Summer = Beach bums and bright Salads

Holidays are officially over. We’re all getting back into the swing of  things, having eaten too much, drunk too much, gotten not near enough sleep, and leaving the words “gym” and “exercise” bordering on entirely foreign concepts. To make matters worse the current heat wave we’ve been experiencing is making it near impossible to wear anything more than the absolute bare essentials, and that bikini body deserted us weeks ago.

However, more important than looking great is feeling great and we are all aware that diet plays a big role in this department. People tend to forget what a big impact the food we choose to fuel our bodies with has on our general well-being and how rewarding it is to stick to a clean diet. This being said, not everyone has the time to cook new, healthy meals everyday.

I’ve always found that if there is only healthy food in the house then ten to one I’ll end up sticking to my clean eating plan, having rid myself of temptation. And this is where this salad is perfect! It’s quick, there’s no cooking involved, you can make it a week before and leave it in the fridge either to snack on or as a main meal and its super delicious and healthy!

Carrot and Cabbage Salad

Serves 4

4 medium carrots, peeled and grated

¼ – 1/8 of a cabbage, very thinly sliced

1 cup of frozen sweet corn, defrosted

1 Tbsp of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

1 tsp of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2 Tbsp of lemon juice (or to taste)

1 tsp of lemon zest, finely grated

2 Tbsp of pale vinegar, like white balsamic or white wine vinegar

2 Tbsp of olive oil

1 Tbsp of sesame oil (or less if it’s very strong – mine is a blend)

1 Tbsp of Sugar (add more if it is still to sour)

salt and pepper (to taste)

chilli to taste

½ a cup of feta, roughly crumbled

½ a cup of roasted seeds – a mixture of flax, sesame, sunflower and pumpkin seeds *

a handfull of fresh coriander, bigger stalks picked out

Combine all of the salad ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Keep some of the feta, seeds and coriander aside to garnish once ready to serve. Allow the salad at least half an hour to draw flavour and toss from time to time so that the dressing coats the salad and draws flavour.

* For the roasted seeds – fry over medium heat with a little sesame oil, salt and a mixture of your favorite spices (I use cumin, turmeric, chilli, garam masala and paprika).

And Enjoy!

Written by Gabi