ROAST SUMAC PUMPKIN SALAD

This versatile salad could also be used as a burrito filling, which I have used several times to make the meal more 'manly' for my husband. When it gets chilly I love nothing more than pumpkin and try to incorporate it into meals at least a few times a week, whether it be roasted, steamed or in soup form. Here's my take on a roast pumpkin salad with a zesty ground sumac & lemon rub. This salad also has a summery vibe as I'm not ready to let go of the warm weather yet! 

INGREDIENTS

• 900g pumpkin, peeled, seeded & cut into thin slices
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon ground sumac 
• the juice of 1 lemon
• 2 large handfuls of mixed lettuce leaves 
• 1 x 400g tin of 5 bean mix, rinsed & drained
• 50g reduced-fat feta (I used Danish), crumbled
• 1 small avocado, roughly chopped 

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Either toss the pumpkin slices, olive oil, sumac and the juice of half the lemon in a large bowl OR combine the oil, sumac and lemon juice in a small bowl and brush this over each pumpkin slice. Try not to overlap the pumpkin slices, however lay them very closely together so that you have room to fit all of them. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pumpkin is golden and tender but not mushy. 

2. Meanwhile, combine the mixed lettuce leaves, beans, feta and avocado in a large serving bowl. Drizzle the remaining lemon juice and ground black pepper on top. Once the pumpkin has roasted, leave to cool for a few minutes before carefully adding to the salad. You may not want to toss the pumpkin too much or it will become mushy. 

Serves  / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

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ROAST VEGETABLE SALAD

This colourful vegetable salad was inspired by a roast salad my beautiful cousin made for me whilst I was visiting her in Perth. Her salad was similar to this one and was paired with tender lamb and a divine homemade dressing. You are the inspiration for this meal Anne! This is also the ONLY way that I can get my fussy husband to eat a 'salad'- by roasting vegetables and serving it alongside a big hunk of meat. I have made this salad numerous times since and love eating it by itself. You can use any vegetables that you have on hand to roast as well, so its a wonderful way to clean out your fridge! 

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 700g sweet potato, peeled & cut into 4cm pieces 
• 2 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 2 medium garlic cloves, 1 unpeeled, the other peeled & finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground paprika
• ground black pepper & sea salt
• 2 zucchini, ends removed and chopped into 3-4cm rounds
• 1 head of broccoli, florets & stalk cut into even sided pieces
• 1 medium red onion, finely sliced
• several stems of fresh thyme, leaves removed & stems discarded, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 100g sliced mushrooms
• 3 large handfuls of baby spinach or mixed salad leaves 

Dressing

• 1 medium roasted garlic clove (see step 2. of cooking)
• 1 heaped tablespoon seeded mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• the juice of 1 medium lemon or lime
• water 

COOKING 

1. Preheat a fan force oven to 200 degrees celsius. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Combine the sweet potato, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, a pinch of sea salt & pepper and the unpeeled garlic clove in a large bowl and toss well. Using as little of the tray as possible, place the sweet potato and garlic clove in a single layer. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes. 

3. Whilst the potato is cooking, use the same large bowl to combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, the zucchini, broccoli and red onion and toss well. 

4. Depending on how much time you have this step could be done before or after Step 5 - Heat the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil in a small to medium frying pan over medium-low heat and swirl to coat. Add the chopped garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add the mushrooms, reducing the heat down to low. Cook the mushrooms for 3-4 minutes or until wilted. Remove from heat. 

5. Once the 15 minutes are up, remove the sweet potato tray from the oven and lower the heat to 180. Add the zucchini, broccoli & onion to the tray alongside the sweet potato, trying to keep the vegetables in a single tight layer if you can. If not you may need to use another oven tray. Return the tray to the oven and cook for another 15 minutes, then remove. The sweet potato, zucchini and onion should be tender but not mushy and the broccoli should be just slightly firm and charred.

6. Make the dressing. Remove the roast garlic clove from the oven tray and carefully squeeze the garlic out of the peel and mash it. In a screw top jar combine all the dressing ingredients including a splash of water and shake well to combine. I like to add a little more water to thin out the dressing and make it last. 

Place the roast vegetables in a large serving bowl and add the spinach leaves, tossing well to combine. Drizzle the dressing on to your liking. 

