More rain anyone? As I’m curbing my desire to switch on the heating, I’m amazed how much our dietary intake is dependent on the weather. Sunny skies? Green juice and salads in all varieties feels like the most natural thing to ingest. However, on a rainy, cloudy day with a chill in the air, like today,  a warming stew seems more in keeping. As it happens, my slow cooker is on as I write and a veg stew is on tonight’s menu. I may even put the fire on… Brrrr.

But I digress… I’ve got a big birthday coming up and I’m hoping for a sunny day with my friends and family in the garden. Salads will be on the menu (amongst other things) and I have spent several weeks trying new combinations in order to be ready for the big day. Sunshine is not optional so I am blazing ahead undeterred. Today’s recipe was a super yummy, protein rich combo of nuts, seeds, beans and quinoa – drizzled with a soy and ginger dressing. We had ours with organic wild salmon and some French green beans but this dish  would work equally well as a lunchtime salad on its own. This particular version is a chopper – meaning you’ll spend some time just chopping things up but it is really tasty to have all the little bits together in a big bowl. It’s worth the effort. Crank up the music or get a friend to chop with you. All good things are generally worth waiting for  :).

Protein Rich Bean Salad with Quinoa

1/2 Fennel head, finely sliced

1 spring onion, chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 cup edamame beans or green petit pois

1/2 cup beetroot, chopped into smallish chunks

1 cup cooked quinoa

1/2 cup black-eyed beans, pre-soaked or soak for at least 8 hours prior

1/2 cup cooked green beans, cut in half

1 cup cooked/steamed broccoli

1/2 cucumber, sliced lengthwise and into fine strips

1-2 sweet potatoes, cooked and chopped into small chunks

Parsley, chopped

1 tbsp chia seeds

Almonds and cashews

Soy & Ginger Dressing

2tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari sauce (gluten-free variety)

1/2 tbsp palm sugar (from coconuts) or maple syrup

2 tsp chopped ginger

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 garlic clove

1 tbsp water – add more for a looser consistency

How to:

Cook/steam the sweet potatoes, quinoa, broccoli, French green beans prior to assembly. This can be done the day before and just kept in the fridge until you are ready to make the finished bowl. Chop everything else according to recipe instructions and mix with the cooked ingredients. In the meantime place all ingredients in a food processor, bar the water, and mix well until you have a dressing like consistency. Taste mixture as you may need to add more sweet or sour to suit your taste. Add the water to the mixture and blend again. Pour over salad and mix thoroughly. Voila and Bon Appetite!!

 

Birgitta x