Arabic fattoush my way

I had a great weekend. 

It’s a creme de la creme part y evening at a  posh location. Men, women walk in wearing their designer ‘closet’. The party gets happier and while the men discuss who is getting Expo 2020, no prices for guessing, women talk about who shed and who lost- of course – weight. The blabber goes.. Hey Natasha, ‘ you look hot.. you have lost so much weight.. how did you do that?’, ‘ don’t be silly, I have gained 2 kilos since you saw me last’ . At the other table- ‘ O my my.. look at you.. someone has been working hard-    ‘ no way.. haven’t gone to gym for a month and have been hogging’ is the reply. 

If there were no weight issues.. what would woman talk , I sometimes wonder. 

To share my weight issues- I was size XL after I gave birth to my daughter  and now I am size Small.  I put in lot of hard work , both for my diet and exercise. Along the way, I made my own salads which I could enjoy, since eating them could be quite mundane. I am sharing a recipe which is my all time favorite.I can guarantee that you would love it too. 

I am sharing some tips which helped me to loose weight as well here. First the tips  and then the recipe for  salad.

1.     Start your day with a bowl of sprouts salad (sprouts, chopped  tomatoes, coriander leaves and cucumber). Avoid adding salt.

2.     Add a handful of nuts  to your mornings as well      ( pistachios, almonds and walnuts)

3.     Do not add sugar to your beverages ( tea, milk, coffee)

4.     Consume your Carbohydrates (breads, rice, potatoes, pasta) by afternoon. Reduce your carbohydrates intake from the current level.

5.     Eat a big bowl of salad everyday (this is other than sprout salad in the morning). Either lunch or supper.( Lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, radish). Avoid any ready dressing.

6.     Have your fruits followed by some yoghurt- this will keep the appetite under control. Sometimes, after fruits one tends to have a hunger spike.

Fattoush- my way

This is a salad which made me full for at least 3-4 hours. Its got vegetables and carbohydrates. It even  tastes delicious and I did not get  bored of it. 

This is also a  salad which my husband loves to carry for his lunch box. He has been eating it for last 3 years, at least twice a week ­and doesn’t seem to have had enough of it.

Lets get started.

Take the serving bowl in which you wish to serve. I use the lunch box since it’s mostly packed for lunch.  Throw in some diced cucumber and bell peppers. 
Wash lettuce leaves and spin in salad spinner. 

 

Now fold one leave into a roll and break it with your hand. Do not use knife. Layer the lettuce. 

Chop 3-4 cherry tomatoes and place on top. Add few slices of jalapenos. Add 2-3 tsp of jalapenos water as well.

Cut cubes of low fat Feta cheese and place on top.

 

Take some olive oil and lightly heat it. Add dried mixed herbs and pour on the salad.  Before eating, gently mix  so that the vegetables are coated with the cheese.

Now the fattoush chips-

I make my own flat bread. I roast it crisp- very crisp and break into chips. It tastes delicious and doesn’t use the oil which  pita bread is fried into for traditional fattoush. Any flour can be used (multigrain, wholemeal). Sprinkle the chips over the salad and serve.

I have used many pictures here. Hope you find them useful and appetizing. 
If you enjoyed the recipe, then take a moment to leave a comment.