Spinach leaves are usually better consumed cooked, as fresh spinach contains oxalic acid, which prevents the absorption of certain nutrients. Baby spinach, on the other hand, has very little oxalic acid and if you ever get to lay your hands on them, grab a bunch and make this beautiful salad!

Time taken: 10 min
Serves 2-3

Ingredients

1 apple
2 cups baby spinach leaves
½ pomegranate
¼ cup chopped almonds and walnuts
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp honey
Salt and pepper

Method

Core the apple and slice it thinly. Deseed the pomegranate.

Mix the lemon juice, honey and olive oil, whisk until it becomes a thick and homogeneous. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place the spinach leaves at the bottom of a bowl, and add the apples, pomegranate seeds and nuts. Pour the dressing on top and toss the salad.

Serve immediate or after chilling for a while.

I spent a few months with a German friend, who (obviously) made awesome potato salads. And both of us being small eaters who are very fond of salads, that was almost always dinner. So we’d experiment with whatever was in the fridge. This came up one day as a result of those experiments.

Now, avocados are tricky to pick. If you need help with choosing good ones, click here.

Serves 2 – 4
Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado
2 boiled eggs
1 small potato, boiled and peeled (optional)
½ onion, chopped
1 tbsp chopped dill leaves
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp mustard sauce
Salt and pepper

Method:

Scoop the avocado flesh and shell the eggs.

Mash the avocado, eggs and potato gently. Too much pressure will make it pasty. You want it to retain some shape, so be gentle.

Mix in the onions, dill, mayo and mustard sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

To enhance the taste, refrigerate for about half an hour before serving.

I first ate this salad as a 14 year old in France, as I watched the sun streaming in through the windows, the smell of freshly baked baguettes floating in on a beautiful Sunday morning. It was also the first time I ate salad for breakfast. And it was love at first bite.

Couscous is often confused with broken wheat. They are not the same. Couscous is really a pasta that looks like a grain, and is made from semolina. It is much faster to cook when compared to broken wheat. If you don’t have couscous, you could probably substitute it with cooked broken wheat.

The most special ingredient in this dish is the parsley. It adds a wonderful freshness.

Time taken: 10 min
Serves 3-4
Measuring cup used: 200 ml

Ingredients

1 cup couscous
1 cup chopped Greek cucumber
1 cup chopped tomatoes
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Cook the couscous as per instructions. Usually this involves soaking it in an equal amount of boiling water and letting it sit covered for 10 min.

Make the dressing by mixing the lemon juice and the olive oil and adding salt and pepper.

Mix the couscous with the chopped cucumber, tomatoes and parsley. Refrigerate for at least half an hour.

Serve cold, topped with pumpkin seeds if you like the crunch.