Hooray, it's the new year! However, there's no doubt some of us over-indulged during the festive period, and I for one am certainly not excempt from blame. So, like many others across the world, now is the time where I feel like I could benefit from bucking up my ideas and getting healthy again. 

Excerise is one of the many popular January undertakings, but it's no good if bad stuff is going into your body. Today we're going to look at a healthy recipe that's really simple to whip up. A blend of fresh vegetables might just be the thing that your body needs after all that booze and cake, so this recipe features no meat. Just good ol' greens.  

Chargrilled Mediterranean Vegetable Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients 

1 small aubergine

salt and freshly ground 

black pepper

1 medium onion

2–3 garlic cloves

2 small red peppers 

1 large courgette

4 medium tomatoes

2 tbsp olive oil

175 g/6 oz assorted salad leaves

175 g/6 oz feta cheese

50 g/2 oz black olives, preferably pitted

For the dressing:

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Method 

1. Rinse the aubergine and discard the stalk end. Slice thinly. Layer the slices in a colander and sprinkle with a little salt. Leave for 30 minutes to allow the bitter juices to run out. Rinse and pat dry with absorbent kitchen paper.
2. Peel the onion and slice, then peel and crush the garlic. Cut the peppers into quarters, discard the seeds and cut into small pieces.
3. Trim the courgette and slice thinly, then cut the tomatoes into quarters. Place all the vegetables in a large bowl, pour over the oil and toss until all the vegetables are lightly coated in the oil.
4. Rinse the salad leaves and shake off any excess water, then arrange in a serving dish and reserve. Drain the feta cheese, cut into dice and reserve.
5. Heat a large griddle pan and add the vegetables. (You may need to do this in batches or use a large, nonstick frying pan.) Cook for 12–15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are lightly charred. Stir the feta cheese into the vegetables, then place on top of the salad leaves with the olives. Mix the olive oil and balsamic vinegar together and drizzle over the top, then serve.

This is just one of many great simple recipes in our book Healthy Salads (ISBN: 9781783612437). Available now from our website. 

Links

• Keep on top of your new year's resolutions by checking out these helpful tracking apps for your mobile phone.
• For advice on how to choose the best fresh produce, click here. 
• Want some salad advice boiled down to just 6 simple steps? No problem.