Quinoa Tabbouleh

I decided to make this traditional dish gluten-free by exchanging Quinoa for the usual Bulgur Wheat, an idea I got from the book The Gluten-Free Vegan: 150 Delicious Gluten-Free, Animal-Free Recipes. For those of you who have not discovered Quinoa yet: it’s an ancient grain who’s consumtion goes as far back as the Incas, and it has the rare property of being a complete plant protein! The Holy Grail for Vegans & Vegetarians…Make sure you rinse it first, to get rid of the bitter coating, though. This Salad is tasty & refreshing – perfect for a light Summer meal.

Ingredients: (about 4 side servings)

1 cup rinsed Quinoa

2 cups Water

1 cup chopped Cherry Tomatoes

1 cup chopped Cucumber

1/2 chopped Red Bellpepper

1/4 Red Onion, sliced thinly and chopped

handful of chopped Spring Onion

bunch of Fresh Mint, minced

bunch of Fresh Parsley, minced

juice of fresh Lime/Lemon

Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper as needed

 

Method:

– Boil the Water and Quinoa in a saucepan, lower heat to a simmer and cover with lid. Let cook 12-14 mins. until Water absorbed and Quinoa ‘tails’ visible. Drain & allow to cool.

– Place all Salad ingredients in a large bowl, except Lime juice & Olive Oil. Add Quinoa to bowl and toss to combine. Add Dressing, toss again. Season & chill before serving.

*Tastes of Summer….

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French Lentil Salad…

Summer is here, which means ridiculously hot & humid weather in HK and a craving for Salads…These Lentils are like gold to me – for some reason they are incredibly hard to come buy, but seriously worth the effort to hunt for as they are delicious! They have a wonderfully distinct flavour, almost tea-like, and they retain their shape so they’re great for Salads. My local supermarket has stopped stocking them, so I was delighted to find them in another organic shop out of town – but it was their last bag, and they won’t have again until sometime in August. I’ve used half the bag already, so I better go easy on them! No more sharing with the meat-eating boyfriend…

Ingredients:

half Red Onion, diced

1 clove Garlic, minced

1 large Carrot, diced

1 medium Beetroot, diced

1 tsp. dried Herbes de Provence (or Thyme/Tarragon/Oregano)

Olive Oil

squeeze of Lemon Juice

1 cup French Puy Lentils (or other Green Lentils)

2 cups Water

1/4 Cucumber, diced

1/2 Yellow Bellpepper, diced

2 Tblsp. Parsely, chopped

Dressing:

1 1/2 Tblsp. White Wine Vinegar

1 tsp. Mustard

3 Tblsp. Olive Oil

1/2 tsp. dried Tarragon

Baby Spinach

 

Method:

– Set oven to 200C/400F, and line a baking tray with foil. Mix together Onion, Garlic, Carrot, Beetroot, Herbs, Lemon Juice & Olive Oil and arrange on tray. Bake for 20-30mins. or until Beetroot & Carrot cooked through. Remove and allow to cool.

– Meanwhile, bring water to a boil and add Lentils. Cook around 30 mins, until al dente. Rinse with cold water and drain.

– Add Roast Veggies, Cucumber, Yellow Pepper & Lentils to a large bowl. Combine Dressing ingredients in a jar and shake to combine. Pour over Salad, and fold in chopped Parsley.

– Serve on a bed of fresh, baby Spinach*

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Grecian Salad…

This Salad contains basic ingredients, the typical fare found in a Greek Salad – but it’s the dressing that elevates it to another level! In place of the usual Feta I used my Soy version that I still had from the States, but if you don’t have that on hand then Firm Tofu, marinated in Lemon Juice & Herbs, should do the trick. If you want to turn this into a dinner (like I did), then wrap it up with some Avo in Tortillas – Mmmm…Warning: You WILL have Garlic Breath after this!

Ingredients: (adapted from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch: Kick-Ass Recipes for Hungry Girls Who Want to Stop Cooking Crap (and Start Looking Hot!)

2 cups shredded Romaine Lettuce

equal amounts of:

  Cucumber

  Cherry Tomatoes

  Red Pepper

handful of Kalamata Olives, de-pitted

1/4 Red Onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup Soy Feta/Marinated Firm Tofu

1 Tblsp. Pine Nuts

Dressing:

1 Tblsp. Red Wine Vinegar

2 cloves Garlic, minced (or 1 big clove)

1 tsp. Mustard

2 Tblsp. Olive Oil

1/2 tsp. dried Basil

1/4 tsp. dried Thyme

pinch of Salt

dash of Black Pepper

 

Method:

– Chop Salad vegetables into bite-sized pieces and place in large Salad bowl, along with Romaine Lettuce.

– Sprinkle with Olives, sliced Red Onion and Pine nuts, and crumble Feta/Tofu over the top.

– In a jar, mix Dressing ingredients and shake with lid on until combined. Pour over Salad, and serve with Toasted Pitas.

(about 4 servings)

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Wild Rice Salad…

This is a Salad based on a favourite I get from one of my regular Deli haunts, it’s perfect for a Summer lunch when you want something cool but still filling. Or it could be served as a Side Salad (with roasted veg or stirfried Tofu)…Don’t be afraid of the the long list of ingredients – i tend to add as many vegetables as i can to make it a hearty, nutritious meal. As long as you put in some seeds or nuts for crunch, and some dried cranberries for a bit of sweetness, then you can just add any salad vegetables you prefer – the fresh herbs are a tasty addition, though. I didn’t have any ripe Avo’s on hand, but if you have one then I would definately recommend adding it for some creaminess!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Wild Rice (I use Lundberg Wild Blend)

3 cups Water

1/2 cup Brown Mushrooms, chopped

1/2 cup Baby Asparagus, cut into chunks

1/2 Red Onion, thinly sliced

1/2 Red Pepper, chopped

1/2 Yellow Pepper, chopped

handful of Spinach, roughly chopped

1/2 Cucumber, diced

2 Tblsp. Sundried Tomatoes, chopped

2 Tblsp. Olives, chopped

sprinkle of  Sunflower Seeds

handful of Dried Cranberries, chopped

2 Tblsp. Parsley, chopped

Dressing:

1 clove Garlic, minced

2 – 3 leaves Basil, chopped

2 Tblsp. Redwine Vinegar

1 Tblsp. Balsamic Vinegar

2 -3 Tblsp. Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper (as desired)

 

Method:

– Bring Wild Rice and Water to a boil and follow cooking instructions for the Rice (usually cook 50 mins. covered). Prepare the rest of the ingredients while Rice is cooking.

– Soak Red Onion strips in boiling water to soften up and make the flavour less potent.

– Cook Asparagus in a little bit of water in a pan on stove for about 1 min. until bright green, then drain and blast with cold water.

– Fry mushrooms in a little oil, until they release all their liquid, but are still firm.

– For the dressing, place Garlic, Vinegars, Oil, Basil, Salt & Pepper in a jar and shake ’till combined. Set aside.

– Place cooked Rice in a colander, and rinse with cold water until cooled. Drain, and pour into a large Salad bowl.

– Add the rest of the ingredients, drizzle dressing over and mix everything together with salad servers until combined.

 

*Should make 4 servings, but you might not want to share….

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