Hot weather, the cricket and big bowls of salads

Snaps for me - I'm more than a week in to my new year's resolution of 'better living' (I don't want to label it with a diet, or put pressure on the whole exercise regime!) and I'm still going strong!

I was, however, tested last week when JC, Spinks and I headed to the Twenty20 Big Bash at Adelaide Oval to see the Redbacks take on the Bushrangers. Love my cricket. Stifling weather conditions made it tough going at the Oval and the awkward timing of 6.30pm - 9.30pm meant we'd get home too late for dinner. All this on top of the need to eat 'better'!

JC is as big a foodie as me and I knew that nothing we could buy at the ground would compare to what she could knock up herself. A chiko roll or bag of hot chips? I don't think so!

So taking all of this into consideration, I offered to prepare dinner boxes for the three of us. So much fun! Wednesday night was spent in the kitchen, mixing up all sorts of goodies to knock their socks off. Think sexy salads - minus the Barbie.

I settled on Vietnamese noodle salad (thank you late night Nigella foxtel marathon!) with spinach, avocado, macadamia and lime salad with smoked salmon. Yum! So light and so good! I packed them up in big plastic containers, then served them at the cricket in noodle boxes with funky wooden disposable cutlery and cute Ikea napkins.

Suffice to say, I think they were impressed!

Vietnamese noodle salad (all measurements are guestimates - it's all about taste!)

Dressing

1 tspn grated ginger

1 clove garlic crushed

juice of half to a full lime

1 red chilli finely chopped, seeds removed

2Tbspns water

splash sesame oil

1tspn olive oil

1Tbspn fish sauce

shake of sugar

cellophane or vermicelli noodles, cooked

two spring onions, chopped

big handful of sugar snap peas or snow peas, blanched

big handful of bean sprouts, blanched

coriander

half red capsicum, thinly sliced

meat (optional - stifried or poached thinly sliced chicken is good, or shrimp)

1. Combine all dressing ingredients. This can store in the fridge for ages, so great idea to perhaps double it and keep in a jar.
2. Cook your noodles as per the packet instructions - usually just means soaking in boiling water.
3. Toss your noodles with all the vegetables.
4. Drizzle over the dressing and combine well.
5. Serve with extra coriander on top.

Spinach, avocado, lime and macadamia salad

Dressing

rind of half to one lime

juice of one lime

2Tbspn macadamia oil

salt and pepper to taste

4 big handfuls of spinach leaves

1 small bag of dry roasted macadmia nuts

half to full avocado, spooned out

any extra greens if you want (like cucumber, spring onions etc but I like it simple)

1. Toss all ingredients together. Great served with smoked salmon.
   
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