Black Eye Pea Salad

DianeKochilas.com

My absolute new favourite (don’t tell the others!) With the cost of living sky-rocketing and time to cook and plan evaporating – I needed something that requires little preparation and could last in the fridge for a few days and of course was nourishing and healthy. God really has given us all we need to live a healthy life and these little beans are full of goodness and benefits; they are great for your heart, and your blood pressure, they are full of protein, can help combat anemia, and keeps your bones strong! I use my pressure cooker for the dried beans for about 10 minutes but you could also soak them overnight and cook in a saucepan with water or use tinned, whichever is easiest for you.

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Arabic Chickpea Salad

Mashed.com

This salad is my wonderful ‘throw together’, put in the fridge, and let it marinate beauty! I love the flavours in this salad and with the cost of living rising sharply, it’s pretty cheap and very filling. Even if you are not a fan of chickpeas (which is probably because they have been served in a bland way) the mixture of mint, lemon and paprika are just delicious. I always use the jarred chickpeas which I pick up in my local Turkish supermarket for 89p a jar! (they have gone up recently by 20p) Chickpeas are high in fiber and protein and break down slowly in the gut, keeping you fuller for longer. did you know that chickpeas (or garbanzo beans) are considered a vegetable and a legume because they are so nutritious? well, you do now!

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Kisir Salad

I love bulgar wheat and despite the onset of Autumn I still enjoy a nice, hearty salad. This recipe is cheap, easy and very tasty – it can be eaten hot or cold and lasts very well in the fridge. Bulgur wheat is a minimally processed whole grain and is packed with fibre and a decent amount of magnesium and iron. Kisir is a popular dish in Turkey and a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds will raise the dish to a very satisfying lunch!

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Crowd Pleaser Broccoli Crunch Salad

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5aday.com

Ok -so sometimes you just hit on a recipe that seems to go down well with everyone. Whether they are plant based or not -this crunchy broccoli salad appears to tick a lot of boxes! It lasts well in the fridge for around 4 days and gets better as it goes along! Eating (well cleaned) raw broccoli means you are not reducing nutrients in the cooking process  – such as vitamin C and sulforaphane (which helps prevent diseases like heart disease, diabetes and digestive issues). Thank you to my friend Angel who served me this at her birthday celebrations and gave me another ‘keeper’ for my recipe book 🙂 Use all of the broccoli chopped finely – no throwing away the stalk! 

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Thai Style Crunchy Salad with Coconut Curry Dressing

Thai-Noodle-Salad-with-Peanut-Sauce-105
Feastingathome.com

You know something is going to taste good when you see a rainbow of colours on your plate. The sky is the limit really with the ingredients for this refreshing salad BUT it needs to have crunch! You can be adventerous with salad leaves and you can use noodles or brown rice to bulk this salad out. The dressing is very tasty and easy to make. 

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Tangy Panzanella Salad

panzanella-the-food-placeDespite the cold snap of weather we are having, better weather is on its way 🙂 (promise!) The lighter the days get the more I enjoy a nice tangy and fresh salad. This salad lends itself to a mix of tomatoes types – cherry, plum, yellow, vine etc. The addition of cubes of stale sourdough bread (or any uncut bread you have) make this more filling – this is a bit of grown-up salad! With origins in Tuscany, Italy the salad was created like most great, rustic dishes to avoid waste and is a typical peasant dish. If that makes me a peasant – I’m happy to be!

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Walnut Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

tastespotting.com

I am eating a lot of salad at the moment and as much as I love olive oil, I am trying to cut down a little on the amount of oil I consume without compromising on flavour. This little salad dressing does the trick! I used my Nutri-bullet to blend it in seconds. This comes from Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s bestselling book Eat for Life and is used as part of a whole food plant-based lifestyle. It’s easy and tasty and will allow you to add generously to salads!

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Tangy White Bean Salad

As the sun slowly starts to put in an appearance it’s time to start moving away from winter comfort food and embrace spring! (Even if we can’t physically get out much at the moment 🙂 ) I need easy recipes that are filling but still deliver on taste. A few days of anything processed or skipping meals and I start to feel run-down. It’s super tasty and you can add in whatever you please to bulk it out – though it’s pretty filling. All of the ingredients are available, and with a zingy dressing  – it’s a great, time-saving lunch.

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