versatile salad and lunch
Another salad recipe in winter? I began making the original version of this salad when I was working. The vegetables are cut into smallish pieces, so I could eat my lunch walking around the playground, on duty, or sitting at my desk marking. Sometimes I even had a few minutes to sit in the staffroom and eat. Unlike carrot sticks, pieces of celery or lettuce leaves, all a bit awkward eating in a rush, this combination of finely chopped vegetables is easy to eat using only a fork.
No longer eating on the run I still make this salad as we both like it, it lasts well for three days in the fridge, it can be made with a variety of vegetables and it is healthy! Originally I chopped tomatoes, red onion, boiled potatoes and celery. Local celery has been dark green and bitter for some time so I began finely chopping cucumber and adding that instead. Tastes good.
So, wash and chop your vegetables into small pieces. I used two tomatoes, half a cucumber, three small boiled potatoes and a third of a red onion. When everything was chopped and stirred in the glass storage dish, I drizzled bought, 99% fat free Italian dressing. The bought dressing doesn’t separate like home made dressing and it takes us a few days to eat this so it needs to stay emulsified.
I add protein and maybe some bread and lunch is done. I often have fish balls, bought at an Asian supermarket. My husband prefers anything but fish balls.
It is school holidays here in Australia at the moment. I really enjoy school holidays, despite being retired for seven years. Why? Because I catch up with three lots of staff from the three different schools I taught at from the mid nineties until I retired. Almost everyone else is retired, too. I really enjoy these catch up lunches. The other lovely school holiday thing is spending time with my cousin, also a teacher. She arrives mid-morning, we have coffee and chat, then we go out for lunch and chat then much later she drops me home! This year we had lunch here and my niece joined us. Best way to catch up on everyones’ news.
hidden plastic
Some of the products containing plastic on this list from the blog Moral Fibres (wendy@moralfibres.co.uk) surprised me. Based on the above blog I’ve made a list of many things containing plastics you might not have considered. I certainly got a few surprises.
1. Chewing gum is based on polyethylene. Polyethylene is used to make plastic bottles and bags.
Image Pixabay
2. Clothing made from microfibre fleece, polyester, acrylic and nylon is made from plastic. Every time you wash these items, microplastics are released into the waterways.
3. Disposable Coffee Cups are lined with a fine layer of plastic so they don’t collapse when filled. Take your own keep cup.
4. Aluminium cans are lined with a thin layer of plastic resin, usually epoxy, which is linked to a number of health issues.
5. Glass jars don’t contain any plastic and are infinitely recyclable, but the lids are lined with PVC. Yes, I’d never thought about that, either.
Image Pixabay
6. Alternative/vegan plant based leather. All of these products are coated, or sandwiched, with PU plastic or bioplastic to make them durable and water resistant. This includes the very expensive brands which claim to be ethically aware and produce vegan based leather. It’s plastic, then biological leather then another layer of plastic. And very expensive with a short life span.
7. Produce stickers. It’s hard to avoid them, especially on bananas and citrus fruit.
8. Teabags are still being heat sealed with polyethylene. Check online to see if your preferred tea uses plastic.
9. Tetra paks, used for plant based milks, juice and long life milk look like they’re made from waxed cardboard. Actually, tetra packs are generally 75% paper, 2o% polyethylene and 5% aluminium.
10. Tin and aluminium cans are lined with a thin plastic coating containing bisphenal A, or BPA which may leak into the contents.
11. Sunscreen contains microplastics! They bind the ingredients and are very cheap. I’m a bit shocked as I use sunscreen 365 days a year.
Image Pixabay
12. Bandaids and other sticking plasters, even the fabric sort, contain plastic.
Lots to think about in this list. For more information, read the blog listed above.