This summer salads are my go-to food. Since I’m on furlough, and I don’t need that much energy (five months off work, can you imagine?) I’ve left behind high in calories meals, and I run my days eating salads. My base is usually the same, and for some people maybe boring, but I like it a lot. Fresh spinach leaves, rocket (my two favourites), cherry tomatoes, bell pepper or cucumber, obviously – avocado, cabbage. I use this ingredients in repetition adding some different dressings, toppings and proteins like: chicken, prawns, chorizo, bacon or eggs. Even sometimes fruits! I have couple of them in my recipes, if you’re interested just have a look to breakfast & lunch ideas or sides.

Today we have couple of things I really, really like: dressing based on mayonnaise, garlic and tandoori spice. Mayonnaise and garlic is my first choice dressing, goes great with many salads, meat and pizza (ups!). There’s also something special about tandoori that makes my mouth watery each time I sniff it. Even now when I only think about it I’m getting hungry! 🙂

To make this salad I’ve used chicken thighs, but chicken breasts will also work great. I always buy already cooked prawns. I don’t feel confident enough with seafood, so I always use small ready to eat prawns. But if you’re a big fan, and you know how to prepare them, you can go for king prawns for example.

1000 island dressing is quite intensive, which I truly like. It’s usually made with sweet pickled cucumbers, but in my ketogenic version I added sour pickled cucumbers, which gave it even more intensity. Instead of cucumbers you can also use chopped olives, onions or even eggs. If you want to keep it low carb, inevitably you should use low sugar or no sugar ketchup. Fortunately there’s a lot of them now in the shops and online.

keto salad with chicken, prawns & 1000 island dressing

INGREDIENTS (for one large portion):

• handful of organic baby spinach
• handful of rocket
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper
• handful of cherry tomatoes
• 1 boneless chicken thigh
• 2 tbsp ready cooked small prawns
• 2 tsp medium tandoori spice blend
• pinch of natural rock salt
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 3 tsp mayonnaise
• 2 tsp low sugar ketchup (I used a hot one)
• 1 small garlic clove
• small sour pickled cucumber (that’s a keto option, for non – keto option you can use sweet pickled cucumber)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• optionally : Tabasco or other hot sauce (I skipped, because of hot ketchup)

DIRECTIONS

Start with preparing 1000 island dressing: finely chop sour pickled cucumber and garlic clove. Combine together mayonnaise, ketchup, apple cider vinegar. Add chopped cucumber and garlic. Also add some hot sauce if you decided to use it. Give it a good stir and set aside so all the flavours combines.

Now it’s time for chicken. Chop it in squares or stripes. Heat a small pan, add a tablespoon of coconut oil and toss the chicken. Fry until golden, add some salt. Add already cooked prawns (if you use uncooked prawns, first prepare them accordingly to the recipe on the packaging) and sprinkle with tandoori spice. Give it a good stir, so everything covers with spices evenly. I almost always add the spices about 3 minutes before I finish frying. I like my chicken to be quite crispy, so if I would fry it with spices for too long they would get bitter (especially garlic and paprika). When you chicken and prawns are ready set them aside to cool down.

Start with preparing 1000 island dressing: finely chop sour pickled cucumber and garlic clove. Combine together mayonnaise, ketchup, apple cider vinegar. Add chopped cucumber and garlic. Give it a good stir and set aside so all the flavours combines.

Now it’s time for chicken. Chop it in squares or stripes. Heat a small pan, add a tablespoon of coconut oil and toss the chicken. Fry until golden, add some salt. Add already cooked prawns (if you use uncooked prawns, first prepare them accordingly to the recipe on the packaging) and sprinkle with tandoori spice. Give it a good stir, so everything covers with spices evenly. I almost always add the spices about 3 minutes before I finish frying. I like my chicken to be quite crispy, so if I would fry it with spices for too long they would get bitter (especially garlic and paprika). When you chicken and prawns are ready set them aside to cool down.

Now it’s time for veggies: rinse spinach and rocket, chop half of bell pepper, cherry tomatoes slice in half. Place greens on a plate, add bell pepper tomatoes, chicken and prawns. Add some dressing on top, and voila! Your delicious salad is ready to be eaten.

Enjoy!