Vegetable salads..

Appetizing Vegetable Salads!!

Salads can be varied and sure is the healthiest diet anyone can have. Aside from being visually appealing it is very delicious and undeniably healthy, easily digested and not heavy on the stomach. It is rich in vitamin C( fights infection, aids in maintaining healthy gums and skin), Vit. A( for good eyesight), Calcium( for healthy, strong bones), beta-carotene( fights certain diseases including cancer) and fiber which aids in digestion. Those are just a few healthy benefits you can get from eating salads especially made with fresh green, succulent, leafy vegetables. And why not?There are countless vegetables and fruits to choose from to make salads you can enjoy everyday of the year. And there's one simple truth why we need to eat it, it reduces mortality! So live longer, enjoy life, eat more salads!!

............................................................................................................

    Here in the Philippines where farming is the main source of livelihood, people enjoy fresh vegetable produce the whole year round and though salads are not mainly part of the filipino diet we see to it that veggies dominates the big portion of our three square meals a day.
     The following vegetable salad recipes are the most popular salads filipinos consume when these veggies are on peak season.
The recipes are very simple.You can add some more veggies to suit your taste.

............................................................................................................

White Radish Salad

labanos ensalada

1 kilo white radish
4 pcs. large tomatoes
1 pc. large red onion
1 tbsp. rock salt
1 stalk spring onion, chopped
5 pcs. calamansi, sliced in half

how to:

Wash radish and peel then sliced thinly. Sprinkle rock salt, mix and squeeze some water out of the radish(this is optional as you can eat it as it is if you can handle it's strong taste). Set aside radish and discard extracted water. Slice tomatoes and the onion. Mixed with radish. Garnish spring onion on top and squeeze calamansi juice over salad. Serve chilled.

Note: roasted anchovies can be added if available. ............................................................................................................

Bitter Gourd Salad

kilawin margoso

3 pcs. bitter gourd  
4 large tomatoes
1 big red onion
1 /2 cup carrot sticks,optional
1 tbsp. rock salt
4 pcs.calamansi or 1 lemon

how to:

Wash bitter gourd, sliced in half and spoon out the seeds then sliced thinly. Add the rock salt, mix and squeeze slightly to extract bitter juice(this is optional as you can eat the gourd as it is, esp. diabetics). Then add the tomatoes and sliced onion to the gourd and the carrots. Squeeze calamansi or lemon on top. Serve chilled.

............................................................................................................

Cucumber Salad

pipino ensalada

3 pcs. cucumber
carrot, grated
1 tsp. iodized salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 pcs.calamansi or 1 pc. lemon

how to;

Wash the cucumbers and cut into desired slices. Arrange in a plate and sprinkle salt and black pepper. Add grated carrot and squeeze calamansi or lemon juice on top. Serve.

............................................................................................................

water spinach salad(a.k.a>poor man's salad)

kangkong ensalada

1 bunch water spinach
1 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. shrimp paste
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp.fried garlic

how to:

Wash water spinach thoroughly. Discard the hard stalks. Do not cut. In a small pot boiling salted water, dip spinach for 5 minutes(check on tenderness). Remove from hot water then assemble in a plate. Set aside. In a pan, melt butter then add garlic and onion, fry for a minute then add shrimp paste. Remove from heat and pour over water spinach. Serve immediately.

............................................................................................................

Seaweed Salad


 1/2 kilo seaweed(green edible variety)
4 tomatoes, sliced
1 large red onion, sliced
4 calamansi or 1 lemon
 grated unripe mango(optional)
  
how to:

Wash seaweed thoroughly. This type is brittle you have to snap into bite-sized pieces. Discard older stems. Put in a strainer and pour over hot boiling water while constantly turning seaweeds. Transfer in a bowl, add tomatoes and onion, then squeeze calamansi or lemon juice(vinegar can also be used). Mix and serve.
............................................................................................................

Fresh Green Mustard  Salad

mustasa ensalada

1 bunch mustard leaves
4 large tomatoes, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 tsp. iodized salt
2 calamansi or 1 lemon
boiled egg(optional)

how to:

Wash mustard greens thoroughly. Put in a bowl, add iodized salt then squeeze lightly and mix. Add tomatoes and onion then squeeze calamansi or lemon juice.Add slices of egg on top. Serve.

...................................................................................................................................................................

Eggplant salad

4 pcs. large purple eggplant
4 large tomatoes, sliced
2 large red onions, sliced
1 stalk spring onion, chopped 
1 lemon
1 tsp. iodized salt
1 egg, boiled and sliced

how to:

Grill eggplants until tender. Peel and mash slightly with fork. Set aside. In a bowl mix tomatoes, onions and sprinkle with salt. Pour over mashed eggplants then squeeze lemon on top. Garnish with spring onion and slices of egg.

............................................................................................................