Serves / 6-8 as a side / 3- 4 as a main 
Total Preparation time / 15-20 minutes 
Total Cooking time / around 35 minutes 

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PAPRIKA CHICKEN with COUSCOUS SALAD

The inspiration for this salad came from a Farro & Quinoa Chicken Salad I had on a Qantas flight a few weeks ago. Whilst farro is delicious and has many health benefits, it is not as easily accessible as couscous, hence the change. I have made many salads with quinoa and wanted to mix things up with couscous, however you could substitute 1 cup couscous for 1 cup quinoa (make sure to thoroughly rinse the quinoa before cooking under cold water using a sieve, then bring the quinoa and 2 cups water to the boil over high heat, covered. Once boiled simmer for around 10 minutes or until all water is absorbed. Turn off the heat and leave the quinoa in the pan, covered, for 5 minutes, before fluffing with a fork). Nigella seeds are hard to come by in supermarkets, so I have used sesame and poppy seeds as an alternate. If you wanted to make this salad vegetarian, omit the chicken and add 400-450g lightly pan fried tofu. 

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 500g chicken breast, preferably free-range, cut into even strips
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 heaped teaspoons smoked paprika
• 1 cup couscous or 1 cup quinoa (then substitute 1 cup water for 2 cups)
• 1 cup water 
• a dash of sea salt
• 250g cherry tomatoes, halved or 1 large tomato, finely chopped 
• 1/2 a continental cucumber, diced 
• 2 generous handfuls of baby spinach, washed
• 2 cups frozen peas, thawed

Dressing

• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• a generous sprinkle of ground black pepper
• the juice of 1 lime
• water 
• 1 teaspoon sesame seeds & 1 teaspoon poppy seeds OR 2 teaspoons nigella seeds 

COOKING

1. Combine the chicken strips, 1 tablespoon oil and paprika in a medium bowl. Heat a grill plate or a large fry pan over medium high heat until warm, then add the chicken. Cook for around 5-6 minutes, turning the chicken pieces over after 2-3 minutes so that both sides of each strip are cooked. Turn off the stove and leave the chicken to rest for 5 minutes, then cut the largest strip in half to see if the chicken is cooked. (If the inside of the strip is white and no pink remains the chicken is cooked). 

2. Meanwhile, cook the couscous by combining 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon oil and a dash of sea salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil, covered, over medium-high heat, then remove from heat. Add the 1 cup couscous and stir vigorously until the ingredients are combined. Cover the pan and leave to stand for 2 minutes, then gently separate the grains with a fork. 

3. Place the cooked chicken and couscous in a large serving bowl, then add the tomatoes and baby spinach. 

4. Using the saucepan that the couscous was cooked in, fill it up one quarter of the way with water. Bring the water to the boil over high heat, covered, then add the peas and cook for 1 minute or until peas are tender but not mushy. Drain over cold running water, then add the peas to the salad. 

5. Whilst the water is boiling in step 4, make the dressing by combining all the ingredients and a splash of water in a cup. Stir well to combine and add more water if you would like a thinner consistency. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. 

Serves  / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / max 20 minutes 

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BEEF LETTUCE CUPS

I love this meal because it is fresh, light and oh so easy to make! This dish could also be called San Choy Bau, however I often make my Bau with either chicken or pork mince or a combination of both. I'm not going to lie to you; eating these cups is messy! However it is also very fun and is an incredibly light meal. Make sure to use extra lean beef mince to save on the calories. 

INGREDIENTS

Beef 

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

1 spring onion, finely chopped

500g extra lean beef mince  

Fillings

•  2 medium carrots, grated
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 Lebanese cucumber or 1/3 of a Continental cucumber, finely diced
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped
• 2 baby cos lettuces, each leaf washed and gently removed from the core so as not to break the leaf

Dressing

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 1/4 - 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• 2 tablespoons reduced-salt soy sauce or tamari
• the juice of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

COOKING 

1. Swirl 1 teaspoon of sesame oil in a medium fry pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and spring onion and cook for 1-2 minutes or until just starting to soften. Add the mince and cook, breaking up the lumps with a large spoon, for around 5 minutes or until the mince is browned and no red flesh remains. Remove from the heat. 

2. Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients with a few tablespoons of water and stirring well. 

