Green Bean & Mushroom Salad With Orange Juice Dressing

These days I enjoy making salads for lunch and dinner, not only because they are light (I seriously need to keep my weight on watch) but I love the part of inventing my own salad dressing! Like an artist play with different colors to create one that he has in mind, I play with flavors, mix and match to get what satiates my taste buds.

Green bean is my all-time favorite, especially when it comes to boiled or stir fries. This is one wonder vegetable that is so versatile to contain any seasoning that you impart. And quite recently I have started developing a taste for mushrooms, and hence I had a pack of white mushrooms handy, I made good use of it! Well, in terms of secondary ingredients used this one is not too different from the Honey Glazed Roasted Grapes & Chickpea Salad I made last week. 

Ingredients:

Green bean - 8, cleaned and cut in 2 inch pieces
White mushroom - 250 gram, cleaned, sliced lengthwise
Potatoes - 1 small, cut into cubes
Chicken salami - 3-4 pieces, cut into bite sized pieces (optional)
Oranges - 2 (1 in segments and the other juice extracted)
Garlic - 5 cloves, crushed
Pepper powder - 1 teaspoon
Lime - 1/2
Salt to taste
Honey - 1 tablespoon

Preparation:

1. In a pan, dry roast the salami. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil in the same pan, add crushed garlic and the veggies along with salt to taste. Saute for a couple of seconds.
3. Add half the orange extract and cover and cook for another couple of minutes.
4. Sprinkle pepper powder over, stir well to combine. Remove from heat.
5. Add orange segments, squeeze over the lime, drizzle honey and finally the leftover orange extract on top. Toss it nicely and serve!

 

Honey Glazed Roasted Grapes & Chickpea Salad

It came as a late revelation but it did strike me that cooking shares same place as music, meditation, shopping etc when it comes to stress busters! It also gives you the pleasure of inventing something new and to feel proud about. Today, I had plans to cook a simple salad for lunch/dinner, but until I tasted the outcome I had no clue how a very raw idea could be tamed into a wonderful result. Well, let me cut the crap and just say - this is one of the best salad I have ever made and have ever tasted till date. So this definitely goes into "Pradeep Dish List" (those which I would make for him once he is back home).

I do not know the exact nutrition facts of the dish or ingredients used, however I can guarantee that this is one quick, light, healthy and surprisingly tasty salad which is worth your time.

It must have taken me close to 15 minutes to get everything ready, pop it in the oven and roast.

Ingredients:

Chickpea - 1/4 cup, cleaned, soaked in water for at least a few hours and pressure-cooked with a pinch of turmeric and salt

Seedless grapes - 1/2 cup, cleaned

Potato - 2 small, cut in cubes with skin on

French beans - about 8-10, cut in 2 inch length

Garlic - 5-6 cloves, crushed

Pickled olives - 4-5 whole

Pepper powder - 2-3 pinch

Chili vinegar - 1 tablespoon

Honey - 1 tablespoon

English cheddar cheese - 1 teaspoon, grated

Salted butter - 1 tablespoon

Salt - to taste

Preparation:

1. In a sauce pan, heat butter and saute the crushed garlic. Add the potatoes and beans, stir fry for a couple of seconds. Add pepper powder and salt. Cover and cook for 3-5 min or until the beans turn dark green.

2. To this add a few splashes of chili vinegar, stir in the chickpeas and remove from stove.

3. Remove the content into a baking pan. Add the grapes and picked olives and pop it in the oven and roast on high for about 5-7 minutes.

4. Return the content to the pan, drizzle the honey over it (as per how sweet you want it to be), give it a nice toss and transfer to serving bowl. 

5. Garnish with cheddar cheese and there you have your healthy lunch! :-)