RUSTIC PUMPKIN QUINOA SALAD

Pumpkin and sage are like the beach and ice cream; they just go together. This quinoa salad has a wintery feel to it with the use of root vegetables. I love the slight sweetness & naughtiness of the maple syrup as a scant dressing. This was just a thrown together lunch for a good friend popping over, until I observed how my meat-loving fiancée devoured it with gusto. Loving this colder weather as it means I can experiment with robust ingredients to create good ole comfort food that is healthy and nutritious.

Ingredients

• 600g pumpkin (weighed when chopped), cut into even 1-2 cm pieces, skin removed & seeds peeled
• 1 large turnip, cut into even 1-2cm pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 red onion, cut into thin wedges
• a handful of fresh sage, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground sage
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (liquid form)
• sea salt & ground black pepper

• 1 cup quinoa 
• 40g goat's feta, crumbled into small pieces
• 2 tablespoons organic maple syrup

Cooking 

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

2. Toss the pumpkin, turnip, garlic, onion, fresh & ground sage, oil and salt & pepper in a large mixing bowl, then arrange in a single layer on the baking tray. Roast in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until tender and slightly golden. 

3. Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa with cold water twice. Place the quinoa in a small saucepan with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until all the water has evaporated. Leave for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. 

4. Place the roasted vegetables and cooked quinoa in a large serving bowl. Add the goat's feta and maple syrup and toss well to combine. Serve warm with fresh sage leaves, if desired. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 30 minutes 

x Emily