Sugarfree Salad Dressing

“Everything scares me.”

Dear Kamaria’s Kitchen,

I have been anorexic for about a year and it has destroyed the most important parts of my life.  This is a huge step for me and I am really glad that you have been so welcoming and enabled me to have a platform where I can just write about the little issues I have concerning food.  Please feel free to publish this letter and including this fact that I am now eating salads with different meats and I had bread for the first time in months.  Your support and recipes have been amazing.  I still don’t like apples.  Everything that isn’t homemade still scares me and I recently had an episode where I ordered a salad and it had dressing all over it.  Can you please share a salad dressing, that is common and simple so I can make it?  Overtime I will be able to accept it from other restaurants maybe but I think you are right about taking small steps.  I heard about the amounts of sugar they put in dressings like Thousand Island and it is really scary.  Help!

Dear Beautiful Brave Soul,

I am so proud of you.  What may seem like small steps are actually huge movements towards your goals.  You are inviting more food groups into your life which will help you grow mentally and physically.  You are allowing your body to feel the love it deserves,  so well done you.  Don’t worry if you don’t like certain foods, you would be surprised at how picky people without eating disorders actually are.  I completely understand that you were nervous about the salad and I actually agree that some restaurants and brands are very misleading and can drown salads in dressing.  I have made and tested a dressing which is used on a variety of foods and salads and tastes quite nice.  It is delicate in flavour and is sugar free.  Feel free to adjust the seasonings to your taste.  Also please don’t think that sugar is the enemy because little doses of sugar can make a world of difference.  For example,  tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes can be very acidic but a little sugar can uplift the whole sauce.  Nonetheless let me know how you get on with this recipe and when you are ready I have a lovely orange dressing for you when you want to add a little more flavour.  I tried the recipe I have provided on a crab salad and it was pretty nice.

Recipe & Method:

1. In a medium glass mixing bowl mix together a tbsp of fresh  oregano, a tbsp of fresh thyme and 225ml olive oil.
2. Do not worry you will have to taste this dressing but don’t be scared by the oil, this is going to be a batch for a variety of lovely salads.
3. Add 4 tbsps of balsamic vinegar and whisk together.
4. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and whisk.
5. Now I want you to do something which may seem really daunting.  I want you to taste the dressing.  Just a little taste.  Tasting food is very important, and this is also a part of dealing with eating disorder therapies.  Take you time and allow yourself to analyse the taste.  What does the taste remind you of? Is it bitter?  Is it weird?  What does it need more of?  Take control of the dressing.  You control the food the food doesn’t control you.  You can do it!

Saffy’s Sugar Watch:

• Sugar is not always a bad thing but  sometimes unnecessary amounts of sugar are added in products.
• Diet drinks may have less calories but can include a ridiculous amount of sugar.
• Look out for names like sucrose, fructose and high fructose corn syrup which also refer to sugars.
• Honey, coconut palm sugar and molasses are natural healthy alternatives to processed sugars.  My Caribbean sweet treats feature natural sugars so if you do want something sweet please search for my natural West Indian recipes.
• Also remember it is better to give your body nourishment and if the only thing available is a cereal far then listen to your instincts.  Our bodies are extremely smart and hungry is a sign that you need to eat so love yourself and fall in love with food again.

Avocado & Mango Salad

Big Pears 

I am allergic to pear so for the longest time in Barbados I have avoided eating anything with the word “pear” in.  Only to discover that Barbadians call avocados “bigger pears”.  Avocados are one of my favourite fruits so I was sure to never make the mistake again.  In Barbados the mangoes are gorgeous, I am certain that in England there is no mango sweeter than the ones in Barbados.  When i made this salad in Barbados it tasted incredible I most certainly wouldn’t have been able to make it in England with the same sexy results.

This recipe was taken from Levi Roots’ Caribbean Food Made Easy (Octopus Publishing Group Ltd, 2009).

Ingredients:

2 avocados, 1 juicy juicy mango, 2 gems of lettuce, 1/2 red chilli (deseeded and chopped), 1/2 red onion (peeled and thinly sliced), 2 sprigs, juice of 1 lime, olive oil and salt.

Method:

1. Cut the avocados in half, remove the stones, peel and cut the flesh into long thin slices.
2. Cut the mango carefully into slices or chunks.
3. Arrange the lettuce onto the plates before adding the avocado, mango, chilli and onion.
4. Sprinkle over the thyme leaves, squeeze over the lime and drizzle over some olive oil.
5. Season each plate with a dash of salt before serving immediately.

