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Pad Thai salad - good food inspires more good food

Aliens have abducted my Lovely Husband and replaced him with Martha Stewart. I came home from a night out to find the lunch boxes stacked neatly in the fridge, filled with omelet pinwheels and pomegranate fruit salad no less. Before he left for work, he’d prepped a roast chicken and left me instructions for how to cook it. There has either been some kind of supernatural swap or there is a direct correlation between the domestic activity and the pulled pork I left him for dinner. As it’s true that good food inspires more good food, perhaps let’s run with the latter!Getting friends and family on board the healthy train can be tricky, or it can be as simple as sharing one great recipe. If you can get over the misconception that healthy equates to bland or boring, it’s far easier to get support. Obviously there will be high and lows, successes and failures, as you try new recipes. But if you regularly inspire others with your culinary delights, they’ll probably start experimenting too. Wouldn’t it be good if we all got competitive over salad instead of cakes?!I made this raw Pad Thai salad for a party recently and it was a big hit. Even my non-salad-eating friend polished it off. It’s simple to do and the flavour of the dressing is sweet, tangy and intense – without a chemical in sight. The salad base is really flexible – just use what you have in the fridge although the bean sprouts are key for the “pad thai” experience. Enjoy!Ingredients: (serves 4)• 1 zucchini, sliced into very thin strips with a vegetable peeler• 1 carrot, sliced into very thin strips with a vegetable peeler• 2 cups of washed bean sprouts• 1 small red pepper, sliced into thin strips• 1 small yellow pepper, sliced into thin strips• 4 spring onions chopped finely,• 1 small mild chili, de-seeded and finely sliced• ¼ cup freshly chopped cilantro• ¾ cup crushed peanuts or cashews (raw or lightly roasted)Dressing• Juice from one small lime• 1 tablespoon light olive oil or coconut oil• ¼ - ½ tsp sea salt• ¼ cup coconut milk• 1 tbsp maple syrup (more or less, to taste)• 1 tbsp of tamari sauce (wheat free soy sauce)Preparation:1. Combine the dressing ingredients in a glass jar with lid and shake2. Prepare all salad ingredients (aside from the nuts) and toss in a salad bowl3. Just before serving, pour dressing over salad and toss again4. Serve and scatter each portion with the crushed nuts.The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is the Managing Director of Natural Ltd and a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. Please note that she is not a Registered Dietitian. For details, please go to www.natural.bm or call 236-7511. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda