I like soup - but there comes a point in the colder months when I feel a little "souped" out! At the beginning of the week I do a bit of a cook up to make sure when I need to prepare food with limited time, that I have plenty to reach for. This includes baking pumpkin or sweet potato, roasted cauliflower florets, grains like quinoa (mmm...really a seed that cooks like a grain!), black/brown/red rices, couscous (Spelt for me as I don't tolerate wheat well) and toasted seeds. If I have the ingredients ready to go, I can then build salads, wrap and meals that are nutritious and leave me feeling like a million bucks!
Warm Quinoa & Spelt Cous Cous Salad
Ingredients:
1 Cup Cooked Quinoa
1 Cup cooked Spelt Couscous*
Sliced or cubed baked pumpkin
2 large Kale Leafs – shredded
Some feta or pieces of cooked haloumi* Celery stick, thinly sliced
A handful of parsley, torn or shredded
A (small) handful of lightly toasted pumpkin seeds
Dressing:
30ml Pumpkin Seed Oil*
Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon
1 small piece (around inch thick) of fresh ginger finely grated
½ teaspoon good quality salt
Ground pepper
To Prepare:
Prepare the dressing first, then let it sit and marinate
Put your oven on a low heat, around 125-150 degrees*
Place the quinoa, couscous, kale, pumpkin and pumpkin seeds on a baking tray/dish. Combine the ingredients with your hands.
Place the tray into the oven to lightly toast. This should take 10-15mins. Not too toasted or hot though!
Remove from the oven. Add the dressing and gently stir through.
Lastly add the celery and parsley and combine
Top with roughly ground pepper
This will feed 2-4 people, depending on how hungry they are!
Additional Notes:
Quantities are a little subjective. If you want aim around ½ a cup of pumpkin and feta/haloumi. Careful not to over do it though, as this may upset the balance of flavor. Trust your tasted buds.
* Leave out the cous cous if you would prefer a gluten free salad, and add a little more quinoa
*Leave out the feta or haloumi if you prefer a vegan version
* Substitute with other/no oils, although unrefined cold pressed Pumpkin Seed oil is delicious! Look for the “Pumpkin Seeds Australia” brand. Visit their website at www.pepofarms.com.au
*The salad may also be heated in a fry pan on a hot plate; you may need to add a small amount of oil such as Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