3. Pour the carrots, tomatoes, cucumber and spring onion into the cooked beef and stir well to combine. You can either pour the dressing on top and toss well or you can individually serve the dressing in step 4. 

4. Assemble the cups by simply spooning the filling into each cup and pouring the dressing on top of each cup, if you have not followed step 3. Depending on how many lettuce leaves you have and on how much filling you serve into each cup, each person should be served 4-5 lettuce cups. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / max 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 7-8 minutes 

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SUSHI SALAD BOWL

I love fresh, bright and quick to prepare meals, hence this Sushi Salad Bowl is a favourite of mine. Having tried my hand at making sushi before, this is a much quicker and less painstaking process which tastes like the inside of my ideal sushi roll. You can play with the ingredients and add lemon, daikon, salmon, toasted seaweed, coriander etc or remove any ingredients below that you do not like/have on hand. I like to opt for a very simple, easy bowl. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup brown rice 
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar 
• 1 tablespoon rice bran oil / sesame oil 
• 2 green shallots, finely chopped, plus extra to serve 
• Optional - 15cm stick fresh lemongrass, finely chopped
• 3cm piece fresh ginger, finely grated
• 300g free range chicken breast, cut into 3cm even pieces 
• 150g green beans, cut into 2cm pieces 
• 150g red cabbage or wombok or a mixture of bowl, shredded 
• 1 medium carrot, finely grated
• 1 Lebanese cucumber or 1/2 continental cucumber, diced 
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced 
• 4 teaspoons white /black or a mixture of both (1 teaspoon for each serving) 

Dressing

• the juice of 1 medium lime 
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce 

COOKING 

1. Place rice and 2 1/2 cups water in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cover for around 12-15 minutes or until all water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Remove from heat and add the rice wine vinegar, then fluff the rice with a fork to stir it in. 

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, lemongrass (if using) and ginger and stir for 2 minutes, taking care not to burn the ingredients. Then add the chicken pieces and cook, stirring often for approximately 4-5minutes or until the chicken is cooked. 

3. Remove the chicken with the shallots, lemongrass and ginger from the pan and now add the beans and cabbage. Stir for around 3 minutes or until beans are slightly tender. 

4. Pour the dressing ingredients in a small bowl or mug along with 2 tablespoons water and stir well. 

5. Distribute the rice, carrot, cucumber, avocado, chicken and beans & cabbage into four bowls. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sesame seeds over each bowl and drizzle dressing over the top and serve. 

Serves / 4 
Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 
Total Cooking time / maximum 25 minutes 

THYME TURKEY with ROAST PUMPKIN

I love cooking with turkey as I actually like the taste more than chicken. I found a wonderful butcher at Greenslopes- Rock N Roll Butcher- that sells turkey steaks at a very reasonable price. This meal was created as I was walking my big kelpie; I tend to get my best cooking ideas when I am walking him, so we walk together everyday! 

Ingredients

• baking paper 
• 450g turkey steak, fat removed and cut into even pieces
• 1 heaped tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 heaped tablespoon lemon thyme or thyme leaves, fresh or dried, stems discarded 
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 400g pumpkin, deseeded, peeled and chopped into even 3cm pieces
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• a generous pinch of ground black pepper
• 1/2 a leek, white part only, finely chopped
• 4 handfuls of mixed lettuce, washed and roughly torn/chopped 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 220 degrees celsius. Line a medium to large baking tray with baking paper. 

2. Combine the turkey, mustard, thyme, vinegar and 1 teaspoon oil in a medium bowl, stirring well. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. 

3. Once the turkey is marinating, toss 1 teaspoon oil, pumpkin pieces, maple syrup and pepper in a medium bowl. Place in a single layer on the prepared baking tray and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender and / or just starting to become golden. 

4. Once the turkey had marinated for 8 minutes, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil in a medium frypan over medium-low heat and swirl to coat the pan. Add the leek and cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant and just starting to become golden. Remove from heat and add the turkey to the pan, keeping the heat over medium-low. Cook the turkey for 4 minutes, stirring often, then turn off the heat, cover the pan and leave the turkey to sit in the pan for 5 minutes. After this time pick the biggest few pieces of turkey and cut them in half, checking that the turkey is white and no longer pink. If it is still slightly pink, cook for another minute. 

