grains and greens an interesting salad

The farmers' market today.  Everything looks so good.  I bought some red and green orka inspired by the recipe at the stall.  That journey will be the next post.  There are so many different grains and pulses with a multitude of taste, colour and texture - life is interesting.  Tonight I used red and white quinoa which swells up into a little winged creation with a nutty centre as the base for a warm salad with a braise of pumpkin, potato and sausages.  It was a good dinner.

Quinoa with greens and pesto

 

Ingredients:

 

• 80g of each white and red quinoa
• 450ml vegetable stock
• 200g leaves – baby spinach, rocket, basil etc mixed or alone
• 200g broccoli
• 100g peas
• 1 avocado chopped into small pieces
• 100g pumpkin seeds toasted
• 100g feta crumbled
• Pesto of your choice

 

 

Method:

 

1. Add quinoa to stock and bring to the boil.  Reduce heat  and cook for 20 minutes until water is all absorbed.  Quinoa should be soft  but not mushy
2. Add broccoli to boiling water in a pot and cook for three minutes.  Add peas and cook for one to two minutes then drain
3. In a big mixing bowl mix peas and broccoli into quinoa.  Add two good dollops of pesto and toss.
4. Add leaves and pumpkins seeds.
5. Transfer to serving dish and crumble feta over the top.
6. May be served warm or cold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day off today with lots of time for cooking - such a wonderful way to relax.  So tonight we had Southern Chicken, which I have been making since the early nineties with brown rice(I am on my bi-annual mission to empty all the storage containers, so now am down brown rice, white rice, arborio rice down and just jasmin and basmati to go).  This was accompanied by roast pumpkin and rocket salad and zucchini and avocado salad.  I  have just discovered how great and versatile grated zucchini is in salads.  What a find as is the roasted pumpking salad - so easy and delicious and really great for a crowd of people.


At the begining - such great fresh ingredients from the Newcastle Farmer's markets



Southern chicken in the making

the yummy meal complete

roasted pumpkin and rocket salad



zuchini and avocado salad

 

 

 

 

And then the recipies

 

 

Roast pumpkin and rocket salad

Ingredients:

• Pumpkin chopped into chunks
• Chilli flakes/powder and or cumin and or cardamom
• Olive oil
• Rocket
• Flat leaf parsley chopped
• Feta (optional)
• Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) toasted
• Balsamic vinegar

 

Method:

 

1.   Preheat oven to 180^oC

2.   Place pumpkin on a baking tray lined with baking paper and drizzle with olive oil

3.   Season and sprinkle with chilli or alternate spices

4.   Bake until tender but firm and slightly coloured

5.   Make sufficient dressing with olive oil and balsamic vinegar in proportion of three parts oil to one part vinegar

6.   When cool toss pumpkin in a bowl with rocket, parsley, feta (optional) and dressing

7.   Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds and serve

 

 

Southern Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 large onion
• 6 chicken pieces skinned
• 1 eggplant sliced finely
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbs tomato puree
• 400g tomatoes
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 1 zucchini sliced
• 1 small red capsicum chopped finely
• ¼ cup parsley chopped
• margarine  / oil
• 1 cup white wine

Method:

1. Heat oil in frying pan
2. Add chopped onion and garlic and fry until soft
3. Add chicken pieces cook until brown
4. Add all vegetable except parsley and cook for five minutes
5. Add tomato paste, wine and parsley
6. Put in oven proof dish and add sufficient water
7. Cook for 1-2 hours at 180°C