Pumpkin Salad

Sunshine Salads

I hate boring salads always have always will.  I like vibrancy on my plate but not vibrancy without purpose. A few lettuce pieces are pointless and NOT salad.  My hubby’s mummy makes an incredible salad and I am sure his mummy’s cooking is one of the reasons why he is so tall.  This salad is yummy, filling and vibrant.  It does not need any extra things to make it look pretty, the colour is pretty enough.

This recipe was taken from The Caribbean Central & South American Cookbook  (Anness Publishing, 2010).

Ingredients:

1 large red onion (peeled and very thinly sliced), 1 cup olive oil, 4 tbsps red wine vinegar, 675g pumpkin (peeled and cut into pieces), 40g chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, salt and ground black pepper.

Method:

1. Mix the onion, olive oil and vinegar in a large bowl.
2. Stir well to combine.
3. Put the pumpkin in a large pan of cold salted water.
4. Bring to the boil then lower the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
5. Drain the pumpkin and add to the bowl containing the dressing.
6. Toss lightly and leave to cool.

Okra & Tomato Salad

I love okra 

When I stumbled across this recipe I was delighted!  Okra is a very common vegetable in African and Caribbean cooking.  Many people cannot stand the texture but in my opinion the more gooey the better.  Slimy and full of ooze.

This recipe was taken from The Caribbean Central & South American Cookbook (Anness Publishing Ltd, 2010).

Ingredients:

60ml olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 red onion (peeled and thinly sliced), 3 tomatoes (peeled and seeded), 400g okra, salt and black pepper.

Method:

1. In a large bowl whisk together the olive oil and vinegar.
2. Season with salt and black pepper.
3. Toss the slices of red onion into the dressing and leave to marinate while you prepare and cook the okra.
4. Trim the stalks of the okra and avoid cutting into the pods.
5. Cook the okra in a pan of lightly salted boiling water for 5 minutes until just tender.
6. Drain and dry on kitchen paper.
7. Leave the small okra whole, but cut any larger ones diagonally in half.
8. Stir the cooked okra into the dressing and mix thoroughly.
9. Leave to marinate for 25 minutes.
10. Cut the tomatoes into thin wedges and add them to the bowl.
11. Gently toss them together with the okra.
12. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
13. Serve immediately

Anna Maria Salad

Barbados- Part 2 

One of my best friends in Barbados visited me with two beautifully fresh mangoes.  The first I devoured within 3 minutes.  The next I sliced into a fresh salad.  Salads with fruit in Barbados is very common, especially when using pineapple, so don’t be surprised if you ever see pineapple mixed with sweet potato.

This recipe was taken from Caribbean Cookery Secrets by David and Gwendolyn Daley (Right Way, 2013).

Ingredients:

450g salad tomatoes (washed and cut into small pieces), 1 large cucumber (washed and cut into small pieces), 3 medium sweet peppers (red, orange and green chopped into small pieces), 1/2 pineapple (peeled and cut into chunks), 1 mango (peeled and cut into chunks), 200g sweetcorn, 1tsp brown sugar, 1/2 tsp black pepper. 4 tbsps tropical fruit juice.

Method:

1. Mix the sugar, black pepper and fruit juice.
2. Mix the fruit and vegetables into a large mixing bowl then toss with the dressing.
3. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and put into the fridge and chill from at least an hour.
4. Serve immediately after.

Avocado & Chickpea Salad

Unexpected

I love it when people are expecting standard food from the frozen section and I blow them away with my good home cooking.  I made a three course meal for one of my mother’s best friend’s and son.  I was so pleased that they were never hungry and they were happy with my cooking. However my biggest obstacle was not knowing which foods they really disliked.  Although they are not allergic to anything they are picky eaters.  Not making me aware of their dislikes was pretty frustrating because I had to change my meals twice during the day.  Thank goodness for all of my cookbooks.  As a dinner guest it is polite to have good expectations and it is actually better to not have any nasty surprises in your food.  If you are allergic to anything and have a serious dislike for a particular food please tell the chef.  You may seem like you are being a bother but trust me it is far more frustrating for a chef having to pick out every last sultana in a cake.  And,  as a tip for chef’s try and cook favoured, popular meals for picky guests before you start experimenting.  Not everyone has your palette,  and if you are unsure what they will like keep things simple.  My salad was easy going and goes great with most meats including fish and chicken dinners.  It is healthy and filling too.

This recipe was adapted from Good Housekeeping Cook’s Year (Ebury Press, 1995).

