Watermelon-Mint-Feta cheese Salad

Nothing says 'summer' better than a slice of cold watermelon!!!

Try this refreshing and delicious 'Watermelon- Feta-Mint' salad for a cool summer side dish.

Recipe:
2 cups chopped watermelon 
1 tbsp Feta cheese
Few mint leaves

Dressing- 1 tsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar, salt, ground black pepper

Toss everything together and serve!

Spinach-Arugula-Apple salad with Mango Vinaigrette and dried cranberries

Couple weeks ago, a friend had made a similar salad with Spinach-Arugula, pears, apples and with a Orange Vinaigrette dressing. We had loved the how the fruits and the fruity dressing pair well with the baby Spinach and arugula!!

So yesterday when, I found a fresh mix of baby spinach and arugula at the grocery store I couldn't wait to make the salad myself!!

Ingredients:
Baby spinach and Arugula
Sliced apples
Dried cranberries
Optional -toasted walnuts/ sunflower seeds

Dressing:
Mango vinaigrette: Mix 2 tsp olive oil+ 6 tsp mango juice+ 1 tsp apple cider vinegar..some salt,black pepper and italian seasoning..

Method:
Whisk everything together and pour over the greens and sliced apples. Top with dried cranberries/ nuts

Summer Salad with Mandarin Oranges, Almonds and a Cherry Vinaigrette

It's summer and it calls for a cool crunchy yummy salad!! As much as I love salads, I like to vary the veggies/ fruits, crunchy toppings and make my own dressings. It's much better that way I feel...you can cater to your own taste and get a 'feel good' healthy salad for yourself.

This one is perfect to be called 'summer' salad because of it's 'warm' color tones from oranges, cherry tomatoes and red cherry vinaigrette.

Ingredients:

2 cups 'Veggie' salad mix (with variety of lettuces, radish, carrots)

1/4 cup mandarin oranges

1/4 cup whole toasted almonds

few cherry tomatoes

Cherry Vinaigrette dressing:

1tbsp Extra virgin olive oil

1tsp Red cherry preserve

1/2tsp Lemon juice

1/4tsp black pepper

1/4tsp dried oregano

salt

Method:

1) Toss all the ingredients for the salad in the salad bowl.

2) Stir together the vinaigrette ingredients.

3) Pour the vinaigrette over the salad just before eating.

Enjoy the crispy-crunchy textures of this 'warm' colored summery salad

Cucumber-Onion-Pomegranate salad

Looking for a 'cool, crunchy, colorful' and delicious salad??? Here is one for you! The crisp green cucumber slices with the crunchy 'mildly' spicy white onions (actually red onions would be fantastic in here!) and the pretty- red juicy pomegranate...all come together to make this beautifully refreshing cool salad!!

Ingredients:
1 Seedless English cucumber, sliced
1 small white onion sliced
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1-2tsp olive oil
1/4tsp oregano
salt and pepper

Method:
1) Mix all the ingredients ...except the salt and Keep the chopped veggies in the refrigerator to 'chill' them.
2) Just before serving, sprinkle salt. Serve cold!

"Everyday Cooking"- Mango and Black bean Salad

Still on track ladies!!!  Yes....trying to eat salad everyday! Like I mentioned in the previous posts, I am trying to eat 'right' and get back to pre- pregnancy weight. Let me tell ya.....it's a longg way though!
This salad is a 'left over' special.Like 'M' jokes: I am the queen of making something out of nothing...or more so leftovers!
I usually buy canned Black beans.It is my pantry staple.I use them to make quesadillas, black bean burgers etc.
Black Bean Burger:
http://my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2009/10/everyday-cooking-black-bean-burger.html
Black Beans and Corn Quesadillas:
http://my-kitchens-aroma.blogspot.com/2009/09/everyday-cooking-black-bean-and-corn.html

So since I had some beans left over from the quesadillas, I had the Feta cheese tub since last week ....viola..this salad came into being! The combination is more like mexican.....where they use lot of black beans, mangoes in the cooking...So here's how to put it together...

Ingredients:
Greens of your choice: Romaine lettuce, Spinach, Iceberg lettuce,Arugula,Radicchio,Red Cabbage etc
1/2 Semi Ripe Mango Cubed
Cooked black beans rubbed with salt and chili powder
Toasted Croutons
Feta cheese
Salt
Black Pepper
Dressing: I used none.The combination of Mango,feta and flavored black beans gave the salad enough flavor.Also I realized that Mango tastes good with Black pepper....it really goes well together.
Method:
1) Wash and cut the greens, drain well
2) Mix all the above ingredients in proportion that suits your taste.
3) Done!

 

Enjoy Guilt Free!

"Everyday Cooking"- Field Green Salad with Nectarines,Gloden Raisins,Nuts and Feta cheese

I was a pretty 'healthy' eater until I was pregnant with 'A'. I had severe aversion towards some foods in pregnancy and ate only what 'comforted' my stomach.Now you know what comforts a stomach don't you?????.....Calorie rich... Carbohydrate rich foods!! I ate cold sweet cereals and milk 3 times a day, I ate warm cheesy pastas, steaming hot rice with ghee ...
Now, I am trying to get back on track. I highlighted trying....because IT IS DIFFICULT to give up all that good food!!!! But with inspiration from my new friends 'G' and 'S'...the path to 'healthy eating ' seems 'walkable'!

Ingredients:
Any field greens of your choice like -Romaine lettuce, Arugula with Radicchio etc
2 unripe Nectarines (The juices will run out if they are too ripe)
Handful of toasted Almonds and Walnuts
1 tbsp golden raisins
1tbsp Feta cheese
1 tbsp Low fat 'Thousand Island dressing'- only a slight drizzle (I like its creaminess with fruits and nuts...but you can use 'Vinegrette' style dressings too)
Salt
Black pepper

Method:
1) Wash all the greens and chop.Drain well
2) Slice the nectarines.
3) Put everything together and add salt and pepper and Dig in!