Raw vegetables should be a major component of any healthy diet. Use whatever vegetables are in season. Try not to combine too many different food groups.

Tri-coloured Salad

This healthy salad platter makes a splendid centrepiece for a festive occasion. The colours are stunning.

Serves 4–6

Red – Beetroot salad:

4 raw beetroot, grated
100 g sunflower seeds, roasted
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or tarragon
250 ml eggless mayonnaise or crème fraîche

Green – Watercress salad:

100 g walnut pieces
1 bunch of watercress, trimmed
1 green pepper, cored, seeded and sliced
juice of 1 grapefruit
125 ml olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Orange – Carrot salad, Indian style:

2 carrots, shredded1 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 tablespoon raw unsalted peanuts
1 tablespoon oil
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
pinch of ground coriander
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

1) To make the beetroot salad, combine all the ingredients.

2) To make the watercress salad, heat a frying pan and roast the walnuts over a high heat until browned. Leave to cool, then mix with the watercress and green pepper. In a separate bowl, combine the grapefruit juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and pour over the watercress mixture.

3) To make the carrot salad, place the carrots in a bowl and stir in the salt. Roast the peanuts in the frying pan, stirring constantly until they have turned a darker colour and are giving off a rich aroma. Allow the peanuts to cool and grind them coarsely or crush with a pestle and mortar. Heat the oil in a small pan and roast all the seeds until they ‘pop’. Add the ground coriander and cayenne pepper to the seeds and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Stir the mixture into the carrots, along with the peanuts, lemon or lime juice and chopped coriander.

4) Arrange each salad attractively on a large serving platter, keeping them separate.

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