Summer is a season that takes a toll on our diet and health. The rising temperature and scorching heat leads to a dire need of nutrition in our appetite. A salad is a great option to cut down on the calories and supplement the body with necessary vitamins and minerals.
Catering to the rising trend of healthy eating, Westin Culinary Academy recently organized a summer salads session with renowned chef Arun Awasthi.
Chef Arun Awasthi
The esteemed staff of Westin, Gurgaon
This hour long session was a culinary treat and turned amateurs into experts in cooking 3 delectable and very nutritious salads for this season! The chef, at his cordial self, was patient to answer our numerous questions and apart from the session, gave very handy tips that can make cooking a treat and convenient.
An addition of these salads in your diet plan this season can prove healthy for your body. Also, since the preparation is not very time consuming, I suggest all my readers to try this and share their reviews! 🙂
1. BEETROOT AND WALNUT SALAD
Ingredients:
120 gm Beetroot, boiled, cut in dices
50 gm Orange segments
30 gm toasted Walnuts
25 ml White wine vinegar
1 gm Salt
2 gm Black pepper
Walnut and Beetroot Salad
Method of Preparation:
Make the dressing with olive oil and vinegar. Lightly dress all the vegetable with the dressing. Pour in salad plate and garnish with toasted walnuts.
2. NEW OLIVE AND TOMATO SALAD
Ingredients:
25 gm Red pepper 1 cm dice
25 gm Green pepper 1 cm dice
50 gm Tomato 1 cm dice
20 gm Green olive
20 ml Extra virgin olive oil
5 ml Red wine Vinegar
20 gm Bread croutons 1 cm dice
2 gm Black pepper
20 gm Spring onion
New Olive and Tomato Salad
Method of Preparation:
Fry the bread croutons in the oil until golden and crisp. In a bowl combine the peppers, tomatoes, spring onions and olives. Dress with the olive oil and red wine vinegar and season. Throw in the crispy croutons direct from the pan. Simply grate the cut side of the tomato on a hand grater until you get a nice fresh pulp. Drizzle in the extra virgin olive oil and seasoning. Pound in a mortar and pestle or process the garlic and salt until fine. Add the parsley and continue to process. Add the oil to achieve a semi thick “pesto”. Spoon some of the tomato dressing in the centre of the plate. Re-toss the salad and spoon on top of the tomato dressing. Spoon over some of parsley dressing.
TOMATO DRESSING PARSLEY DRESSING
50 gm Tomato, sliced in half 2 Garlic Cloves
10 ml Extra virgin olive oil 10 ml Extra virgin olive oil
1 gm Salt 1 gm Salt
20 gm chopped Parsley
3. QUINOA SALAD WITH ZESTY LEMON DRESSING
Ingredients:
50 gm Quinoa
1 cup Water
30 gm Corn
20 gm Spring onion, chopped
20 gm Walnuts, chopped
50 gm Cucumber, chopped
30 gm Apple (peeled & chopped)
5 gm Mint leaves, chopped
5 gm fresh Coriander, chopped
20 gm pitted black Olives
Salt (To taste)
Quinoa salad with Zesty Lemon Dressing
Method of Preparation:
Bring the water and add a pinch of salt to a boil in a large sauce pan. Add the quinoa and bring the water back to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low absorbed. This usually takes 20-25 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the quinoa to cool.
Transfer the quinoa to a large mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Mix well. Drizzle zesty lemon dressing ( See below) over the salad and stir in. Season the salad with a pinch of salt. Allow the salad to sit for 30 mins to allow the flavours to develop before serving.
ZESTY LEMON DRESSING
25 ml Freshly squeezed lemon juice
25 ml Extra virgin olive oil
50 gm Lemon Zest
Method of Preparation:
Mix the lemon juice and olive oil, and stir in the lemon zest. Serve over quinoa salad.
Gluttony Goddess 