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. 
ng 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 

FRESH PASTA SALAD WITH PARSLEY & LEMON

The weather in Brisbane has been solemn and dreary at best this week. The sun teases up, peeking ever so slightly out of the clouds, then disappearing behind them again, playing an abysmal game of peek-a-boo. But I am not letting that dampen my cooking. Over the past 6 weeks or so, I have experimented with lots of soups, curry’s and warm rice dishes, and I have to say, whilst I enjoy comfort food, I am so ready for spring/summer and the delicious food it brings with it. I was sitting on my couch, watching the rain patter down my windows this afternoon and could only think of summer. Bbq’s, bright summer salads, cold chicken cuts and an array of sorbets flashed across my mind. To take myself out of this summer lovin funk I was experiencing, I made the incredibly simple, yet tasty dish below.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g gluten-free pasta 
• 2 generous handfuls of baby spinach, washed and drained
• 2 large or 3 medium tomatoes, finely sliced
• 1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans, washed & drained well
• sea salt & cracked black pepper

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons 99% fat free mayonnaise (Praise makes a gluten-free & dairy-free one)
• 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• water, around 2 tablespoons

COOKING 

1. Bring a large saucepan of water and a few sprinkles of salt to the boil, covered. Add pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, uncovered, for around 6-7 minutes or until pasta is tender. (You may need to taste test to find out when pasta is cooked). Remove from heat and drain well, rinsing with cold water twice. 

2. Meanwhile, combine cut tomatoes, beans and baby spinach in a large serving bowl. Make salad dressing by coming the three ingredients and stirring well to combine. Add water to the dressing to decrease the thickness of the mayonnaise. 

3. Pour cooked pasta into the salad serving bowl, toss with the vegetables and sprinkle with sea salt & black pepper. Drizzle dressing on tip and toss well to combine. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 6 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 12-13 minutes (including time to boil the water)

x E

SATURDAY SALAD

Being a child of four and coming from a huge Dutch family, I have craved solitude for as long as I can remember. I love nothing more than being social, and have a very social job. However, when I come home after talking constantly at work from 5am until 3pm or later, there is nothing I want more than to be alone for a few minutes (of course alone means being with my gorgeous 9 month old puppy Buddy). I had a rare weekend night alone last Saturday, no plans at all. When I don’t have to cook for anyone but myself, I really enjoy experimenting with salads (and then treating myself to dessert after). This Saturday Salad was a simple 8pm creation with radishes (a vegetable I had never tried before) and was rather satisfying as well as being pleasing on the eyes.

INGREDIENTS
Salad

• 2 eggs, softly boiled (bring a small saucepan of water and eggs to the boil. As soon as water has boiled, turn off the stove and leave eggs for 4 minutes. Place eggs in cold water and gently peel away eggshell). 
• sea salt 
• 1/2 a ripe avocado, roughly chopped
• 1 tomato, sliced finely into wedges
• 1/4 of a bunch of easter-egg radishes, washed and cut into thin slices
• a generous handful of baby spinach, washed 

Dressing

• 1 teaspoon grape seed oil or any type of oil 
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon lime juice 

PREPARATION

1. Combine the avocado, tomato, baby spinach and radish slices in a medium bowl. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and drizzle over the salad, tossing well. Add the softly boiled eggs on top of the salad, halving them if you wish. Sprinkle sea salt over the top. 

Serves / 1- 2 

Total Preparation time /  14 minutes (including softly boiling the eggs). 

x E