Can Salad be Sexy? Why yes, yes it can.

One of the biggest qualms a lot of folks have with the general concept of "going healthy" is that they understand that a natural part of it involves munching on obscene amounts of fruits, vegetables and other foods otherwise deemed suitable for bunnies.

In fact, most people view salads as a bland collection of leafy cardboards that's meant to act as a filler in place of that long missed double Big Tasty burger with extra sauce. (Don't deny you drooled a little bit and contemplated dialing 19991 - you weakling)

Why is that so? Because you're afraid to experiment! Most of us have a standard concept of salad as consisting of equal parts, lettuce, cucumber, tomato, carrots and the occasional colored pepper or onion thrown in for good measure. Luckily for you, you couldn't be farther from the truth.

One of the good - and few - things about living in Egypt is that we enjoy seasonally shifting vegetables that are - believe it or not - much less hormonally altered than their counterparts in the West. Seriously, Google "cucumber" images and gaze at the ridiculous gargantuan size of those thing in the States. I have it on good authority that the majority of fruits and vegetables over there are somewhat tasteless as well. Undoubtedly on account of decades of genetic manipulation to achieve the desired size over flavor.

Recommended Basic Salad Ingredients:

• Lettuce (various types exist)
• Frisee lettuce
• Lola Rosa
• Asparagus
• Endives (Grilled)
• Pak Choi (Steamed)
• Green beans
• Zucchini
• Cherry tomatoes
• Cabbage (red or white)
• Cucumbers
• Tomatoes
• Colored bell peppers
• Onions
• Carrots
• Chives
• Parsley
• Sprouts
• Arugula
• Spinach
• Mustard leaves
• Basil
• Mint

You can add numerous items to this pot of green and colors to add fat and protein which can include the following:

• Avocados
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Apple cider vinegar
• White vinegar
• Grape vinegar
• Tuna (in brine not in oil!)
• Salmon (Steamed/Grilled/Roasted/Pan seared)
• Roast beef
• Sirloin steak
• Roast chicken
• kidney beans
• Eggs
• Mixed nuts

You get the idea. Salad doesn't have to be a standard roll-out product which you have to chew through while indulging in some serious self-loathing. You can spice it up, mix it up and twist it around. Think of you salad bowl as your creative playground in the kitchen. The possible combinations are endless.

You might be already wondering about half of the salad ingredients listed above, citing having never seen them in even the fanciest of Egyptian supermarkets; and you wouldn't be mistaken. You see, aside from the basic elements, I've stumbled onto a treasure chest right here in Egypt which can help me get my much sought after exotic - and more importantly - organic vegetables right here in Cairo!

I recently stumbled upon Makar Farms (https://www.facebook.com/MakarFarmsEG) and you can place orders for their amazing weekly baskets (worth EGP 100 + EGP 20 for delivery charges) to your doorstep by liking their Facebook page and sending them a message with your details and order. They also showcase their fresh produce every Saturday at NUN in Zamalek if you're keen to take a closer look!

Their baskets' content changes every week as the seasons progress and can include various types of exotic lettuce such as Frisee lettuce, Lola Rosa, as well as colored Broccoli, multi-colored tomatoes, asparagus, endives and others. It's well worth the investment to get into that!

But getting the right salad isn't just about a successful mix and match, spicing up your salad needs the right spices as well!

Off the top of my head, these are the must-have spices which are always on my kitchen rack and always in my salad!

• Paprika
• Chili powder
• Black seeds
• Chia seeds
• Flax seeds
• Powdered ginger
• Black pepper
• Powdered garlic
• Cumin
• Sea salt
• Five spices
• Italian seasoning

Obviously you aren't meant to use all the above concurrently, the combination of all of them could prove disastrous, but they do serve as a pretty handy guide for starters. You can select the right ones based on your choice of salad, the type of protein present and many other factors such as taste. Again many of these may not be readily available in Egypt (flax or Chia) but if you know anyone coming from the States or Europe or even Dubai they can easily fit a nice 1kg bag in their suitcase for you.

Don't be afraid to experiment with your salad. Trust your salad. Take your salad by the hand. Let her guide you. Let her show you how to do her good. 

Become a salad freak.