“What’s for dinner?” is a universal question and when the world is practically living at home all the time, the way we look at food is changing really fast. People are getting health conscious and a lot of them who are stuck at home do not want to continue with the heavy meals that they were used to before the lockdown era. Salads are fast becoming a meal choice at home. So we are here to give you a few options of healthy and tasty meaty salads that can help you stay full, satiated, energized and healthy at the same time.
Smoked Mackerel Salad with Apple and Bacon
You know the day’s going to be good when there’s the aroma of fried bacon wafting from the kitchen. Now let’s give this a healthier twist!
Ingredients
- 100 g bacon
- 40 g bread
- 300 g smoked mackerel fillet
- 35 g banana shallot
- 50 g ginger
- 150 ml apple juice
- 50 ml rape seed oil
- 1 handful salad leaves
- 1 apple
Method
- Cut the bacon into batons.
- Dice the bread into 1 cm cubes.
- Finely slice the shallot into rings.
- Grate the ginger.
- Peel and core the apple then slice it into wedges.
- Take 50 ml of the apple juice and add 15 g of the grated ginger, mix and set aside, this will form the marinade for the apple.
- In a small pan add the remaining 100 ml of apple juice and 35 g of ginger and boil over a medium high heat until reduced to 25 ml.
- Then take the reduced apple and ginger syrup and pass through a sieve to remove the ginger.
- Whisk this syrup with the rape seed oil, add salt to season as required and the shallot rings and set aside, this will form our dressing.
- Preheat your boiler to high and fry off the bacon and croutons until crispy and golden.
- Gently tease the mackerel fillets from the bone if you have a whole smoked mackerel.
- Place the mackerel fillets under the broiler and heat just a little, you don’t want to cook but just to soften the fats.
- Now we are ready to serve, place the salad leaves on the plate and then add the rest making it as pretty or scruffy as you like before drizzling over the dressing!
Greek Spinach Salad with Grilled Turkey Tips
Who says salad bowls have to be bland and boring? Follow this recipe and you’re sure to have one scrumptious salad with a definite Mediterranean flavor to it.
Ingredients
For The Turkey Tips And Marinade:
- 2 ½ pounds turkey tenderloins
- ¾ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tablespoon dried)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For The Vinaigrette:
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 medium cloves)
- 2 teaspoons fresh minced oregano leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For The Salad:
- 12 ounces spinach leaves
- 1 hothouse cucumber, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
- ½ medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, thinly sliced
- 3 ripe tomatoes, sliced into wedges (or substitute a pint of cherry or grape tomatoes, halved)
- 1 cup of Kalamata olives or about 30 olives (pitted or whole – your preference)
- 8 ounce piece of Feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Method
- Marinating the turkey: Whisk all the marinade ingredients in a large non-reactive bowl. Add the turkey tips and toss to coat. Marinate, covered in the fridge, for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.
- Making the vinaigrette and tossing the vegetables:Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients except oil: vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Slowly pour in oil while whisking constantly, to emulsify. Place cucumber, onion, peppers and tomatoes in a bowl. Pour half the vinaigrette over them and toss gently to coat. Let the vegetables marinate for 20-30 minutes.
- Grilling the turkey and assembling the salad:Preheat the grill to medium-high. Grill the turkey tips for about 5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Toss the spinach with the remaining vinaigrette and divide it among 6 plates. Add the marinated vegetables with any remaining vinaigrette, cubed feta, olives and turkey tips. Season with salt and fresh pepper, to taste.
Grilled Pineapple, Chicken and Avocado Salad
The world may be divided on whether there should be pineapple on pizza. But if it’s in a salad with avocado and chicken, let’s just agree to agree that it’ll be so delicious!
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and sliced into 1-inch thick rings
- 8 cups baby spinach
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese
- Quarter of a red onion, thinly sliced
- Honey garlic vinaigrette
For The Honey Garlic Vinaigrette:
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Pinch of salt and black pepper
Method
- Brush the chicken on both sides with olive oil, then season generously with salt and pepper.
- Preheat your outdoor grill to medium-high, or heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Place pineapple slices and chicken breasts on the grill. Cook for about 5 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through, and no longer pink on the inside. Remove the pineapple and the chicken and let cool for at least 10 minutes. Then slice the chicken into strips, and cut the pineapple into chunks.
- In a large bowl, toss together spinach, blueberries, feta, red onion, pineapple and chicken until combined. Drizzle or toss with salad dressing, and serve immediately
- For the vinaigrette, whisk all ingredients together until blended. Let sit for at least 10 minutes for flavors to meld. Whisk again until blended, then drizzle over salad.
We hope you are able to lighten your dinner and not compromise on the flavor whatsoever!
See Also: Hot Meal Vs Cold Meal |9 Ways To Stay Healthy Inside Out| 3 No-Meat Meals For Lent| 10 Best Foods To Improve Women’s Health
