By Kelly Lee McCarren
Now that its finally summer, the heat has been turned up both in temperature and the pressure to look good in your bikini. The last thing we feel like eating during this weather is hot ‘comfort food’, all it results in is a sluggish, bloated feeling and lets face it, eating 30 degree food in similar weather temperatures is never fun.
So why not indulge in a tasty salad? Gone are the days when a salad consisted of a few pieces of dry chicken withering away on pitiful lettuce leaves; these days there is such an abundance of tasty salad recipes, we here at Rescu. could eat them morning, noon and night.
So what are the perfect salads for those perfect summer occasions…
To take to work…
(Ok so maybe this isn’t a ‘perfect summer occasion’ but at least you can wear sandals and a floaty maxi dress right?) Make your work-mates green with envy as you tuck into a delicious Ranch Salad or Crunchy Asian Salad as they prod at their pitiful store-bought sandwich with a fork.
To serve your girlfriends at brunch…
Provide your hung-over besties with something light and nutritious that’s sure to both tickle the taste buds and insert some MUCH needed antioxidants into their system. Your girlfriends will be in awe of your culinary skills when you serve out a simple Grilled Peach and Prosciutto Salad with Yoghurt Dressing or Vietnamese-style Prawn Salad.
The perfect salad to satisfy your man…
Cook your boyfriend something so delicious he won’t even realise how healthy it is. By adding high-protein ingredients he won’t feel un-satisfied like so many men do after ‘just a salad’. Try a Spicy Beef Salad or a Chicken Caesar Salad and expect a mighty good foot-rub in return.
Treat your parents and your in-laws…
Impress both your parents and your dreaded in-laws this summer with a salad so tasty, you will be known forever as the ‘chef’ in the family. Treat them to a Barbecued Pumpkin, Red Onion and Spinach Salad or a Chilli Chicken with Yogurt Lentil Salad. YUM!
Impress your boss…
Do something different this year and invite your boss to your home instead of meeting somewhere for a Christmas drink. Now you have the opportunity to both build personal rapport with them whilst simultaneously impressing them with your amazing ability to produce yummy food! Try a Pumpkin and Chickpea Salad or a Mediterranean Pasta Salad.
Finally, Impress yourself…
No need to be constantly showing off, treat yourself to the occasional night in alone with a warm Risoni, Chickpea and Kumara Salad or Avocado, Feta and Roasted Tomato Salad. Your bank balance and your belly will thank you for it.
For interesting recipes and more inspiration here are some sites and cook books we love…
Try www.cuisine.com.au or visit www.taste.com.au for all of the mentioned salad ideas. Or give the gift of tasty food this Christmas with a recipe book like MasterChef Australia Volume 2: The Cookbook, Bill’s Basics, or Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals for inspiring 2011 dishes.
So treat yourself and those around you this summer, with one of these culinary delights while still shimmying into that itsy bitsy bikini!
Other Rescu. articles you might enjoy…
1. Avoid Weight Gain This Festive Season With Help From The Six Senses Sanctuary, Phuket
2. Keep Up Holiday Energy Levels with Nutrition Expert Zoe Bingley-Pullin
3. Diet And Mood – The Brain Chemistry Behind Our Emotions
4. Overcoming a Sugar Addiction: Health Advice from the Experts
