Fresh, crunchy and juicy recipes to try

Fresh, crunchy and juicy foods are all I ever want to eat when the weather becomes warmer. I am also mindful that these foods must be nutritious.

Being intentional about eating healthier is wonderful but also frustrating, coming up with different and exciting ways to eat certain foods can be a little exhausting. For instance, last week I stumbled across a TikTok recipe for a spinach wrap. The creator stated that all you needed was a cup of spinach and two eggs, which you would blend together until smooth and then of course pan fry.

It went horribly wrong but it wasn’t a train smash. I ended up with spinach eggs or eggy spinach, whichever way you want to look at it. Now you’re probably wondering why anyone would even try that? Because it’s fun and once you accept, online recipes are like a lucky packet, you become braver and surprise yourself with your own creativity.

I salvaged the situation by chopping a tomato, an avocado and toasted some chickpeas in the airfryer to create the most divine salad. All it needed was a squeeze of lemon juice and some salt and pepper seasoning and I was in heaven.

But if you’re not so adventurous and you’re about to give up in despair, here are some recipes you can try for some light refreshing dishes without the worry that you’ll end up with a dubious internet recipe for something  you’re not sure of.  

Avocado, Feta, Olive and Melon Salad – by the South African Avocado Growers’ Association (SAAGA)

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 avocados, peeled, stoned and sliced
• 700 g watermelon, peeled and cubed
• 1 red onion, finely sliced
• 200 g firm feta, crumbled
• 20 black olives, pitted
• 1 bunch fresh mint, roughly chopped
• Micro greens to garnish
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• Lime wedges to serve

For the dressing

• 30 ml (2 tbsp) balsamic reduction
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) avocado or olive oil

Method: Arrange the avocado and watermelon on individual plates or a large platter, scatter with the red onion slices, crumbled feta and olives. Garnish with mint leaves, and micro greens, a grinding of pepper and drizzle with oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Plum Smoothie Bowl  – By Zola Nene for Juicy Delicious

Makes 2

Ingredients

3 plums, chopped

1 peach/nectarine, chopped

1/4 cup plain yoghurt

1 tsp vanilla

Honey to taste

2 Tbsps mixed seeds

1 cup crushed ice

1/2 cup peach juice

Method: Combine ingredients in a blender, blend until smooth then transfer into serving bowls. Top with sliced plums and seeds to serve.

Quinoa, Beans, Corn Avo and Rice Salad – by Capsicum Culinary Studio

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa

1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

1 can sweetcorn

1 red onion, chopped

1 avocado, chopped

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 red pepper

¼ cup fresh coriander, chopped

For the dressing

¾ cup olive oil

⅓ cup red wine vinegar

1 tbs chilli powder

2 cloves garlic, mashed

½ tsp sea salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

Method: Mix the quinoa, pinto beans, kidney beans, corn, avo, red onion, brown rice, red bell pepper, and cilantro in a large serving bowl. Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, chili powder, garlic, salt, black pepper, pour over the quinoa mixture and toss to coat. Cover bowl with clingfilm and refrigerate for two hours to allow flavours to blend. Toss salad before serving.

Frozen Lemon Margaritas – by Capsicum Culinary Studio

Ingredients (per glass)

60ml tequila

30ml Cointreau

2 large lemons, squeezed

1 cup ice

1 tbsp coarse salt

1 tbsp agave syrup

Method: Pour the juice from two large lemons into a blender and add the ice, tequila, agave syrup, Cointreau and a pinch of salt and blend until smooth. Add more ice if needed and blend again. Pour salt into a round, shallow saucer, slide a slice of lemon around the rim of a glass then dip into the salt so the whole rim is coated with salt. Pour in the frozen mix, garnish with a slice of lemon and serve!