food is the one of the first ways to affect our health and if we eat the fresh organic variety it can have a positive effect
It’s hard to believe it’s still winter here in Sydney. The weather has been just amazing with sunny blue skies and temperatures of 24 degrees! There are, however, still lots of flus and viruses going around and some crazy cold winds and even hail are apparently coming tomorrow, so it’s not summer yet! Now with this cold weather coming I don’t want to get sick and when you are around young children like I am (I teach preschool children) you need to make sure your do as much as you can to keep your immune system up and running! If I want a smooth sailing to summer too I need to do just that.
As you are probably aware (or should be!) food is the one of the first ways to affect our health and if we eat the fresh organic variety it can have a positive effect, supporting a strong immune system. It is from good quality, nutritious (preferably organic) food that we get all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals needed for a strong constitution. So yesterday, with this in mind, I made a dish that compliments this great warm weather but still gives an immune boosting punch!
This salad is a spin on a recipe I found in the paper a few years ago. What makes it so deliciously good for your immune system are the fresh vegetables full of fresh vitamins and minerals, the buckwheat noodles that are easier on your digestive system than wheat bread, the energy giving protein in the tuna and the good fats and vitamin c in the dressing. There is, however, one secret ingredient I have not mentioned yet that I am going to share with you! It’s called umeboshi plum paste! This amazing Japanese condiment is a purple puree` of the dried umeboshi plum that is said to help stave off colds and other winter sicknesses. It has an intense tangy and salty taste that makes the salad taste amazing and puts this simple salad high on the list for keeping you in good health.
Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients
For the dressing
1 tbsp. umeboshi plum puree (from health food shops or asian supermarkets)
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
½ lemon, juice
½ tsp. sesame oil
1 pinch sea salt
1 green spring onions, finely sliced
For the salad
125 g buckwheat soba noodles.
1 Lebanese cucumber,
1 avocado, diced
10 leaves of cos lettuce, Julienned (sliced into fine strips)
50 g snow pea shoots
50 g mung bean sprouts
50 g lentil sprouts
185g tin of tuna in olive oil (Sirena brand is my pick)
3 sheets of dried nori paper, torn into thin strips
Sesame seeds, to garnish
Method
- Put all the dressing ingredients in a jar, except the spring onions, and shake well to combine. Add the onions, shake again and set aside.
- Cook noodles in salted boiling water until just al dente. Strain, then rinse in cold water and place in a medium bowl and toss with half the dressing.
- Add all the salad ingredients to the noodles and toss to combine.
- Divide salad between plates, spoon over remaining dressing and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Variations
Instead of sesame seeds you could add some toasted and spiced pepitas or nuts.
For a vegetarian option leave out the tuna and add some silken tofu or even some crispy fried tofu for added texture.
Smoked salmon works well too, as does freshly grilled tuna.
Radha is a passionate healthy-foodie from Sydney, Australia. By day she is the director of a community based preschool, which she is also very passionate about and by night you will find her working on new recipes, writing for her blog and cooking for her new grain free and ‘clean eating’ catering company.
She loves food and cooking and wants to spread the healthy-foodie love with her blog and delicious paleo inspired treats. When she is not working you will find her spinning around on a pole (she has done pole dance classes for 6 years), working out at her gym, stretching and breathing at power yoga or cooking up a storm for her friends.
She is always looking for a challenge in the kitchen and loves thinking up ways to make sugar free and grain free dishes. Her favourite thing to do is find a ‘standard’ recipe and change it to make it clean, paleo and delicious. Check out her facebook page here or have a look at her blog for more delicious recipes.