Snappy Salads - Cucumber, Tomato and Feta, a Watercress Slaw , Home Made Dressings and more

After a week of dessert binges, festival food, and endless family gatherings for Diwali—following a whirlwind trip to India—I knew I needed to get back on the real-food wagon, and fast. Between sweets and savories, jaggery-laden manoharams, murukkus, gulab jamuns, food-coma naps paired with jet lag, and a slightly insane road trip, I returned home feeling like I needed another vacation just to recover.

It’s amazing how clearly your body communicates—especially when you actually listen—when you’ve fallen off the wagon and what it needs to get back on track. For the ten days that I was eating whatever was placed in front of me, it showed. My energy levels dipped, my skin reacted, and I returned with breakouts, allergies, sinus headaches, and a whole list of things I thought I had left behind months ago.

It’s not that I don’t eat sweets in general—I truly believe in enjoying everything in moderation. But until recently, a healthy balance of exercise and greens had been working well for me. It’s taken a full ten days of easing back into my routine—green smoothies, juices, and lots of greens—to finally feel like myself again.

So I decided it was time to update my salad repository—or rather, start actually trying the many salad recipes I’ve saved over time. I’ve been an avid Evernote user lately, both on my desktop and phone. I find it incredibly useful when I’m scrolling through feeds and come across something that catches my eye—books, articles, quotes, or recipes that appeal to both my sense of humor and my palate. The best part is being able to sync everything across devices and access my notes anywhere. At this point, I’ve collected over 450 notes, more than half of which are recipes. It’s essentially a virtual cookbook and incredibly helpful when planning weekly lunch and dinner menus.

This week, we had a watercress and carrot slaw with homemade orange vinaigrette, along with vegetable soup (and sandwiches for those who wanted heavier carbs) for dinner on Monday. Today, I packed a cucumber, tomato, and feta salad for lunch. If you skip the feta, this second salad also works beautifully as a side to an Indian meal.

I used a handy gadget called the Salad Zinger to make the orange vinaigrette, and it worked wonderfully. Highly recommended if you’re a gadget lover like me (though a regular blender works just fine too).

Watercress, Green Apple, and Carrot Salad / Slaw

(Serves 2)

Ingredients

• Watercress – 1 large bunch, chopped
• Red cabbage – ¼ head, grated
• Carrots – 2, grated
• Cherry tomatoes – 6–7, halved
• Green apple – 1, grated

Orange Vinaigrette Dressing

• Navel orange – 1, deseeded and quartered
• Red onion – a small slice
• Parsley – a small bunch (about ⅛ cup)
• Garlic – 1 clove
• Olive oil – ¼ cup
• Red wine vinegar – 2 tbsp
• Honey – 1 tbsp

To make the vinaigrette using the Salad Zinger, place the first four dry ingredients in the bottom half, attach the blades, and secure the base. Add the liquid ingredients to the top section. Shake well and allow the orange and onion juices to seep into the oil and vinegar mixture. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes before using.

Alternatively, you can coarsely chop the first four ingredients in a blender, transfer to a bottle, add the liquid ingredients, and let it steep for 30 minutes.

Combine all the grated vegetables in a bowl, add the dressing, and toss well to combine.

Cucumber, Tomato, and Feta Salad

Ingredients

• Cucumber – 3 cups, coarsely chopped
• Cherry tomatoes – 7–8, halved
• Mint leaves – 2–3 tbsp, chopped
• Scallions – 2, chopped (including greens)
• Green olives – ¼ cup
• Feta cheese – ¼ cup, crumbled

Dressing

• Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
• Olive oil – 2 tbsp
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Combine the cucumbers, tomatoes, scallions, and mint in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper—remember that feta is already salty.

Pour the dressing over the salad, toss gently, and sprinkle the crumbled feta just before serving.