I’m a firm believer in balance and despite it being winter, salads must feature in my week.

Last week I made chicken after a long time and I steamed it and then tossed it in a wonderful mint dressing. The flavors were very enjoyable and despite the frigid Johannesburg temperatures, I felt warm and full after I ate this.

The fiber in vegetables is what my body loves most. I work really hard on my gut health and salads always keeps my body balanced and happy.

Ingredients

4 cups baby spinach and lettuce

1/2 punnet cherry tomatoes, raw

2 peppers (I used red and green), raw

1 punnet mushrooms, sliced and grilled in a pan

2 chicken breast, steamed and diced

2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt (I use Gero)

1/2 avocado, cubed

1/2 apple, sliced

1 brinjal, sliced and grilled in the oven or fried in a pan

1 spiraled beetroot/carrot, raw

hemp seeds

sunflower seeds

sesame seeds

1/2 cup mint leaves

1/2 tsp salt

ground black pepper

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp chopped garlic

Method

1. Prepare chicken by steaming the breast, dicing and setting it aside.

2. In a pan, flash fry chopped mushrooms with 1 stem of fresh rosemary for 2 minutes and set aside. The mushrooms must not get soft.

3. Slice brinjal in rounds and either grill them on a George Foreman without oil, or in the oven on a baking sheet, also with no oil.

4. In a large bowl, arrange lettuce and spinach at the bottom.

5. In the center, add beetroot or carrots.

6. Line the rim of the bowl with brinjal rounds and scatter the warm mushrooms over the salad.

7. Add peppers, tomatoes, avo and apple to the bowl.

8. In a blender, whizz lemon juice, salt, black pepper, yogurt and mint together.

9. Halve the mixture.

10. Toss the chicken breast in one half before adding to the salad.

11. Scoop spoonfuls of the second half of the mint dressing on the salad.

12. Sprinkle with sesame, sunflower, and hemp seeds. You can add pumpkin seeds or cranberry’s to your bowl too.

13. Serve immediately.