HEALTH TOTAL COMBINATION
A salad is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. They are often dressed, and typically served at room temperature or chilled, though some can be served warm. In ancient Egypt, lettuce was sacred to the fertility god Min and considered to be a powerful aphrodisiac. The first representation of salad appeared in paintings on Egyptian tombs in 4500 BC. Lettuce was first eaten by the ancient kings of Persia 2,500 years ago. Back in the early salad eating days, ancient Greeks and Romans gathered and layered raw vegetables, drizzling vinegar, oil, and herbs over top to create the world’s first salad. However, not all salads are healthy or nutritious. It depends on what is in the salad. It is OK to add small amounts of dressing and toppings, however, if you overdo it with high-fat or high-sugar add-ins, your salad may cause you to exceed your daily calorie needs and contribute to weight gain.
The five basic types of salad are green salads (tossed or composed), bound, vegetable, fruit, and combination. The five basic salads that can be served throughout the course of a meal are starter, accompaniment, main course, intermezzo, and dessert. Eating a salad, a day is a great way to make sure your brain stays in tip-top shape. In fact, a 2017 study found that eating one daily improved the memory of elderly people by as much as 11 years. Even just half a cup of salad was enough to slow the rate of cognitive decline. The word “salad” comes from the ancient Latin word “sal” for “salt”. In ancient times, salt was an important ingredient in dressing. You might be surprised to learn that ancient Romans and Greeks enjoyed raw vegetables with dressing. Typically, the vegetables would be dressed with vinegar, oil, herbs, and salt. Talking about a few of the many lettuce varieties, the four types are generally sold: Iceberg, Butter head, Romaine, and Leaf. Iceberg – lettuce is by far the major type. Heads are large, round and solid, with outer leaves medium-green. Inner leaves are a lighter green.
While some people also say that all salads ae not in the healthy category, sincedressings are usually laden with sugar and filled with preservatives and unhealthy fat, and too often salads have additives like noodles, fried ingredients, taco chips or dried fruits. Often in restaurants salads are just a bunch of unhealthy ingredients assembled together — think taco salad. Besides the many advantages of salads they are also good for our skin, Nutrients in salad help synthesise collagen, provide natural sun protective effects, protect against wrinkling and sagging of skin, can improve dark under eye circles, and make skin smoother. If losing weight is your goal, you may want to start your meals with a green salad. Studies have shown that eating a low-calorie first course, like a green salad of 150 calories or less, enhances satiety (feelings of fullness) and reduces the total number of calories eaten during the meal.
A common query often asked is that can salads be eaten at night time as well, Besides, lettuce is filled with lactucarium which has sedative properties. It soothes the body and helps it to get relaxing sleep for the night. Moreover, leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, and mustard greens are great sources of calcium to add in your salads. Egyptians were one of the first to use dressing on their greens. They enjoyed their salads with a mix of oil, vinegar, wine and oriental spices. Babylonians, however, enjoyed theirs with only oil and vinegar. Romans and Greeks caught on quickly and began eating their vegetables with olive oil, vinegar, wine and honey.
Here are a few easy to toss and relish salad recipes this season!
Recipe-1] FRUITY FILLER SALAD
Ingredients:
For the base of the salad:
Assorted lettuce leaves- 1 cup, as per seasonal availability
For the body of the salad:
Fresh mango- 1 cup cubes
Fresh pineapple-1/2 cup cubed
Fresh papaya-1/2 cup cubed
Yellow capsicum- ½ cup cubed
Green capsicum-1/2 cup cubed
Cherry tomatoes- ¼ cup cut 1 x 2
Boiled sweet corn- ½ cup
French beans- ½ cup boiled
Beetroot- ½ cup boiled/ cubed
For the dressing of the salad:
Olive oil- ¼ cup
English mustard/ American mustard/ french mustard-1 tsp
White vinegar-2- 3 tsp
Honey- 2-3 tsp
Chaat masala-1/2 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh orange segments- ¼ cup
Chili flakes-1/2 tsp
Fresh parsley/ basil leaves- 2-3 tsp
For the garnish of the salad:
Sunflower seeds-1-2 tsp
Fresh micro-greens-2- 3 tbsp.
Black and green olives- 2-3 each
Method:
- Prepare all the ingredients for the salad recipe as per the list.
- Clean, wash and rinse the greens/ lettuce leaves under running water and place them in ice-cold water until being used.
- In a mixing bowl, combine together the ingredients for the dressing of the salad and give it a nice mix. Add in the body of the salad just before being served, giving it a nice toss.
4.Pat dry the lettuce leaves, place them onto a salad serving bowl/ plate and portion out the body and dressing of the salad looking at the color combinations and plating.
5.Finally garnish the salad with a choice of ingredients as listed and add a finishing touch to the salad. Serve immediately.
Recipe-2] OVEN BAKED CHICKEN AVOCADO SALAD PLATTER
Ingredients:
For the base of the salad:
Assorted lettuce leaves- 1 cup, 2 to 3 varieties ideally.
For the body of the salad:
Chicken breast- 1-2 no
For the marination:
Oil-2-3 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Mustard paste-1 tsp
Mixed herbs-1/2 tsp
Chili flakes-1/2 tsp
Honey-2 tsp
Capsico sauce- ¼ tsp
Soy sauce-1 tsp
Roasted crushed cumin-1/4 tsp
Apply marination, keep aside for 1 hour, cook in a pan/ roast/ bake in the oven until done
Slice and keep aside.
Other ingredients for the body:
Boiled American corn-1/2 cup
Avocado- 1 no, ripe, peel and cut into cubes
Red capsicum-1/2 no – cut into strips
Yellow capsicum-1/2 no- cut into strips
Roasted crushed peanuts-2-3 tsp
For the dressing of the salad:
Olive oil-2 -3 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Date puree- 2-3 tsp
Peanut butter-1-2 tsp
Mustard paste-1 tsp
Assorted mixed seeds-1 tsp
Mixed herbs-1/4 tsp
Chili flakes- ¼ tsp
Fresh parsley-2 tsp chopped
Lime juice- 2 tsp
Cook the above on low flame for 2-3 mins, turn off the flame and add lime juice. Allow to chill.
Method:
1.Prepare all the ingredients for the salad recipe as per the list.
- Clean, wash and rinse the greens/ lettuce leaves under running water and place them in ice-cold water until being used.
- In a mixing bowl, combine together the ingredients for the dressing of the salad and give it a nice mix. Add in the body of the salad just before being served, giving it a nice toss.
4.Pat dry the lettuce leaves, place them onto a salad serving bowl/ plate and portion out the body and dressing of the salad looking at the color combinations and plating.
5.Finally garnish the salad with a choice of ingredients as listed and add a finishing touch to the salad. Serve immediately.
BRIEF ABOUT THE AUTHOR: DR. KAVIRAJ KHIALANI – CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF IS A MUMBAI BASED FOOD & HOSPITALITY CONSULTANT. HE HAS WORKED WITH ESTEEMED BRANDS LIKE THE TAJ GROUP OF HOTELS, KUWAIT AIRWAYS AND MANY MORE. BESIDES HAVING SPECIALISED IN OVER 33 PLUS INTERNATIONAL CUISINES CHEF KAVIRAJ IS A RENOWNED NAME IN THE WORLD OF HOSPITALITY EDUCATION, TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT. HE HAS ALSO BEEN FEATURED ON STAR PLUS & COLORS TELEVISION. AN AWARDEE OF THE BHARAT VIDYA RATAN AWARD, BEST CHEF ASIA AWARD AND MANY MORE ACCOLADES MAKE HIM ONE OF THE ICONIC NAMES FROM THE CULINARY WORLD.
