Salad items

Preparation

Apple* Slice and/or chop best used in a chopped mixed salad bowl
Bean + Mix tinned beans together, baked, kidney, chickpeas etc.
Beetroot + Sliced, grated/shredded with yoghurt (which goes pink!)
Carrot + Finely grate, soaked in juice of fresh orange
Celery* Chopped small or like boats filled with cream cheese
Coleslaw Recipe below– carrots, white cabbage, red onion
Cucumber* Sliced, or chopped into thick quarters
Lettuce Round – softer leaves, leave whole or chop
Iceberg – crunchy leaves slice or chop – cheapest!
Cos – dark green, crunchy leaves, whole, slice or chop
Mixed leaves vacuum packed, not for budgeted meals
Onions*  Red, milder flavour, attractive colour, thinly sliced
Peppers* Each has slightly different subtle flavour:  Yellow more creamy, Green a freshness, Red slightly stronger flavour
Sultanas* Sprinkled through a chopped mixed salad bowl
Sweet corn* Fresh is best, but as above from tin sprinkle into salad
Tomatoes:*
Cherry/Plum
Large tomatoes cheaper halve per portion, chop, slice
Individual serving: 2 for cherry. 3 for plum.
Other items+ Eg olives.  Things you ike if kept it in budget

The majority of salad items can be presented individually on a plate.

*This marks those items that can be chopped together to make a mixed salad bowl. To this you can add this simple French dressing: A tablespoon of white or malt vinegar, and teaspoon of oil, with sprinkle of sugar and dash of pepper.  Place in seal container and shake up and down.  Pour over your salad bowl and toss the ingredients so it coats the contents.

+ These items are good as side salads, and to give you more choices with a main salad.  Make up your own. Try a bean salad which is literally opening tins, draining off their salty mixture and if using baked beans use that sauce to mix them up in.  Take out the portion needed for that meal, and freeze similar portions to use at other times.

Tip 1:  The majority of tinned vegetables and fruit once opened can be frozen for use on another day.

 Tip 2:  If possible start collecting small pots for that purpose, people have olives, houmous and similar items, ask them to keep them for you along with the plastic take-away containers.

Coleslaw recipe
This is a cheap nutritious alternative to salad, very nutritious and also good as a side dish. Makes 8 full portions (approximately 2 piled tablespoons) at 10p each, or 16 (1 piled tablespoon) as a half portion at 5p.

Ingredients:   80p
1/3rd of White cabbage            (15p)
½ bag of carrots                        (22p)
1 Red Onion                                (10p)
½ carton of Greek yoghurt      (23p)
3 tbls Salad Cream                     (10p)

Method:
1. Use a 1/3 of cabbage, cut in half and slice very thinly into strips.
2. Peel carrots, grate or cut or peel into very thin, narrow strips
3. Slice red onion in half and cut thinly
4. Add half a carton of yoghurt and 3 tablespoons of Salad Cream
5. Mix until all ingredients fully coated.

Optional extras:
1. Add 50 grams of sultanas (10p)
2. Cut apple into small cubes (15p)

Tip 1:  Store in airtight container.  After a day or so there will be juices at the bottom which are delicious, restir.  Or separate off, add yoghurt and use as a salad dressing.

Tip 2:  This is so cheap and nutritious you could add a half portion to every salad.

Tip 3:  A half portion of coleslaw in a sandwich with a little grated cheese is delicious.

Tip 4:  For a change at lunch put coleslaw in pitta bread with tiny lumps of cheese, especially good if you include the apple or sultanas.