Beating high blood pressure with sweet-and-sour duck salad

With ripe nectarines, red grapes, peppery lettuces and slices of tender grilled duck, this is a particularly pretty salad. The unusual dressing complements and brings together all the ingredients. It also contains plenty of calcium, magnesium and potassium which help heart health. Here's a great recipe that will help you make this healthy salad at home.

Preparation time about 1 hour, plus cooling

Serves 4

Salad

• 250 g (1 c) mixed basmati and wild rice
• 500 g (1 lb) skinless, boneless duck breasts
• 10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil
• 500 g (2 c) watercress, tough stalks discarded
• 250 g (1 c) seedless green grapes, halved
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
• 4 nectarines
• 8 radicchio leaves or other red salad leaves
• 45 ml (3 tbsp) toasted pumpkin seeds
• Pepper to taste

Dressing

• 5 ml (1 tsp) grated fresh ginger
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) apricot jam
• 10 ml (2 tsp) raspberry or white wine vinegar
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) hazelnut oil

1. Cook the rice in a small pot of boiling water, according to the package instructions, until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, then transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.

2. Heat a ridged grill pan. Meanwhile, remove all excess fat from the duck breasts and brush them on both sides with the olive oil. Place on the grill pan and cook over a moderately high heat for 3 minutes on each side (the meat will be rare, so cook longer if you prefer it well done). Allow the duck breasts to cool.

3. To make the dressing, put the ginger, garlic, apricot jam, vinegar and hazelnut oil in a small bowl and stir to combine. Season with salt to taste.

4. Chop half the watercress and add to the rice together with the grapes, scallions and celery. Drizzle over half the dressing and mix gently.

5. Cut the duck breasts into thin slices. Thinly slice the nectarines. Arrange the radicchio and reserved watercress leaves on 4 plates and divide the rice salad among them. Arrange the duck and nectarine slices on top, drizzle over the remaining dressing and sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds.

Grilled Duck, Sweet Potato and Apple Salad

• Cook 725 grams (1 1/2 pounds) peeled and cubed sweet potatoes in enough boiling water to cover, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well and cool slightly.
• For the dressing, stir 37 millilitres (2 1/2 tablespoons) each reduced-fat mayonnaise and plain, low-fat yogurt with 15 millilitres (1 tablespoon) Dijon mustard in a small bowl. Core and chop 1 large apple and toss with 30 millilitres (2 tablespoons) lemon juice in a large mixing bowl. Add 3 celery stalks and 4 scallions, all thinly sliced, and stir in the dressing. Fold in the sweet potatoes and the hot sliced duck. Serve warm on a bed of mixed salad leaves.
• Use 4 peaches instead of the nectarines.

Nectarines are high in vitamin C, fibre and beta-carotene (the darker the colour of the flesh, the higher the carotenoid content). They also offer B-complex vitamins.

Each serving provides:

Key nutrients: 600 Calories, 180 Calories from Fat, 20 g Fat, 4 g Saturated Fat, 0 g Trans Fat, 41 g Protein, 68 g Carb, 6 g Fibre, 135 mg Sodium

Blood pressure nutrients: 35 mg Vitamin C, 130 mg Magnesium, 1141 mg Potassium, 69 mg Calcium