves (whichever kind that you can get)
1 ripe mango ( cut into cubes)
1 large cucumbers, peeled, thinly sliced
½ grated carrot
Combination of beans:you can use raw corns, kidney etc.
A few drops of olive oil
Dressing : 1 cup or more -Lady’s Choice Thousand Island Dressing
In a bowl combine cut capsicum, grated carrots, beans, cucumbers, cut mangoes, and salad leaves .I bought the salad that was sold in Jaya Jusco.They do give a variety of salad leaves.Throw in whatever you want into your bowl.
As for the tomatoes : In a heat proof bowl ,heat some water. Put in the tomatoes .Leave for a minute or so.Drain and peel of the skin from the tomatoes. Half it and add to the rest of the ingredients.You can use shredded purple cabbage too in your salad. Add a few drops of olive oil and combine the salad dressing. Serve immediately.
Am contributing the above recipe for the event WYF-Light Meal Oct 2009 hosted by a Simple Indian Food
A salad is the perfect way to use up that chicken or steak left from last night's barbeque. Any kind of lunchmeat is good, too - smoked turkey, ham, tuna, or salami are all great on salads. If you want to keep it meatless, just open up a can of beans -- kidney , cannellini , garbanzo and black beans all make tasty, satisfying salad toppers.
Fresh raw sweet corn adds a wonderful crunch when cut off the cob and sprinkled into a salad. The vines and brambles are bursting with plump berries -- try sprinkling some of them into your next salad. You'll be surprised at how delicious that touch of tart sweetness is in an otherwise savory salad. Toasted nuts are all the rage in fancy restaurant salads. Make a little gourmet magic of your own by tossing some pecans, walnuts, almonds or pine nuts into a skillet and stirring over medium heat until the nuts turn a shade darker and give off an enticing aroma. But then if you don’t feel like having beans or nuts than simply adding what you have in your fridge is just enough.
These are the tomato variety that I used.
Tomato color depends on varying amounts of carotene pigments in their flesh and skin. Most tomatoes are high in lycopene, the pigment that makes tomatoes red. Tomatoes also have varying proportions of betacarotene, the yellow-orange pigment found in carrots and other orange vegetables. Red tomatoes can range in color from deep purple, fiery red to pink. And the yellow golden tomatoes range from orange to lemon yellow and even white. Though pigment determines color, no variety is healthier for you than another. The tomatoes that I used was the yellow golden cherry tomatoes vine ripened.
Researchers also found the primary differences in taste of tomatoes has to do with the meatiness of a tomato, the concentration of seeds and gel or juiciness of a tomato. Sweetness and acidity is also in part a result of whether a tomato variety is meaty or juicy, as well as being influenced by the number of days to maturity. The longer a tomato has to mature on the vine, the higher the sugar content can be.
Vine-ripened tomatoes are rich in flavor and they contain more Vitamin C than commercial varieties. Even if your tomatoes are not fully ripened, they will be superior in flavor. Commercial tomatoes are also refrigerated soon after harvesting, which slows down the ripening process. You see, tomatoes continue to ripen after harvesting, but they ripen best at room temperature. It is said that tomatoes should not be refrigerated.Refrigeration mutes the flavor and halts ripening.
Green salads that I used
Talking about green salads, one essential step is washing them - before storing. First, remove the cores of tight heads of lettuce by banging the stem end of the head on a counter top and twisting. Then hold the head cut side up under running water and allow the water to push the leaves apart to prevent bruising.
Remove only wilted outer leaves. Although outer leaves may be coarser than inner ones, they should not be discarded unless they are bruised because they are especially rich in vitamins and minerals. Drain the head well before refrigerating.
After allowing the lettuce to drain thoroughly, pat leaves dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper toweling or whirl in a wire basket to remove as much moisture as possible. Then wrap greens in a soft towel, plastic wrap, foil or a plastic bag and refrigerate until ready to use. The crisper in the refrigerator is tailored for storing greens and other vegetables.
Finally, never use a knife to cut greens for salad use. Instead, tear the leaves into bite-size pieces. Torn leaves combine more easily with dressing and are easier to eat with a fork - not to mention the fact that they look better.
As for mangoes, choose that are firm but yield to slight pressure. Make sure the skin is unbroken, and the colour should be changing from green to yellow, orange or red. Check if it has too many black spots on it as it is a sign that them fruit is overripe. However one or two is fine. If you have brought some unripe mangoes from the market, you can speed the process by placing it in a paper bag with a ripe mango. Check daily to avoid over- ripening. Paper bag might help them ripen sooner, but they will not ripen at temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius).I remember my dad putting unripe mangoes into containers that stored grains.He said it ripes faster that way.
This tropical high calorie fruit is a great source of potassium and vitamin A and C.
Ingredients
½ purple capsicum (cut into cubes)
10-15 yellow cherry tomato
Salad leaves (whichever kind that you can get)
1 ripe mango ( cut into cubes)
1 large cucumbers, peeled, thinly sliced
½ grated carrot
Combination of beans:you can use raw corns, kidney etc.
A few drops of olive oil
Dressing : 1 cup or more -Lady’s Choice Thousand Island Dressing
In a bowl combine cut capsicum, grated carrots, beans, cucumbers, cut mangoes, and salad leaves .I bought the salad that was sold in Jaya Jusco.They do give a variety of salad leaves.Throw in whatever you want into your bowl.
As for the tomatoes : In a heat proof bowl ,heat some water. Put in the tomatoes .Leave for a minute or so.Drain and peel of the skin from the tomatoes. Half it and add to the rest of the ingredients.You can use shredded purple cabbage too in your salad. Add a few drops of olive oil and combine the salad dressing. Serve immediately.
Am contributing the above recipe for the event WYF-Light Meal Oct 2009 hosted by a Simple Indian Food
Colourful and lovely...thanks for participating
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