Holly White takes salads to another level
Holly White has been working as Broadcaster & Journalist in Dublin for well over a decade, and she is now firmly cemented as a ‘true’ influencer – the epitome of style & healthy lifestyle.
There’s no denying she is passionate about vegan food, you just have turn on the telly or tune into Instagram and her name pops up. She really is a connoisseur of her craft. As one journalist put it simply – ‘she walks the walk & talks the talk.’
All this month, we are going to be featuring some of her delicious recipes to help ‘Lift us out of Lockdown.’ I can already hear some of you grumbling, ‘but I’m not vegan‘ – but that’s the point. It doesn’t matter whether you are or not – this is simply about good food! So to kick-start this culinary extravaganza, how about making a few simple tweaks to transform your plain boring salad into something “satisfying and seriously tasty,” says Hollys.
Here are a few of her suggestions:
Salads don’t have to be Cold
“There’s no need for a salad to be cold why not try adding in some warm roasted vegetables or sweet potatoes. As a general rule, I always cook extra veggies or roasted vegetables to add to my salads the next day to make dinner or lunch a quick to assemble the meal.”
Include a source of Protein
“To make my salads more satisfying I always add an extra vegan protein source. At the moment I am loving Tempeh which has a firm but chewy texture and a slightly nutty taste. It can be steamed, sautéed, or baked and but I marinate it in Soy sauce to add more flavor before frying for about 15 minutes. It’s just as nice hot or cold so it’s really convenient to have to hand for putting together a quick packed lunch on-the-go.”
Consider using Fermented Toppings
She highly recommends integrating fermented foods into your salads. A brand that makes incredible products is The Cultured Food Company which was set up in 2014 by Hayley Milthorpe when she qualified as a Nutritional Therapist.
“She started in farmers’ markets and grew the business organically reviving the ancient art of handcrafted raw fermented foods using the technique of wild fermentation; harnessing the naturally occurring bacteria on the vegetables and within the environment,” says Holly.
It’s all about the Dressing
“I am always looking for interesting ways to integrate fermented foods into my diet and I recently came across The Culture Food Company Beet Kvass. Beet kvass is a fermented drink made from organic beetroot infused with organic ginger and is high in vitamin C, folate and iron, among other nutrients. Kvass also has the bonus of probiotics from the fermentation process so it supports digestion and has an immune-boosting effect.”
Don’t forget the Nuts and Seeds
“I always like to have a little crunch or texture in a salad, additions like this really elevate the flavor. Think of adding a handful of toasted pine nuts or cashews or hemp seeds. Hemp seeds are particularly good for vegans as a 1 1/2 tablespoon serving of hemp seeds contains five grams of protein, magnesium and iron and like flaxseeds, hemp seeds contain all ten of the essential amino acids. I always choose the shelled variety which is widely available.”