5. Toss the cooked turkey, leek, pumpkin and lettuce in a large serving bowl. Serve with extra thyme leaves, if desired. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation & Cooking time / around 40 minutes 

QUINOA & TURKEY SALAD

This recipe just came to me as I was shopping for turkey mince this morning. Nothing makes me feel as full as quinoa, due to its high protein content. This wonder seed is also full of iron, magnesium and fibre, which makes it a great choice for vegetarians out there. The fresh or dried thyme is optional, however I urge you to include it, as this herb is a perfect paring with the turkey. Use ground black pepper instead of salt to flavour the turkey. You could add more vegetables to this salad if you wish, such as cucumber, green beans, etc. I find that with the avocado and herb/s in the dish there is no need for a dressing. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained twice
• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil 
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed 
• 500g lean turkey mince
• Optional - 1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme
• a generous pinch of ground black pepper
• 150g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 150g baby spinach, washed & drained 
• 1 small avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley, chives and/or coriander 

Cooking 

1. In a saucepan cover the quinoa with 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Fluff the cooked quinoa with a fork, then leave to cool slightly for a few minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the turkey mince to the pan along with the thyme (if using). Stir often, breaking down any lumps that form in the mince, until the mince is just cooked. Sprinkle the pepper on top and stir well, then leave to sit for 2 minutes.

3. Prepare the salad by combining the tomatoes, baby spinach, avocado and herb/s in a large salad/serving bowl. When the quinoa and turkey are ready, add to the bowl and toss well to combine. Serve warm, with a pinch more pepper if desired. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

HAM & TURKEY DIJON SALAD

I've become a great fan of super light dinners, as I do not get home any earlier than at least 8:45 four nights a week. This simple salad is such a dish. It is light, full of protein and vegetables and has a very zingy dressing. Even my salad hating fiancee Chris ate it and loved it! 

This salad is also great to eat on a terribly hot summers day, as the prep time is minimal and you don't have to slave in a hot kitchen. If you have other lean meats on hand you are welcome to use them. The mustard dressing is my favourite part of this dish. Ever since my dad started to make his own salad dressings, I have enthusiastically followed suit. The difference between homemade and store bought dressing is vast, as homemade dressing tastes a million times fresher. Try it out for yourself!

INGREDIENTS

Dijon Dressing 

• the juice of 1/2 a lemon
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed or finely chopped 
• 1 tablespoon water 

Salad

• 100g lean sliced turkey breast, chopped roughly into small pieces
• 100g lean sliced ham, chopped roughly into small pieces
• 100g cucumber, diced
• 2 tomatoes, diced 
• 2 generous handfuls of baby spinach 
• 1 handful of iceberg lettuce, torn 
• 50g low-fat feta, chopped into small pieces
• Optional- garnish with fresh herbs, such as finely chopped chives 

METHOD  

1. Place all dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake well to combine. 

2. Place all salad ingredients in a medium serving bowl and toss well to combine. Drizzle mustard dressing over the top of the salad and enjoy! 

Serves / 2 
Total Preparation time / 10 minutes max

MIXED SALAD with POMEGRANATE and SUMAC DRESSING

An oldie but a goodie: I posted this recipe on November 24th last year, whilst in the middle of a violent Brisbane storm! It's a salad that I go back to time after time. 

Thank goodness for the Brisbane storms, as I had no choice but to hang up my renovators' hat this afternoon and come home and cook. We all have something in our lives that helps us relax, that rejuvenates us and makes us feel like US again. For some people it is sex, for some it is reading, for some it may even be playing Playstation (oh my Chris you fall straight into this category). For me my way to unwind is cooking (and exercise). But when you can’t run or walk outside or drive to your Pilates studio, cooking quickly becomes the best option. I have sorely missed blogging about my daily dishes over the past few months and I will try my hardest to continue with at least a few dishes a week as my life continues to spin in crazy circles. Hope you enjoy this vibrant salad as much as I truly enjoyed creating and eating it. 

