Summertime Salads

Summer is nearing its end, but sadly not fast enough. Indulge in great tasting food while still keeping that belly full and trim. These salads really take the term healthy eating to a new level; they are a colour galore bursting with so many fresh, zesty flavours that you might not even miss that paratha or biryani. Okay you might miss the biryani, because it’s biryani. It is unparalleled. However, these flavourful salads will help stave off the cravings for some time.

Falafel Salad with Lemon-Tahini Dressing

Protein and fibre rich chickpeas, but lightly fried in a crisp falafel. So what’s the catch? Well there isn’t one. Turns out you can have your cake and eat it too… but in salad form. The warm full-flavoured falafels paired with some of your fresh household vegetables and topped with edible liquid gold, also known as Tahini dressing prove to be a very gratifying meal in itself.

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon salt, divided1 cup dried chickpeas
• 2 cups packed flat-leaf parsley, divided
• ¼ cup chopped red onion plus ¼ cup thinly sliced, divided
• 2 cloves garlic
• 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin

• 5 tablespoons tahini
• 5 tablespoons warm water
• 6 cups sliced romaine lettuce
• 2 cups sliced cucumbers and/or radishes
• 1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered

Directions

1. Soak chickpeas in cold water for 12 to 24 hours.
2. Drain the chickpeas and transfer to a food processor. Add 1 cup parsley, chopped onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, cumin and ½ teaspoon salt; process until finely and evenly ground. Shape into 12 patties (1½ inches wide), using a generous 2 tablespoons each.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Cook the falafel until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn, swirl in 1 tablespoon oil and cook until golden on the other side, 3 to 5 minutes more.
4. Meanwhile, whisk tahini, water and the remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon oil and ½ teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Transfer ¼ cup to a small bowl. Add romaine and the remaining 1 cup parsley to the large bowl and toss to coat. Top with cucumbers and/or radishes, tomatoes, the sliced onion and the falafel. Drizzle with the reserved ¼ cup dressing.

Lebanese Lemon-Parsley Bean Salad

This bean medley is a citrusy part in your mouth, laced with the heat of pepper flakes and that familiar garlicky flavour that has found home in most of our salaans. Replace the carbs from naan with the healthy carbs from kidney beans with a side of heart healthy potassium. Mint and parsley bring freshness to this salad that’ll end up making you feel extremely good about yourself. Ingredients

• 2 cans (15 ounces each) red kidney beans, rinsed and drained, or 3 cups cooked kidney beans
• 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
• 1 small red onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced in half or thirds lengthwise and chopped
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
• ¾ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or mint
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup lemon juice (about 1 ½ lemons)
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• Small pinch red pepper flakes

Directions

1. In a serving bowl, combine the prepared kidney beans, chickpeas, onion, celery, cucumber, parsley and dill (or mint).
2. Make the lemon dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper flakes until emulsified. Pour dressing over the bean and vegetable mixture and toss thoroughly.
3. Serve immediately for the most flavors, or let it marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for a couple of hours or longer. Leftovers should keep well, covered and refrigerated, for several days. If necessary, wake up leftovers with a little sprinkle of salt or drizzle of lemon juice.

Apple, White Cheddar, and Spinach Salad with Honey-Apple Cider Vinaigrette

A little sweet and little salty, with an overarching sharp flavour from the vinaigrette, this salad boasts crunchy almonds and apples with soft cranberries inviting a plethora of different textures in your mouth; something that that burger, which you are about to devour, isn’t going to offer. Something else that your burger ins’t going to offer is the ridiculous amounts of Vitamin A and C in the spinach. These vitamins only ever wanted to skin healthy and your immune system in check. Give them a shot. Ingredients

• Salad 6 cups fresh spinach 1 large apple, cored and sliced very thin (try Envy, Gala, Fuji, or similar) 1 cup grated aged white cheddar 1/2 cup dried orange-flavored cranberries (I use Trader Joe’s; plain dried cranberries may be substituted) 1/2 cup Fisher Natural Sliced Almonds
• Honey-Apple Cider Vinaigrette 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 2 teaspoons mustard (I like either dijon or honey mustard) 3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste 3/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste

Directions

1. Salad – To a large bowl or platter, add all ingredients in the order listed; set aside.
2. Honey-Apple Cider Vinaigrette – In a small glass jar or container with a lid, add all ingredients, put the lid on and shake vigorously until combined; taste vinaigrette and tweak as necessary to taste. Drizzle over salad, toss to combine, and serve immediately. If you don’t use all the vinaigrette, extra will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Summer Tuna Salad with Sweet Potato and Basil

So you got that canned tuna during one of your grocery trips, promising yourself you’d work more fish in your diet. Well it has been a while since that can of tuna has been lying in your cupboard and this salad is a perfect combination of detoxifying sweet potatoes and vitamin K rich basil. The tuna is a double punch with protein and those good ol’ omega-3 fatty acids which keeps your heart happy. Ingredients

• 3 sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
• 3 large beets peeled and cubed
• 1 head of kale, ripped into tiny pieces
• 2 large handfuls of baby arugula
• 1 avocado, diced
• ½ a bag of frozen peas, thawed
• 2 cups cooked quinoa (I used a mix of white, black, and red quinoa)
• 2 Tbs pine nuts
• 2 Tbs pumpkin seeds
• olive oil
• sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Directions

1. For the quinoa: In a pot over medium heat, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add quinoa and a dash of sea salt and cook covered until all the moisture is absorbed, about 15mins. Remove from heat and keep covered.
2. For the roasted beets and sweet potatoes: Place veggies in a ziplock bag and drizzle with a small amount of olive oil. Seal the bag and shake ingredients until veggies are fully coated. Spread evenly onto a baking sheet lined with foil and roast for 35 to 40 minutes. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to flip your veggies about halfway through. Cook until vegetables are cooked through and slightly browned.
3. Assembly: Layer all your ingredients in a large bowl and toss with fresh cracked pepper and a dash of your favorite vinaigrette dressing (mine is Garlic Expressions available at most grocery stores).

Kale and Roasted Cauliflower Salad

We like to keep things trendy here at GENERATION, even when we are talking about food. So how could we not include a recipe that didn’t include kale, the superfood, rich in minerals, calcium and just everything that is right with the world right now? Don’t want any of the aalo gobbi? Utilise that gobbi in nutty, cheesy goodness drizzled in olive oil. Indulge in the earthy flavours with a sweet edge from the raisins. Ingredients Cauliflower Topping 1 lb. cauliflower florets 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil Salad 1/4 c. lemon juice 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil 1 bunc kale, ribs removed, chopped 1/4 small red onion, very thinly sliced 1/3 c. crumbled feta cheese 1/3 c. golden raisins 1/3 c. pine nuts Directions

1. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss cauliflower florets with olive oil and 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Roast in 450°F oven for 25 minutes, or until stems are tender.
2. In large bowl, whisk lemon juice, olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss kale with dressing. Let stand at least 5 minutes.
3. To kale, add cooked cauliflower, onion, feta cheese, golden raisins and toasted pine nuts. Toss until well combined.

Image credits:

1. (Image Credit: EatingWell)
2. (Image Credit: Cookie + Kate)
3. (Image Credit: AverieCooks)
4. (Image Credit: Good Housekeeping)
5. (Image credit: Good Housekeeping)