Ingredients:

2 tbsps lemon juice, 25g fromage frais, 25g creme fraiche, 2 tbsps chopped chives, 1 tsp chopped parsley, 1 avocado.

Method:

1. Mix the lemon juice, fromage frais and fraiche in a small bowl.
2. Mix the rest of the ingredients together in a salad bowl.
3. Mix the dressing in with the vegetables.

Saffy’s serving Ideas:

1. Homemade Seeded Loaf
2. Hard Boiled eggs
3. Welsh Rarebit

Sweet Pepper Salad

Appetite Salad

Since returning from Barbados I have been feeling unwell and my appetite has gone.  A good friend told me that I need lots of rest and I need to eat fruits and vegetables to get my appetite back.  Here is a really nice salad that can help.  When feeling sleep calm your mind and do not do excessive cooking.  If you are feeling faint a bad accident can happen.  So take it easy.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsps lemon juice, 3 tsps chopped parsley, salt and pepper, 1/2 green pepper (de seeded and chopped), 1 beef tomato (sliced), a few lettuce leaves (washed and chopped).

Method:

1. Mix the first 3 ingredients together and season delicately.
2. Mix the vegetables together.
3. Toss with the dressing.
4. Season to taste

Chicken Leg Salad

Chicken Salad

Every time I buy a chicken salad I end up being seriously disappointed.  There is always a lack of chicken! And the vegetables are never fresh and over drenched in nasty sauce.  I made an easy chicken salad, with chicken wings.  Chicken on the bone is super juicy  and there is nothing worse than a dried chicken salad.

This recipe was adapted from Ainsley Harriott’s just five ingredients, (BBC Books, 2009).

Ingredients:

6 chicken wings, 1 tbsp green chilli paste, 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, salt and pepper, salad greens, a few fresh springs of coriander, chilli and lime salsa, thousand island dressing.

Method:

1.  Wash and prepare the chicken wings.
2. Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C.
3. Mix the chilli paste and lemon juice together before rubbing into the chicken legs.
4. Season with a little salt and pepper.
5. Bake for an hour and 20 minutes.
6. When the chicken is nice and browned and cooked all the way through serve with the salad greens.
7. Sprinkle a handful of fresh coriander over the top.
8. Drizzle over the dressings.  You can change the dressings to suit your taste.

Cranberry and Walnut Quinoa Salad

Not tried everything

I love new and exciting combinations.  Nobody could have possibly tried every combination so it is totally necessary for everyone to just open their minds and taste the beautiful flavours that are ready to be discovered.  Good Housekeeping presented this recipe for a wicked light meal, fruity and vibrant.  Surprisingly I had only had quinoa once prior to make this meal.  Like cous cous it is perfect for vegetarians and is a lovely soft texture that would benefit from a little crunch.  The recipe used pecans but I preferred to use the earthy flavour of walnuts.

This recipe was adapted from Good Housekeeping Magazine (August, 2013).

– Due to technological issues I am unable to post up the picture for this post. –

Ingredients:

200g quinoa, vegetable stock, 50g dried cranberries, 50g walnuts, 75g feta (crumbled), mixed herbs, lemon juice, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil.

Method:

1. Place the quinoa into a pan and cover with vegetable stock.
2. Bring it up to the boil, then simmer for 15 – 20 minutes until tender.
3. Drain the quinoa and transfer to a serving bowl.
4. When cooled add the cranberries, walnuts and feta.
5. Season and add the mixed herbs, lemon juice and olive oil.
6. Toss well and season to taste.

Warm Chickpea & Tuna Salad

Healthy Eating

I wanted to eat something very healthy but I was  so not feeling the salad that was in one of my cookbooks.  So I did what any amateur chef  would do and spruced up my food to make a very tasty and filling salad.

This recipe was adapted from 101 Cheap Eats (BBC, 2009).

Ingredients:

1 tbsp sunflower oil, 1 onion (peeled and chopped), 1 garlic clove (peeled and chopped finely), 400g tinned chickpeas (drained), 200g tinned tuna (drained), 1 beef tomato, 3 tbsp mixed herbs, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 2 large handfuls chopped spinach, salt and pepper.

Method:

1. Heat the oil over a medium heat in a wok.
2. Add the onion and garlic.
3. When softened add the chickpeas and tuna.
4. Add the rest of the ingredients.
5. When the spinach has wilted season to taste.

Serving Tips:

1. Serve with warm pitta bread.
2. Serve with couscous.
3. Parmesan Cheese.