Dr. Uma’s Rainbow Salad

Ingredients for salad:

Kalamata Olives: large, pitted, sliced into halves: 1 cup

Red Onion: 1 medium-sized, chopped

Blueberries: 1 cup

Arugula: 2 bunches or about 4 cups, washed, dried/spun

Cucumber: 1 medium-sized, peeled, chopped

Dill, fresh: 1 bunch, washed, dried/spun and chopped

Spring Onion: 1 bunch,washed, dried and chopped

Yellow bell pepper: 1, washed and chopped with or without seeds.

Chickpeas: 1 can (organic, no additives), drained and washed.

Feta cheese: crumbled, 1 cup

Carrots: 3, washed and peeled, then chopped or grated

Cherry tomatoes: washed and sliced into halves, 2 cups

Ingredients for dressing:

1 cup of a mixture of equal parts red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil).
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Instructions:

Throw all the fresh ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Add dressing and toss well, being careful not to crush the tomatoes, blueberries, chickpeas, olives.

Nurse Kathleen and Dr. Uma co-create a summer cornucopia of color with this fun, colorful summer salad and decadent, creamy lentil soup.

Dr. Uma‘s “disclaimer” with her recipes:

While I love to eat, I’ll be the first to admit I did not grow up a “foodie” nor as a cook. (In fact, my mom pampered me as a child, cooking for me and barely asking me to lift a finger to help. I barely had a clue as to how to make rice or tea/coffee until I was well into my thirties!) And when I finally did start to cook on my own, creating healthy food was my last priority. In fact, I developed a penchant for baking, and quite clearly remember my “go-to” comfort foods/recipes were apple crisp, lemon squares, and oatmeal cookies!

All this is to say, my interest in cooking has definitely evolved, and I’m still working hard to be an even better cook for myself, for my health, and for the health and wellness of my friends, family, and patients. So when I share recipes with you here, on this website, it’s not to make claims that I am a “super chef” or anything even remotely like that. It’s just to share that if I can do it, anyone can.

And I don’t tend to use precise measurements when I cook at home. Like my mom, I tend to be somewhat spontaneous as I cook, creating and modifying as I go. I try to recollect flavorful memories from my childhood, travels near and far, and often “play around” with recipes after “Googling” ideas and ingredients online.

For instance, I shared a recipe for an Ecuadorian travel-inspired avocado chickpea red onion salad here. I suggested using 3 avocados, but you might like it more or less! Or, you might like more red onion or no black pepper! Some of you might like to add in some garlic and/or cherry tomatoes! Now that I’m typing this….. I’m thinking adding some mint could add a fresh taste too!

One of the best parts of cooking is the fun you’ll have learning to experiment. Half the fun is making edible mistakes and sharing your recipes for helpful hints and collaboration too!

Here’s to cooking for health!

Love,

Dr. Uma