Summer Salad - Healthy Cooking event

On a hot Summer day this refreshing salad works as a one-dish meal to me. My kids love to tease me about my salad bowls, they say that they look like a colorful garden. Children say funny things and whenever I can I write them down.

I have salad with almost every meal, and this works for me as an effective way to have a healthy diet and keep a slim figure.

Salads are low fat, depending on the dressing you choose... So, adding nuts, beans, tofu, yogurt or cheese power up the content of protein.

This is my entry to the Healthy Cooking - A Cookbook Givevaway Event. You can win a cookbook, so hurry! The deadline is July 21st!
For the salad:
(quantities may vary)

- Swiss chard, chopped
(source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, iron, vitamin E and dietary fiber)
- Romaine lettuce
(source of vitamin A, folic acid, vitamin C, manganese and chromium)
- Strawberries, sliced
(source of vitamin C and manganese, among others)
- Cashew nuts, crushed
(source of fiber and protein, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, selenium, copper and B vitamins)

In a large salad bowl, combine swiss chard, lettuce, strawberries and cashew nuts. Pour the orange dressing over the salad.

For the orange dressing
Recipe adapted from Lica's blog (in Portuguese)

1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped very fine
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:
Combine orange juice, olive oil, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix well and cook until thickened. Remove from heat, let cool. Use as salad dressing.

Nutrition source: The World's Healthiest Foods

Fresh Tomato Salsa

Mexican food has this distinct flavor that to me has to do with cumin and cilantro. Salsa means sauce in the Spanish language, and this is my favorite recipe.

For the salsa:
1 pound/500g fresh tomatoes, finely diced
1/2 cup onion, finely diced
1/2 cup bell pepper (red or green - stems, ribs and seeds removed), diced
2 tablespoons canola oil or olive oil
Juice of one lime (I do not use it)
1/2 teaspoon ground cilantro
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt, oregano and pepper to taste

If you like a creamy salsa, add some tomato sauce.

Place all ingredients in a medium size bowl. Let sit, loosely covered, at room temperature for the flavors to blend. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve within 4 hours. For nachos, chicken, fish, vegetables, tortillas, tacos etc., and this does the trick for barbecues too!