18 Mar 2011

Hot and Cold Bean Salad in Lettuce Cups with Tomato Lime Dressing

       Spring time has arrived with all its glorious colours ... or atleast I think it has arrived. What better way to welcome this lovely season other than with a colourful flavourful salad.
       If u r looking for healthy meal or snack, salads take the first place. We do eat with our eyes and nose first even before we taste the food. Salads are the best way to treat all the senses.

            
                Regular bowls of salads in our meal plans and our body automatically compliments us with glowing skin, sparkling eyes, healthy nails and crowning glory of bouncy dark hair... It is undeniably the best way to cleanse our insides and uplift our spirits...

                This recipe is full of color and bursting with flavours and textures. The best way to serve this salad is both hot and cold at the same time.... Confused !!!!  Well, don't be.... One ingredient is warm and the rest of them are cold.... the best thing is that the cup in which it is served can also be eaten... so minimal washing [That is a well deserved bonus for all the busy bees out there ....:)]


Points to remember :
Buy fresh vegetables and cut them before 20 minutes or so before serving time. Refrigerate all the vegetables added in this salad before and after cutting them until serving time.
Add as many colourful vegetables as possible.
This can be easily turned into a non-vegetarian salad by adding around 100gms of cooked shredded chicken or lamb or prawns.


Cannellini beans: 1 can [400gm]
Celery sticks: 2.
Red bell pepper: 1.
Yellow bell pepper: 1.
Ripe avacado: 1.
Cucumber : 1 [medium]
Mint leaves: a handful
Coriander leaves: a handful


Salad dressing
Readymade tomato juice: 70 ml.
Lime juice: 25-30 ml.
Flax seed oil: 1-2 tbsp.
Lemon thyme: few sprigs.
Garlic pods: 2 [small]
Thai red chilli : 1
Salt: to taste.
Pepper powder: to taste.


To serve
Whole iceberg lettuce leaves or gem lettuce leaves : 3-4
Wash and trim the edges of the leaves. 1/2 hour before serving time, take a large bowl of cold water and add ice cubes. Plunge the lettuce leaves in this ice cold water.


1.Wash and chop the veggies. Keep the chopped avacado in a seperate bowl. Refrigerate all the veggies.
2.Wash the mint and coriander leaves and chop coarsely
3.Grate the garlic finely. Deseed and chop the red chilli. Finely chop the lemon thyme sprigs. Mix all the ingredients given for the salad dressing and refrigerate.


Assemble and serve:
1.In a large bowl add the chopped veges except avacado, mint and coriander leaves.
2.Add half the dressing and mix two to three times.
3.Drain and rinse the beans to get rid of the excessive salt. Add fresh water [just enough to barely cover the beans].
4.Cook in microwave high for 4-5 mins until pipping hot.
5.Add this to the veggie mix along with the avacado and toss once.
6.Serve immediately in the chilled lettuce cups along with the reserved salad dressing.


Note:
      Avacado can turn mushy if mixed at the beginning and will not look and taste nice.

      It is important to serve the dressing chilled even if the salad is at room temperature. The reason being- flax seed oil contains more than 50% of good fats [omega 3 and omega 6] which gets destroyed when heated.
      Even though this is a healthy oil,1-2 tbsp is enough as it does comes with more or less the same amount of calories as the others. If this oil is unavailable, please kindly use olive oil or peanut oil for a smoky tasty.

Sending this to Manjula's Kitchen - March Contest 2011

Enjoy.....

Scribbled by Reva



38 comments:

Hamaree Rasoi said...

I don't think I would get flax seed oil here :-( But definitely wanna try these cute salad cups. Awesome clicks...

Deepa
Hamaree Rasoi

Reshmi Mahesh said...

Wow Reva...salad is very colourful and healthy...nice pics...

FunWidFud

Plateful said...

That's a healthy, lovely and colorful salad- well presented too!!

Priya Suresh said...

Woww beautiful salad, lovely clicks...

GEETHA ACHAL said...

மிகவும் அருமையாக கலர்புல்லான சாலட்....சூப்பர்ப்...

Rekha shoban said...

healthy n colourful salad! beautiful presentation n click!

KrithisKitchen said...

Healthy and inviting.. Definitely a great combo for the season... colorful...

http://krithiskitchen.blogspot.com
Herbs & Flowers in my Platter - Coriander/Cilantro

Sravs said...

Wow Reva !!! very colorful and healthy salad !!! Wonderful clicks !!

Umm Mymoonah said...

Lovely cup of salad, looks so refreshing.

Padhu Sankar said...

Colorful and healthy salad

Panchpakwan said...

OMG so colorful & flavorful salad bowls.

Rachu said...

Such a beautiful presentation...its superbly presented.. no matter what you prepare, its just fantastic.
and finally got to see u in the profile pic.
ammaandbaby.blogspot.com/

Shanavi said...

Indeed nice clicks , By the way, u get avocado in India ???

Vidhya said...

Loved this colorful and healthy salad.

Ila said...

wow yummy and tempting :) so colourful salad cup :)

Vimitha Durai said...

Thats a very refreshing and healthy salad cup...

Swathi said...

delicious and colorful salad.

AMMU MOHAN said...

wow what a healthy salad.looks nice......

Nammaruchi.blogspt.com said...

Very colourful and healthy salad...love the pics!!

divya said...

Wow Reva...salad is very colorful and healthy...nice pics...

Deepti said...

Colorful Salad Cups...
And Awesome cLicks too...

Thanks for dropping in...Gladly following U

http://www.panchamrutham.blogspot.com/

schmetterlingwords said...

Colourful and vitalising salad... Lovely presentation :-)

Sushma Mallya said...

Tht looks so delicious bowl of salad, loved the way u have presented:)

Reva said...

Thanks guys for your lovely words....

Shanavi, I prepared this in UK as I won't be able to cook and click admidst all the travel plans...:) Now that u have mentioned it,I will start searching for avacado in India..;)
Reva

புவனேஸ்வரி ராமநாதன் said...

very colour and delicious.
thank you.

Raji said...

The salad is looking extremely healthy and colourful...so beautiful pictures too.

Jayanthy Kumaran said...

I love it...nice cliks dear...healthy color rocks..
Happy holi..:)
Tasty appetite

Nammi said...

I love your photoes, !!!

Sridevi said...

Wow!! such a treat to eyes and vitamins packed healthy salad. Nice presentation.

Kanchana Radhakrishnan said...

healthy and colourful salad.

Suganya said...

Wow... These are looking cool and refreshing.... YUM!

kitchen queen said...

Hi u have a nice blog.you can visit my blog and give ur valuable comments.

shriannalakshmi said...

a wonderful combo of colourful veggies.Asusual ur fotos are superb!!!

Ambreen (Simply Sweet n Savory) said...

So colorful and healthy! Lovely clicks!!! You have a nice blog.
Thanks for visiting me and for your nice words.

Unknown said...

What a lovely presentation - the salads speaking to me in very endearing terms, Reva :)

Asiya Omar said...

looks healthy and colourful..

Swarnavalli Suresh said...

Lovely salad.. amazing pics

Rathi said...

Love this sooooo much already! :D

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