Lunch At Uncle Pete's, Paul Street

This is one of the best salads in Cork. I challenge you to find a better one. Uncle Pete's is kind of a hidden gem of Cork, they do some incredible pizzas and pasta, but they also do amazing salads. When I worked in the city centre, I was in there at least a couple of times a week.

This Warm Chicken Salad With Bacon is just delightful. Generous pieces of chicken fillet in their own coating, tasty pieces of bacon, tomato, red onion, fresh lettuce leaves and a huge amount of paremesan shavings covered with a delicous fresh, caesar dressing.

I'll be honest, when I'm feeling naughty or taking a break from being a carb-conscious individual- Uncle Pete's Pizzas* are one of my top choices, but you know what? Ordering their salads for delivery is pretty awesome, if you can't be arsed to cook. Low carb food for delivery is a pretty rare thing here.

The food is tasty, the staff are friendly and helpful. Follow them on Facebook or order from Just Eat.

*My jam is a margherita pizza with pepperoni, onions and Italian sausage.

Lunch At O'Briens, Wilton

I found myself on the go for most of today, so had to grab a quick lunch in Wilton Shopping Centre. Honestly, it's not a great place for low-carb options; the restaurants offer lots of sandwiches/ bagels/ chips/ lasagnes etc. I decided to try my luck at O'Briens, near the Tesco entrance.

I opted for the turkey club salad and I was pretty happy when it arrived. There was a good amount of bacon and cheese on the plate (vital fats for keeping hunger at bay!), though the turkey was processed and a little rubbery. While it wasn't the most amazing salad I have ever had, it did the job and kept me going for the rest of the day. Worth trying the next time you find yourself starving in Wilton!

Lunch At Perry Street Market Cafe

I recently had lunch at Perry Street Market Cafe and really enjoyed it. The salads on their menu board all seemed to have potato or some other carbohydrate so I just asked for a mixed plate of meat and salads and the staff were happy to oblige. I got chicken breast and a choice of three salads and everything was delicious and very fresh.

My only complaint would be that the plate was HUGE and there was far too much food- I ended up leaving almost half the salads after me. Including a drink, this lunch was a little on the pricy side at about €12 so it really was a shame to have to leave so much behind.

You can see their TripAdvisor reviews here and follow them on Facebook here.

Teriyaki Beef Salad

Trying to keep salads varied and interesting can be tough, especially if you're having them for both lunch and dinner. For me, this teriyaki beef salad is a real winner.
If you can, plan ahead and allow the beef to marinate overnight for the full flavour experience.

Ingredients
For the marinade (makes enough for 2 steaks):
1 cup soy sauce (soy sauce can be surprisingly high in sugar. if you can find a sugar free version go for it, otherwise try the Kikkoman brand.
1 cup water
3/4 cup Stevia or other sugar alternative
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup dried onion flakes
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

For the salad:
Handful of Rocket
Thinly sliced Radishes
Thinly sliced Cucumber

1 striploin steak per person (about 1/2 inch thickness)
1 teaspoon of sesame seeds to garnish

Method
1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together in one bowl. Place your steaks in a plastic freezer bag and pour over with the sauce. Tie off the top of the bag and shake well to ensure an even coating.

2. Ideally you'd allow the steak to sit in the bag overnight in the fridge. If time is scarce then just an hour or two in the fridge will be okay, but to get the best of the flavours plan ahead and give it the full night!

3. After marinating, take the steaks out of the bag and save the leftover marinade.

4. Heat a small amount of vegetable or peanut oil in a hot frying pan and sear the steaks on both sides. Give it 3-4 minutes per side for a medium-done steak.

5. After frying, wrap the steaks in tinfoil and allow to stand.

6. Add the leftover marinade to the hot pan and allow to simmer for a minute or two. It should reduce to a nice thick sauce that you can dribble over.

7. Slice the steak and erve with a simple salad, for me the rocket/ cucumber/ radish combination is perfect with this steak. Pour over your marinade reduction and garnish with the sesame seeds for a little crunch.

Pulled Pork Belly Salad

This Pork Belly salad is a great option for warmer days, and is my favourite type of food to make- the type that you can leave in the oven and forget about for a few hours. The barbeque sauce gives the meat a smokey, sweet taste and pulled pork is always impressive to serve to guests.

Pro-Tip: If you're looking for a salad dressing to go with this I'd recommend Nash 19's homemade (restaurant-made?) Citrus and Poppy Seed Dressing. You can pick up a bottle in the shop for €3.95 and it lasts in the fridge for ages.

Ingredients

1 Pork Belly

Barbeque Sauce

Salad Dressing

Mixed Leaves

Cashews (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160/320 degrees. Place the pork belly on a roasting tray, with the fat side facing up. For this recipe I don't season the pork at all before putting it in the oven, just put it straight in.

2. The cooking time will vary according to the size of the pork belly, but an average size joint (about 1 kg) will take roughly 4 hours at 160/320 degrees. You will know it's ready when the meat comes away easily.

3. Once you take it out of the oven, turn the heat up to 200/395 degrees. 

4. Using two forks, pull the meat apart into stringy pieces. Place in an oven-proof dish.

5. Coat the meat sparingly in your choice of barbeque sauce, I like Jack Daniels, Try to choose a brand with a low sugar content.

6. Put the pork back into the oven for ten minutes to crisp.

7. Once ready, allow to cool slightly and serve with a mixed leaf salad. If you'd like to add a bit of texture sprinkle with a few roughly crushed cashews.