The concept of salad is a bit foreign to me.  It is usually a neglected side dish that I serve onto my plate and forget.  It never gets eaten.

I have recently invented the concept of a Salad Trading Scheme (STS), much like the federal governments Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) where corporations can offset pollution with carbon credits.  I figure if I load up on healthy foods and earn salad credits I can then redeem salad credits for meals of pure indulgence without guilt.

Unfortunately unlike an ETS I can’t purchase salad credits on the open market.  I have some health nut friends who definitely have a surplus for credits, all they eat is salads.  So the question remains how can I eat more healthily without my taste buds crying too much.

Over the past few weeks I have seen many references to the Middle Eastern salad called Fattoush.  Many Sydney food bloggers have been frequenting places like Franks and El Jannah and sampling this salad.  It looked really colourful and interesting.  I might just be able to eat this as a meal.

I became increasingly more curious when this salad popped up in two other forms of media in a week.  I was watching Channel 7’s “My Kitchen Rules” and the couple Veronica and Shadi paired fattoush with grilled snapper.  Although it didn’t get the best review from the other competitors it still looked great in my eyes.  Latter in the week I was reading the March edition of Delicious magazine and Matthew Evans “The Gourmet Farmer” had written a recipe for fattoush.

By this point I was salivating over a salad.  I know I didn’t think I could react like this to a salad.

So I started my research.  What recipe was I to use?  They all looked so good.  Many deep fried the pita bread.  From experience this tastes great but it is hardly going to earn me salad credits.  I decided to toast the pita in the oven.  This give you the crunch required without the fat.  Additionally I reduced the amount of dressing involved  to save a few more calories.

I paired the salad with a grilled chicken breast that I had marinaded in a little olive oil and a harrissa paste.

I was a tasty salad and was the envy of work colleagues when I ate the left overs for lunch at work the next day.

What is your favourite salad?

Fattoush
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 Lebanese cucumbers, chopped into wedges
2 Spring onions, chopped into 1.5 cm lengths
½ Green capsicum, chopped
½ Red capsicum, chopped
3 Radishes, halved and sliced finely
½ cup Parsley, finely chopped
½ cup Mint, finely chopped
10 Cherry tomatoes, halved
2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp Sumac
2 slices Pita bread
1 tbsp Lemon juice
1 tbsp Olive oil
2 Chicken breasts
2 tspn Harissa paste

Method
  1. In a salad bowl combine the cucumbers, spring onions, capsicum, radish, parsley, mint, tomatoes and sumac.  Combine olive oil and lemon juice in a small bowl and set aside.
  2. Split the pita bread in half.  In batches toast under the grill until golden brown (approximately 2 minutes).
  3. Marinade whole chicken breasts in harissa and a splash of olive oil.  Grill in a grill pan or BBQ for 6 minutes each side or until cooked. Finish in the oven if it is not cooked through.
  4. Slice cooked chicken on an angle.  Dress the salad with olive oil and lemon mixture.
  5. To plate spoon a generous spoon of fattoush on the middle of the plate.  Place an equal amount of sliced chicken and pita on each plate.

I served this with some grilled haloumi.  Left over toasted pita can be used in lieu of crackers for dips or antipasti.

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