3 Christmas Salads You Can Enjoy While Pregnant
Festive Red Slaw w Caramelised Ruby Grapefruit
| Serves 8 |
Ingredients
½ red cabbage, shredded
2 beetroots, trimmed, scrubbed and grated
2 purple (or orange) carrots, grated
1 red onion, thinly sliced
½ cup of the salad dressing
salt and pepper to taste
2 ruby grapefruit or 3 blood oranges or 2 oranges, segmented
A few dollops of butter
½ cup crumbled feta*, to serve
Salad Dressing
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 cup oil (olive, avocado or walnut)
1 tsp sea salt
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp finely chopped soft herbs such as basil, tarragon or chives
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Method
Christmas Eve/morning
Toss the red cabbage, beetroot, carrot and onion in a bowl with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight (or a few hours if you want to prepare it on the day).
To make the dressing, place all the ingredients in a large jar, seal with a tight-fitting lid and shake until well combined. Keep in the fridge for 1-3 weeks.
Christmas Day
Place the grapefruit or orange segments on a tray lined with baking paper. Dot with butter and a sprinkle of salt. Place under the grill and cook for 5-8 minutes. Allow to cool.
To serve, add the caramelised grapefruit or orange to the slaw and sprinkle over the crumbled feta.
Avocado, Broad Bean & Feta Salad
| Serves 8 |
Ingredients
2 cups broad beans
1 cup frozen peas
few sprigs mint
2 tbsp olive oil
¼ cup lemon juice
6 cups baby watercress or other salad greens
2 large avocados, sliced
350g buffalo mozzarella*, torn into chunks
200g feta*, crumbled
¾ cup fresh mint leaves
2 tbsp roughly chopped dill
salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon chilli flakes
3-4 tbsp dukkah
Method
Bring a medium pot of water to the boil and fill a bowl with cold water and a few ice cubes.
Drop the broad beans into the boiling water and cook just until the water comes back up to the boil. Take out the beans with a slotted spoon and put straight into the chilled water.
Drop the peas into the same boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and refresh under cold running water.
Gently pop the beans from their pods and add to the peas with a few sprigs of mint (remove before serving) and refrigerate both in a covered container.
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
To serve
Layer onto a platter; first the watercress, then avocado, mozzarella, beans and peas, feta, mint leaves and dill. Drizzle with lemon dressing and sprinkle with chilli flakes and dukkah.
A note about cheese
It’s safe to eat pasteurised feta and mozzarella while you’re pregnant. Buy them from a reputable store and keep them in the fridge until it’s time to serve the salad.
Green Bean, Sugar Snap Pea & Cranberry Salad
| Serves 4 - 6 |
Ingredients
¼ cup (60ml) red wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
250g green beans, trimmed
250g sugar snap peas, trimmed and halved
¼ cup (40g) pine nuts, toasted
¼ cup (35g) dried organic cranberries
Method
Place the vinegar, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and whisk to combine.
Cook the beans and sugar snap peas in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 2 minutes or until tender.
Drain and refresh under cold water. Place on a dish and sprinkled with the pine nuts and cranberries. Drizzle with the red wine vinegar dressing to serve.
*According to official guidelines, pasteurised feta and mozzarella are safe to eat during pregnancy.