INGREDIENTS

Salad

• 2 generous handfuls of mixed 4 leaf lettuce
• 1 large tomato, finely diced
• 1/2 heaped cup red cabbage, roughly shredded
• 1 x 400ml tin of brown lentils, washed & drained
• 1 medium ripe avocado, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 large pomegranate, little jewels removed and insides discarded 
• 2 teaspoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 lime, cut into quarters

Dressing

• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon crushed garlic granules
• 1 teaspoon sumac
• juice of 1/4 of a lemon 
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons water 
• sea salt 

COOKING / PREPARATION 

1. Combine the lettuce, tomato, cabbage, lentils, avocado and pomegranate in a large bowl and toss well to combine. 

2. To make the dressing combine all ingredients in a small screw-top jar and shake well. Depending on how runny you want your dressing you can chose to add either 1 or 2 tablespoons of water (I used two). 

3. Pour the dressing over the salad, sprinkle the parsley and squeeze lime juice over the vegetables. Toss well. 

Serves / 2 as a main / 4 as a side 

Total Preparation / Cooking time / 15 minutes 

x Emily 

VIETNAMESE CHICKEN SALAD

This is the type of food that I love to eat. Fresh, filled with vegetables and light. My family often jokes that I (and most of them) were Asian in a past life as we could eat Vietnamese and Japanese cuisine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The idea for this grated / shredded salad was born from the Sarah Wilson 'I Quit Sugar for Life'. She has dedicated 2 pages to grated salads and I thought to myself 'what a great idea; I can feed these types of salads to Chris (my fiancé) without him really catching on that they are in fact salads, due to the various textures and potential for meat in the dishes. If you are looking for a heartier meal, toss in some rice vermicelli noodles. 

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 x 250g (or similar size) chicken breasts
• 3 cups finely shredded red cabbage
• 2 cups finely shredded wombok
• 2 medium carrots, finely grated
• 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
• Optional- a generous handful of finely chopped coriander, mint, chives and/or green shallots

Dressing

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• the juice of 1 large lime
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed 
• 2 tablespoons water

Cooking

1. Place the chicken breasts in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, covered, then simmer for 10 minutes. Turn off the stove and let the saucepan stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove the poached chicken from the pan and leave to cool for a few minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, make the dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir well. 

3. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred into small pieces. 

4. Combine the chicken pieces, cabbage, wombok, carrot, sesame seeds and herbs if using in a large serving bowl. Drizzle the dressing on top and toss well to combine. 

Serves / 4 as a light meal

Total Preparation time / 10 - 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 25 minutes approx. 

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GRATED BEETROOT, EDAMAME & BROCCOLI SALAD

Another grated salad for this week, this time featuring one of my favourite vegetables: Beetroot. I used to think that beetroot was a bit of a bitch to cook, however the health benefits of this root vegetable make its cooking time well worth it. 

Beetroot contains magnesium, iron, potassium, fibre, protein, antioxidants, vitamins A, B6, C and folic acid, among other vitamins and minerals! This purple vegetable plays a part in reducing blood pressure and the risk of heart attacks and strokes due to its high content of nitrates, which create a gas called nitric oxide in the blood that increases the size of blood vessels and lowers blood pressure. Beetroot also reduces the risk of osteoporosis, as it contains the mineral silica that supports the body to use calcium. This wonderful vegetable is basically fat free, low in calories and has a very low GL index, which means that it transforms into sugars very slowly in the body, hence stabilising blood sugar levels. Beetroot is comprised of soluble fibre, which has been shown to lower cholesterol. Beetroot also contains carotenoids and flavonoids, which prohibit bad cholesterol from accumulating in arteries. And an astounding benefit: a recent study revealed that the immense amount of nitrates in beetroot may be responsible for fighting the advancement of dementia, as one of the functions of nitric oxide in the blood is to increase blood flow to the brain.

So after that considerable list of only a few of beetroot's numerous health benefits, I suggest you get some in you!  

Ingredients

Salad

• 2 medium beetroot, skin peeled and cut in half
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• al foil
• 1 broccoli head, chopped into even-sized florets & stalk chopped
• 200g edamame, shelled & pods discarded
• 20g coconut flakes, toasted or raw
• 15g sunflower seeds
• 15g pepitas

Tahini Sour Dressing

• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 heaped tablespoon tahini
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped or crushed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• sea salt 

Cooking 

1. Preheat a fan forced oven to 200 degrees celsius. Wrap each beetroot half in foil and place in a medium deep baking tray with 2-3cm of water and 1 tablespoon olive oil in it. Roast in the oven for 35-45 minutes or until the beetroot halves are tender (that is, a knife can easily slide through them). Remove from the oven, remove from foil when cool enough to handle and leave to cool for a few more minutes. Once the beetroot is cool, grate the beetroot using gloves. 

