A Human body requires certain amount of water and fiber in order to maintain a balanced metabolism. Abundant source of water and fiber along with many minerals, vitamins are Fruits and Vegetables. To absorb 100% of those nutrients from them is to have them whole i.e, raw. But our taste buds controls brain demanding particular type. Keeping all these in mind, the best way I found is to eat salads. Trying the same type of Salads daily might get bored sometimes. So keep making different variety of salads which gives good taste and also helps in losing weight keeping you fit. Consuming salad daily, once before lunch makes you to eat less rice and other fried items, thereby reducing calories. It also helps in acidity control & gastric problems. This I myself have experienced and also I lost 2 kg in a month. I have stopped eating sweets, fried items. This has boosted me to do my daily walk.
When I went to shopping at Namdharis organic shop, I saw different variety of vegetables & leafy vegetables like Coloured Bell-Peppers, Broccoli, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, Lettuce of different category, basil, mint, parsley and Rosemary. I got all the salads items in a single shop.
Coming to the making of Salad part, it is very easy. Just chop the vegetables and prepare the dressings. Add the dressing 15 minutes before you serve the salad. Mustard sauce gives different taste to this Salad, adding Basil gives slight bitter taste to the Salad, but you will still love it. So try and enjoy varieties of healthy Salad with different dressings. Wait for more post on Healthy Salads in the coming days.
Healthy salad with Lemon-Basil-Mustard Dressing Ingredients:
- Lettuce
- Yellow bell pepper – 1/4
- Cherry Tomatoes – 4 or 5
- Cucumber – 1
- Pineapple – 1/4
- Apple 1/2
- Pitted Olives – 4 to 5
- Broccoli – 4 or 5 pieces
- Carrot – 1
- Olive Oil – 1 tsp
Lemon-Basil-Mustard Dressing Ingredients:
- Lemon juice – 2 tsp
- Mustard sauce – 1 tsp
- Lemon zest – 1/4 tsp
- Chopped Basil leaves – 1 Tbsp
- Olive Oil – 2 tsp
- Honey – 2 tsp or Powdered Sugar – 2 tsp
- Salt
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: 15 minutes
Serves: 3 to 4
How to Make Healthy Salad with Lemon-Basil-Mustard Dressing:
1. Clean and soak the Lettuce in salt water for 10 minutes before you chop it. Sometimes it has insects in it. The salt water helps to get rid of the dust & impurities in the leafy vegetables. One can use more Lettuce for the Salads. Here I used 2 Cups.
2. Soak the Broccoli in salt water for few minutes & cut into desire shape. Pat it with cleaned cloth & dry it before you start to saute. Saute the Broccoli in a tsp of Olive Oil until it slightly changes colour.
3. Cut the Cherry Tomatoes into lengthwise, Yellow Bell-pepper, Cucumber, Carrot, Apple and Pineapple into cubes, pitted Olives into round shape.
4. Saute the Yellow Bell-pepper with little Olive Oil & salt until it shrinks a bit while it changes colour to golden.
5. Transfer all the cut vegetables, fruits and sauteed Bell-Pepper to a big mixing bowl. Refrigerate it if you are serving late & also add the Dressing 15 minutes before you serve the Salad, as it leaves the water from vegetables & Fruits since we have added Salt in dressing.
6. Coming to the Dressing Part; In a small bowl add Lemon Juice, Mustard Sauce (I used English Mustard Sauce), Lemon Zest, Chopped Basil Leaves and mix once with spoon. Then add Honey, Olive Oil, Salt & mix it properly.
7. Add this Lemon-Basil-Mustard Dressing to the above vegetables & fruits bowl & mix it well. Add this at least for 15 minutes before serving.
