MIXED SALAD with POMEGRANATE and SUMAC DRESSING

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 

QUINOA SALAD WITH FRESH SUMMER VEGETABLES

Another summer recipe on a winter’s day.  This quinoa dish seems to last forever. As a salad it filled up my friend and myself for lunch yesterday, as well as 4 of my family members tonight, and there is still ample servings left. If you haven’t tried quinoa before, this is the way to eat it; with lots of fresh, crisp vegetables, avocado and a nice dressing. Lentils were a pleasant last minute addition to the salad and made the dish more filling. You don’t have to sprinkle pine nuts on top of the salad, instead you could go without or use almonds, walnuts or orange slices to make it very summery.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup white quinoa 
• 1 1/2 cups water 
• sea salt 
• 2 heaped cups of red cabbage, shredded quite finely
• 2 heaped cups lettuce, shredded quite finely
• 1 large tomato, finely sliced 
• 1 x 400g tin of brown lentils, rinsed 
• 2 tablespoons pine nuts 
• 1 ripe avocado, roughly sliced into pieces

Salad Dressing

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced 
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon water, plus extra 
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 heaped tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
• sea salt 

COOKING 

1. Pour quinoa and water into a small saucepan with a pinch of sea salt. Bring to the boil, covered, then simmer for 8 minutes. Leave the saucepan for 5 minutes, then remove the lid and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Set aside to cool for a few minutes. 

2. Meanwhile, place the cabbage, lettuce, tomato, brown lentils, pine nuts and avocado in a large serving bowl. Make the salad dressing by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl and whisking to combine. If the salad dressing is too thick, try adding a little extra water. 

3. Scoop quinoa on top of the vegetables and then drizzle the dressing over the top. Toss well to combine. 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 17 minutes 

x E