Two Fun and Fruity End of Summer Salads

It’s already almost the end of August, and summer too is coming to an end. I can’t believe the time has gone so fast. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever had a summer fly by me so quickly as this one has. Although to be honest, I’m excited for some down time. I’ve been away adventuring the past six weekends in a row which has been amazing and fun but also means I haven’t gotten to sleep in my own bed and cook in my own kitchen for more than a few days each week.

But to celebrate the sun, before it’s gone all too soon, here are a couple great fruity salads to make the most of the beautiful remaining weather.

Minty Watermelon Salad

Ingredients

2 cups watermelon, chopped
1 cup cucumber, diced
1 cup blueberries
2 tbsp mint, chopped
1 lime, juiced

Directions

1. Mix it all together in a big bowl and serve.

Serves 2

 

Peashoot, Nectarine and Orange Salad

Ingredients

2 nectarines, sliced in rings
2 oranges, sliced in rings
1 cup pea shoots, cut in half
1 small shallot, finely diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 pinch sea salt
1 pinch pepper
1/2 tspn cumin
1 tbsp parlsey, finely chopped

Mixed bean sprouts (optional)
Sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds (optional)
Chia seeds and/or hemp hearts (optional)

Directions

1. Prepare dressing by combining olive oil, vinegar, shallot, sea salt, pepper, cumin and parsley and mixing well in a medium sized bowl.
2. Add pea shoots to the dressing and toss.
3. Spread orange and nectarine rings out in a circle on the edge of the plates. Add pea shoots to the centre. Top with any (or all if you’re me) of the optional ingredients.

Serves 2

Green Zingy Carrot & Apple Juice

I recently had the fortune of being gifted a juicer as a graduation present from my parents. I’ve always wanted a juicer but have never been able to justify paying for one. Mistake. If you are in any way in a place financially to purchase one, I strongly recommend it. I have enjoyed fresh fruit and vegetable juice every day since it was given to me, and it’s just so unbelievably tasty and nutritious. It has become a part of my daily routine. I’m only just starting to play around with more exciting flavours, but for today I kept it pretty basic. It’s amazing how much food goes into making one glass of juice.

All this just for one glass! But on the plus side, it means I’m packing a whole lot more nutrients into my body than I would be otherwise, and that’s definitely worth it.

Recipe:

1 handful spinach leaves
2 apples (I used Fuji, but Gala and Red Delicious are also great juicing apples)
3 medium sized carrots
1 orange peeled
1 small cube of ginger (1cm x 1 cm or a little larger, depending on how much ‘zing’ you like)

My juicer requires that all ingredients are chopped into pieces, but not all juicers do. Just prepare your ingredients however suits your machine and juice away! I served this recipe with a fresh stalk of celery and refrigerated it for a few minutes before drinking to cool it down. Highly recommended.

Food fact: Celery contains a compound called 3-n-butyl phthalide which has been shown to lower blood pressure in animals by 12 to 14 percent. And stop chopping off the leaves! Celery leaves are actually the most nutrient-packed part of the plant.