Do you believe in child labour? I firmly do!
Now don’t get me wrong, this only applies to my own little minions.
It’s important to me that my kids get into the kitchen and help out with cooking as much as possible. The reason being, this has got them to experiment and try out new foods. When you set up your ingredients and hand them a peeler or ask them for their own inputs, it really makes them feel like they are grown ups. Infact, my daughter loves to peel and cut veggies and can fearlessly crack an egg or two. My lil boy on the other hand loves to swirl around pancake batter, stir soups and is happy to mess around with any dough ! Yes, it can be quite a mess in the kitchen, but that’s a lovable happy mess, and counts as more time for me with my kiddos. Trust me, there is a rainbow in the end, lots of smiles at meal times and happy tummies.
Smoked Salmon is one of those delicious discoveries that makes my kids eyes light up. And I’m so glad! There was this time when they would just grab open a pack of smoked salmon and eat it as is! Don’t judge me on that, they are still angels in my eyes 🙂
I started my kiddos on salad ever since they were wee little things. I remember going to one of those lavish friday brunches we have in Dubai, and my kids plated up soup and salad. One of the servers actually came up to our table and said she has never seen kids eat salad before since most of them grab at the kiddy buffet filled with sliders, mac and cheese, pizza, candy and more. My hubby proudly beamed at her and mentioned that our kids were not fast food junkies.
So here’s my little chef busy prepping the salad ingredients. I usually make double the quantity, since this ‘chef’ does not believe in sharing this dish! This is a wonderful vitamin packed salad that’s quite impressive especially when you have guests over.
Salmon is an excellent source of vitamin B12, vitamin D and selenium, also a good source of niacin, omega-3 fatty acids, protein, phosphorus and vitamin B6. Bell peppers on the other hand have the highest Vitamin C content and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. Celery is an excellent source of vitamin K and molybdenum, a very good source of folate, potassium, dietary fiber, manganese and pantothenic acid, vitamin B2, copper, vitamin C, vitamin B6, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and vitamin A. If I start on Apple Cider Vinegar the list is going to be endless, so I’m stopping here, you get the picture. Grab your ingredients, ‘cus here comes the recipe!
Ingredients
100g pack smoked salmon
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 orange/ green bell pepper
1 small head Romaine lettuce
2 sticks celery sliced thinly
1 onion sliced thinly
a handful Jalapeño peppers (optional)
Dressing
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil (or less if you prefer)
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. agave nectar/Honey
1/4 tsp. Himalayan salt
1 tsp black pepper (opt out to keep it child friendly)
Once you wash all the salad ingredients well, start by making bite sizes cubes of the bell peppers. Tear up the lettuce leaves into smaller bits. The Salmon can be either cut into long and slim slices or cubed, depends on how to want to present it on the table. Assemble all of the above with the celery, onions and Jalapeño peppers. Just before serving, take the dressing ingredients and mix it up well together and toss this along with the salad. Serve immediately.
Do give this salad a try and tag #saffronbowl on you social posts.
Tip- If your kids/ guests aren’t bell pepper fans, try this with grated carrots, sweet corn or even finely shredded purple cabbage. Incase you don’t have the ingredients listed above, then try what I have done here, just a simple lettuce, onion, cucumber and tomato combined with the Salmon.
