Spring has sprung, which means it's almost time for Easter and the clocks going forward - where did that time go?!
And while you might be thinking about giving your house a good deep clean for Spring, it's a good idea to give your body a dose of TLC as well. But there's no need to buy a load of kale and almond milk, a good-old fashioned salad will do the trick as well.
Here are some salad recipes to help you along the way that are so delicious, you'll forget they're even good for you!
Tesco: Halloumi, Courgette, Green Bean and Tomato Salad (serves four)
Ingredients
Three courgettes, sliced into ribbons
Four tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
500g of Halloumi cheese
Quarter of a teaspoon of chilli flakes
90g mixed leaf salad
250g of green beans, blanched
250g of cherry or baby plum tomatoes, halved
15g of basil, finely chopped
One small garlic clove, finely chopped
One and a half tablespoons of red wine vinegar
Toasted wholemeal pitta bread triangles, to serve
Method
1) Heat a griddle pan until hot. Drizzle the courgettes with a tablespoon of olive oil, season and cook until lightly marked on each side. Set aside.
2) Slice the halloumi into 12 even slices and sprinkle with the chilli flakes. Cook the slices in the hot griddle pan for 1-2 minutes on each side.
3) Divide the salad leaves between four plates and top with the blanched beans and cherry tomato halves. Add some courgette slices and 3 pieces of halloumi to each plate.
4) Make the dressing by mixing the remaining olive oil, basil, garlic and vinegar together. Season and drizzle a little over each salad. Serve with triangles of toasted pitta bread.
Sweet Potato Rice Salad (serves one)
Ingredients
One big handful of salad leaves
One small sweet potato, cubed
Half a tin of kidney beans
Two tablespoons of olive oil
One portion of rice
One teaspoon of mixed spices, e.g. paprika, cumin, salt and black pepper
Juice of half a lime
Method
1) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius and sprinkle the cubed sweet potato with one tablespoon of the olive oil. Roast for around half an hour, until soft, golden and caramelised.
2) Meanwhile, cook the rice for 10 minutes until fluffy. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan, and cook the beans with the spices until piping hot.
3) Put the salad leaves on the bottom of a bowl, then mix all of the other ingredients on top of them, squeezing the lime juice over the top.
Aldi: Streaky Bacon, Feta Cheese and Avocado Salad (serves one)
Ingredients
Three streaky bacon rashers
One avocado, sliced into thin wedges
One bag of mixed lettuce leaves
50g of feta cheese, broken into small pieces
Three tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, plus extra teaspoon
Two tablespoons of white vinegar
Salt and pepper
Method
1) Heat the teaspoon of olive oil in a medium-sized pan, over a high heat. Chop bacon into small pieces and pan fry until cooked through. Remove from pan and rest on a paper towel-covered plate to remove excess oil.
2) Place leaves in a large serving bowl. Add avocado wedges and feta cheese.
3) Slice bacon into smaller pieces then add into the salad mix.
4) Whisk together the remaining oil and vinegar, as well as a little salt and pepper to taste, until well combined. Pour over the salad mix.
5) Toss thoroughly with salad servers until all ingredients are folded through the bowl and coated with the dressing
Tesco: Roasted Pepper and Chorizo Orzo Salad (serves four)
Ingredients
For the salad
Three red peppers, diced
One red onion, cut into wedges
225g pack spicy chorizo, cut into 1cm cubes
200g of orzo
Half a 330g pack cherry tomatoes, halved
30g pack of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
For the dressing
Two tablespoons of olive oil
Two tablespoons of red wine vinegar
One tablespoon of sweet smoked paprika
One tablespoon of clear honey
One garlic clove, chopped
Method
1) Preheat oven to 200°C, 180°C fan, gas 6.
2) Put the pepper and onion on a baking tray and cook for 15 minutes, or until starting to soften. After this time, remove a 1/3 of the peppers and tip into the bowl of a food processor. Return the remaining 2/3 to the oven with the diced chorizo and cook for a further 10 minutes.
3) In the meantime cook the orzo according to packet instructions until just tender. Drain and cool under cold running water, drain again and set aside.
4) To make the dressing add the dressing ingredients to the food processor with the roasted peppers and 3 tablespoons tepid water, whizz until completely smooth. Set aside.
5) To assemble the salad, tip the roasted peppers, onions and chorizo into the cooled orzo, fold through the cherry tomatoes and chopped parsley. Stir through the dressing and serve.
Aldi: Fire Roasted Corn Black Bean Salad (serves five)
Ingredients
Three ears of corn, shucked/husked
One green bell pepper, diced
Half a cup of red onion, diced
One can of black beans, drained and rinsed
One tablespoon of parsley flakes
O tablespoon of white vinegar
Three tablespoons of lime juice
One and a half teaspoons of cumin
One teaspoon of salt
One teaspoon of ground black pepper
Three quarters of a cup of olive oil
Method
1) Grill the corn for 2-3 minutes on each side until corn is cooked. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool at room temperature for 5 minutes until it is cool to the touch.
2) Once the corn is cool, cut the kernels off the cob and place them in a large bowl. Discard the cobs.
3) Add the diced bell pepper, diced onion, black beans and parsley flakes.
4) Pour the vinegar, lime juice, cumin, salt and pepper into a small bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil.
5) Mix the vinaigrette into the corn mix and add salt and pepper to taste.
Don't fancy cooking? Why not head to one of these healthy vegetarian and vegan restaurants in west London?