2. Whilst the beetroot is roasting / cooling, make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients and whisking well. If the tahini is still clumpy after whisking, add a splash or two of water. 

3. Use the beetroot cooking time to shell the edamame from their pods, as well as cutting the broccoli and steaming it; bring a medium half full saucepan of water to the boil and place the broccoli florets and stalks in a sieve or colander on top of the pan. Steam for around 5 minutes, covered, or until the broccoli is just tender but not soggy. Remove from heat. 

4. Place the grated cooked beetroot, cooked broccoli, edamame, coconut, sunflower seeds and pepitas in a large serving bowl and toss to combine. Drizzle the tahini dressing over the top. 

Serves / 4 as a light meal
Total Preparation & Cooking time (as the preparation can be done whilst the cooking is happening) / around 1 hour. 

x Emily 

SWEET BROCCOLI SALAD with EDAMAME & QUINOA

This recipe is straight from the Arthur Street Kitchen cookbook ‘Community’ and is the tastiest way I have ever eaten quinoa! Initially I did not fancy quinoa much, so I have tried my hand with this grain in various ways, so trust me when I say that I have eaten it a lot. The sweet sauce is a revelation and whilst the ingredients may sound strange together, they work beautifully to create a slightly sweet, faintly sour and a somewhat nutty dressing. I have kept the recipe very similar to the original, just omitting all the oil and nigella seeds (as they are difficult to source). Black sesame seeds are delicious and can be found in all health food stores. Mirin is a sweet rice wine, similar to sake but with a lower alcohol content and a slightly sugary taste. Mirin seasoning is much more accessible, hence why I used it and is available from all major supermarkets. If you cannot find it, you can substitute it with rice wine vinegar. The edamame quality may look odd (227g), but it is exactly half of a standard packet of edamame that you can buy from all major supermakets (454g) in the frozen food aisle. This unique salad is great as a filling lunch and is impressive enough to be served as a vegetable dish at a dinner party. I myself ate it for dinner last night with a boiled egg on top.

P.S- Probably a good idea to explain what edamame is as well! Edamame is a type of bean commonly found in Taiwanese  Chines, Japanese, Indonesian and Hawaiian cuisine. It is a green soybean that are boiled or steamed and served with salt. They have recently found increasing popularity as a healthy food item, due to it's high iron (for a plant food), it's protein content and its substantial levels of vitamin C & A. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa (170-200g) 
• 1g (a pinch) of stevia
• 2 heads of broccoli (around 1kg), cut into similar-sized florets, with the stalks cut into small pieces
• 227g frozen edamame beans, thawed & podded
• 2 heaped tablespoons white sesame seeds
• 2 heaped tablespoons black sesame seeds
• a handful of fresh coriander leaves, washed 

Sweet sauce

• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 1 medium garlic clove, crushed or finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• a pinch of sea salt
• 1 heaped tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons mirin seasoning 

Cooking 

1. Rinse the quinoa well with cold water. Bring a medium saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil with the quinoa. Once boiled, reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all the water. Turn off the heat and leave the quinoa in the pot for 8 minutes, covered. After this time remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. 

2. Meanwhile, bring another medium / large saucepan of water to the boil, adding a pinch of sea salt and the stevia to the water. When boiled add the broccoli and cook for 3 minutes or until just tender. Add the podded edamame beans to the boiling water and cook for 1 minute, then remove the vegetables from the heat and drain in a large colander under cold water. 

3. Make the sweet sauce by whisking all the sauce ingredients together as well as a few tablespoons of water. You want the consistency of the sauce to be quite runny and easy to pour onto the salad, so carefully add more water as you see fit. The sauce should taste slightly sweet from the honey, slightly sour from the vinegar and a tad nutty in flavour from the tahini. 

4. Place the quinoa on a large serving plate or in a large bowl. Add the broccoli edamame mixture and 1/2 of the sesame seeds and toss well to combine. Sprinkle the remaining sesame seeds and coriander leaves over the salad and pour the sauce on top. Enjoy! 

Serves / 4 - 6

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes maximum 

x Emily