I am always surprised when it finally gets to May. It's seems like it's been cold for ten years, then all of a sudden my garden is full of gorgeous greens, budding flowers and the sun is shining. Yipee!
I've been flat out for a few weeks now, which has made it much harder to fit in all the healthy maintenance stuff. Unsurprisingly my brain is way too busy and my energy levels are low as a result, which has made time to rest deeply on a regular basis an essential. At home, my yoga practise is very, very quiet (mostly yoga nidra) and most of my evenings are chilled and full of nourishing food to support the busy weekly schedule that we have as a family.
I'm always looking for ways to be more efficient in the kitchen. With energy being so expensive, and life being so busy, it's more important than ever to try and cook something that's going to last us more than one meal. My work is rarely in a strict routine, and varies from week to week, so I'm always grateful for a nutritious meal that's ready in the fridge when I dash home for lunch some days. I don't imagine I'm the only one juggling and trying to maintain a healthy diet, so I'm hoping that some of these recipes will be helpful.
This salad can be adapted in lots of ways. For example, use any herbs you have in, or simply use some finely chopped spinach and rocket. Or replace any ingredients you're not keen on with a similar ingredient that you do enjoy. The main point of this recipe is that the time consuming bit can be done in advance, and you can add to it from there, or simply serve it with a dollop of hummus or greek yoghurt. And in case you were thinking that I am smugly feeding my kids this too - my kids won't yet go near anything that looks like this! It's very much for the tired adults in my household!
Let me know if you make it!
Lynne x
RECIPE: makes 4-5 servings
100g Quinoa - cooked according to packets instructions
A large handful of fresh herbs, washed and chopped
Half a large cucumber, washed and diced
A whole red pepper, washed and diced
10 cherry tomatoes, washed and quartered
4 large sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 x tin mixed beans in water (or anything such as lentils or chickpeas)
A large handful of leaves such as little gem lettuce to sprinkle over the finished salad
For the dressing: 2 x tbsp extra virgin olive oil, a heaped tsp wholegrain mustard, 1/2 juice of a lemon, a squirt of honey, salt and pepper to taste. Place all of these ingredients in a lidded jar and shake until combined.
METHOD:
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and dress as evenly as possible with the dressing. Serve with hummus and/or crumbled feta cheese as a meal in itself, or serve as a side dish with roast chicken or tofu to vary the meal.
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