75
NUTRITION
Truck & Driver Summer 2019
salads to last the week, whereas
£6 might buy you two in a service
area outlet. I also enjoy snacking
on other veg – such as peppers,
cucumber and tomatoes – while
driving. And for more of a protein
hit, try the satisfying snack of
hard-boiled eggs.
As for something more filling
for lunch, well, anything goes
really. Chicken thighs roasted at
home make a great lunch when
eaten cold; much nicer than
breast as they are more
flavoursome and, in my opinion,
survive the transition from hot to
cold better than breast. It’s much,
much cheaper to buy the chicken
raw and cook at home than it is
to buy it cooked from a shop.SALADS
However, this column wouldn’t be
complete without a recipe or two,
so this month it’ll be salads.
Anyone can make a salad, I’m
just here to give you some
suggestions. First, one of my
all-time favourites and also one
of the simplest – a caprese
salad, which is basically tomato,
mozzarella, basil, salt, pepper
and olive oil and, if you fancy,
balsamic vinegar.
Always try and keep tomatoes
at room temperature, it’s much
better for their flavour, and use
the best-quality olive oil you can
find, fresh basil and good-quality
sea salt flakes, for their texture
as much as their flavour. As with
any salad, just slice the tomatoesNext
month!For our August
issue, Luke picks
out a selection of
quality tinned foods
that you can keep
in the cab and use
at any time to make
something tasty
within minutes.and mozzarella, arrange artfully
in your storage tub (since you
are making it to take to work!),
tear the basil leaves over it and
liberally apply the pepper and
sea salt. Hold off on the olive oil
and balsamic vinegar, however.
As with any salad dressing, if you
are making it to eat later, keep
the dressing separate and apply
just before eating. There’s
nothing worse than a soggy,
floppy salad that’s been
swimming in dressing all day.
As for other salads, the world
is your oyster. I always have a
base salad that I create
everything from – lettuce,
peppers, cucumber and
tomatoes – then add what I fancy
from there on in. You can go
simple with cooked chicken or
ham, add some crunchy bacon
bits for texture, or add more
interesting things.
Two of my favourite salad
ingredients are pomegranate
seeds, they taste great and add
a lovely crunch, and sweetfire
baby beetroot, which is beetroot
marinated in chilli. You can go
fancier still and add smoked
salmon, prawns or even crayfish
(a favourite of mine), always
lovely on a salad. Alternatively,
go more simple and have
hard-boiled eggs; like I say,
anything goes, it’s all down to
personal taste.
As are dressings. While I
generally prefer doing everything
myself, when it comes todressings it’s usually a lot easier
to buy them pre-made. They’re
cheap, too, and you’ll have the
bottle to keep it in till you are
ready to dress your salad. Honey
and mustard goes particularly
well with chicken and French
dressing complements most
things but, as ever, there is a
wide choice so there is
something for everyone.
Also, as with the pomegranate
seeds, don’t be afraid to be a
little more
adventurous and
add some fruit to
salads. Depending
on the salad and
the dressing, fruit
such as grapes and
finely sliced apple
can work wonders
on a salad. For a
more savoury hit,
try cheese; from a
grating of Parmesan
FOLLOW LUKEYou can follow Luke on his
YouTube channel, Twitter
@lukevernon, Instagram
lorrydriverdotcom and
Facebook lorry-driver.comTomato and mozzarella saladParmesan and crusty bread saladover the top to slices of good old
cheddar, cheese can be amazing
in a salad.
That’s it, really. Experiment,
find out what you like. People
think salads are boring, and if
you’ve only ever bought
pre-prepared ones, I can see
why. Start making them for
yourself and you’ll see that they
can often be the tastiest (and
healthiest) dish of the day!