Healthy Salad Using up Left Over Grains
After the naughty but decadent recipe I shared with you last week I thought a healthy recipe was in store for this week. It’s week one in my schedule of blog posts which means book review week and while this warm winter salad doesn’t feature in any particular book (my own creation) I feel I was inspired by Hetty Mckinnon’s book Family. It is not a vegan cook book but well worth a mention.
You may want to get a copy from the library and encourage Hetty to make a vegan cook book before actually purchasing a book from her. However having written all that I did buy her book and I actually love the whole idea of sharing food (with good food hygiene of course) with family whether they be blood family, neighbourhood family or friends who you consider family etc.
In this particular cookbook of Hetty’s her soups even include salad, which is right up my alley. If you haven’t read my own cookbook you won’t know that when I was three and almost four my parents brought me to Australia on a cruise liner, we were ‘ten pound poms’ and we lived in a migrants hostel in Coogee Sydney when we arrived.
We weren’t allowed to cook in our rooms, but of course everyone did, the old electric frying pan came in very handy to make soups and stews etc. However to show that we were all doing the right thing we would all go to the cafeteria at least once a day and the baine maries were full of fried foods like fish and chips. I remember and have been told that I refused to eat anything except the salad at the cafeteria. This is where my love of salad was born.
Anyway enough of me and back to Hetty, her book Family and this winter salad I was inspired to make. The use of sage in the recipe is not just for flavour. Sage is such a healthy herb full of vitamin K, Calcium and Iron and sporting a whole range of vitamins, minerals and nutrients including vitamin B6, Potassium, Magnesium, vitamin E and C. It boasts anti-inflammatory properties especially for dental health, is known to reduce cholesterol, can be good for people with cancer and diabetes and is great for menopause.
Oregano as I have mentioned in previous blogs is packed with vitamin C and Selenium so is fabulous for boosting the immune system. Together with sage they rock health wise and in the flavour department. Be generous with these herbs.
For this recipe you can use any grain that you have left over. The best to use would be either quinoa with its complete protein make up or black rice with its high level of Iron or red rice with its high level of Calcium. I had basmati rice left over which I had cooked with turmeric. Add whatever green you have and when making the sundried tomato cashew cheese be sure to use the dry sundried tomatoes, not the ones marinated in oil. And as with everything I cook, be sure to use organics for optimum health.
Winter Health Boosting Salad with Sage and Oregano
Enough for 4 people if served with other things.
Ingredients
1½ cups cooked grain
8 large sage leaves chopped roughly or finely, up to you
3 tbsp roughly chopped oregano
3 green onions (spring onions) cut finely – green and white parts – optional
1 head of broccoli cut into long florets
6 spears of asparagus cut into pieces
Big handful of young silverbeet
Splash of olive oil – optional – use water if you don’t want to use oil
Salt and white or black pepper to taste
3 dollops of cashew cheese per person
½ a sundried tomato per person soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes and then cut very fine
Olives 6 to 7 each person
Method
- For the cheese; mix the sundried tomatoes with the cheese.
- Place the oil in a wok. Let heat up for a minute then add the spring onions, oregano and sage and cook for a minute. Next add the broccoli and asparagus and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring most of the time.
- Add salt and pepper and the cooked grain and silverbeet, cook and stir on and off for 5 minutes or until everything is heated through.
- Serve on a serving plate or platter, dollop on the cheese and sprinkle on the olives.
# If you make this recipe please share on facebook or instagram to #veetsvegancookingschool
Upcoming Three Day Vegan Foundation Cooking Courses
The August course is filling quickly and September there are now 3 places left. I do hope to have a few more courses scheduled before the end of the year and will keep you updated. There is no time like the present to get well equipped in the kitchen by learning how easy it is to make really delicious plant based food.
Have a great week everyone,
With love
Veet
