Three salad recipes to make your mouth water

A simple and popular way of incorporating the leafy green vegetable into your diet is by making a salad. It’s quick, simple and tastes great! But don’t be fooled… you can be sure this superfood salad will live up to its name. Why not add a roasted salmon fillet or chicken breast for an extra protein hit.

Serves 2

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

85g watercress

100g quinoa

1 pomegranate

1 ripe avocado

100g roasted sweet potato

1 small punnet alfalfa sprouts or mixed sprouts

1 clove garlic

1 head broccoli, cut into small florets

25g mixed nuts, toasted

Sea salt and black pepper

Pinch chilli flakes

Juice of 1 lime

75ml olive oil

25g chopped coriander

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C, then chop the sweet potatoes into inch cubes with the skin on. Place into a roasting tray, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

2. Place a frying pan on a high heat and add 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Season the salmon on all sides with sea salt, then when the oil is smoking place the salmon skin-side down into the pan. Fry on high for 2 minutes, or until skin is crisp, then transfer onto a baking tray skin-side up and roast in the oven for ten minutes.

3. Cook the quinoa in salted boiling water according the packet instructions. Place the broccoli into a metal colander and set over the boiling quinoa. Cover and steam the broccoli for three minutes.

4. Once cooked, drain and rinse the quinoa and broccoli under cold running water. Remove the sweet potato and salmon from the oven.

5. Cut the pomegranate in half and squeeze the juice from one half into a large bowl. Add the olive oil, chilli flakes and lime juice, whisk together and season to taste. Add in the coriander, alfalfa, quinoa and sweet potato and toss well.

6. Peel the avocado, remove the stone and roughly chop. Spread the quinoa and sweet potato mixture onto a serving plate and dot the avocado over the top.

7. Finally, bash the second half of the pomegranate with a wooden spoon to knock the seeds out and scatter these over the plate along with the toasted nuts. Serve with the rested salmon fillet on top.

WARM WATERCRESS, BACON AND APPLE SALAD

Serves 2 for lunch or 4 as a side dish without the bread

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

150g watercress

6 rashers smoked streaky bacon

2 Bramley apples

100ml apple cider

1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

Bread rolls and salted butter to serve

Method

1. Chop the bacon into small pieces. Cut the apples into quarters before removing the core and cutting into segments.

2. Place a large frying pan or wok onto the stove on a high heat and add in a half tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the bacon and apple and stir. Fry until the bacon begins to crisp and the apple is coloured nicely on the outside. Add in the cider and reduce to a sticky consistency.

3. Add in the watercress and stir fry for 30 seconds, making sure it is well coated in the bacon and cider. Serve in a large dish along with some crusty bread and salted butter if having for lunch, or why not serve with a pork chop and some mashed potato for a delicious evening meal.

WATERCRESS, SWEET POTATO AND FETA SALAD WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES AND HONEY VINAIGRETTE

Serves 4 as a starter or 2 as a main meal

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

85g watercress

2 x sweet potatoes, washed

50g dried cranberries

50g walnut halves

75g feta cheese

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the vinaigrette:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1.5 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tbsp good quality honey

Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.

2. Cut the sweet potatoes into wedges, leaving the skin on. Place wedges in a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until cooked through and soft.

3. Place the walnuts in another baking tray. Toast in the oven for five minutes.

4. Make the vinaigrette. Whisk together the lemon juice and honey with a pinch of salt and pepper. The add the olive oil a drop at a time, whisking continuously. Taste to check seasoning.

5. Once the sweet potato is cooked, assemble the salad. Toss the watercress, sweet potato, cranberries, walnuts and crumbled feta in a bowl with the dressing. Serve immediately.