Puy Lentil and Quinoa Sumac Salad

With summer coming to a close, this salad is ideal for the transition into autumn, being fresh and herby yet substantial and filling enough for the colder days to come. Despite containing big bunches of various different herbs, none overpower the dish, and together with the tangy sumac and citrus they manage to uplift the quinoa and Puy lentils - pulses which, lets be honest, can sometimes be lacking in the flavour department. As well as being delicious, this salad is also very nutritious - perfect for those of us who may have over-indulged a little on holiday... The recipe comes from Sabrina Ghayour's debut book Persiana which I found very inspiring and an ideal starting point if you're fairly new to Middle-Eastern cooking. Although it makes a great lunch or light meal by itself, this salad also works well as a side-dish with chicken or fish.

For a large bowl to serve 6-8 you will need…

200g quinoa

250g Puy lentils

500g cherry tomatoes, halved

100g flat leaf parsley, stalks and leaves finely chopped

20g coriander, stalks and leaves finely chopped

40g mint leaves, finely chopped 

1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced

4 tbsp olive oil

Juice of 2 large or 3 small lemons

1 heaped tbsp sumac

Salt & pepper to season

You will need to…

- Cook lentils and quinoa separately as per their packet instructions. Rinse well in cold water then drain and set aside to cool. N.B - When cooking quinoa be sure to toast it in a dry pan before simmering in water, as develops the nutty flavour. See our Quinoa Superfood Salad recipe for more instructions on this.

- Combine all the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Add the cooked and cooled quinoa and lentils and mix well to endure everything is evenly coated in the dressing. Be sure to taste your salad and adjust seasonings to suit you.

- Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving to allow all the flavours to develop.

 Enjoy! C x

Smoked Mackerel and Quinoa Salad

This is a healthy salad which only takes about 20 minutes to make. The smoked mackerel gives a strong flavour to the quinoa, and no extra salt needs to be added as the mackerel provides a strong salty flavour. This recipe would also work with any other fish of your choice. I used the dressing from our Quinoa Superfood Salad to add a lemony flavour which ties the dish together nicely.

To serve 4 you will need...

- 4 smoked mackerel fillets

-2 red peppers

- 200g cherry tomatoes

-250g quinoa

-1 chicken stock cube

-1/2 a pint of water

-Chopped parsley to garnish

For the dressing...

-1 tsp lemon juice

-1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

-1 tsp Dijon mustard

-Seasoning

You will need to...

-Preheat the oven to 180C

- Chop the peppers into strips and half the cherry tomatoes, place in a large baking tray season and drizzle with oil.

- Place the mackerel fillets onto a sheet of tinfoil, squeeze some lemon juice over them, season and wrap in tinfoil, if there is room in the baking tray then place them next to the chopped veg, if not place on a separate baking tray and place in the oven for 10-15 mins.

- Meanwhile place the quinoa in a dry sauce pan and toast on a fairly high heat for a few minutes until golden brown. Keep shaking it around the pan to stop it burning then add 1/2 a pint of chicken stock to the pan.

- Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and simmer for approximately 10 minutes, then remove from heat and leave to steam with the lid on for approximately 5 minutes. Meanwhile remove the mackerel from the oven and check the peppers and tomatoes and cooked, if not turn up the heat and leave the veg in for 5 minutes longer.

-To make the dressing, combine the mustard, oil and lemon juice - season to taste.

- When the veg is done place quinoa in the middle of your serving dish surround with the roasted tomatoes and peppers, then peel the skin away from the mackerel, this should be easy when the fish is hot. Break the mackerel up removing any bones you come across and mix into the quinoa. Add the dressing and scatter with chopped parsley.

Enjoy! Z x

Quinoa Superfood Salad

If you have found yourself falling off the January detox bandwagon (or Zoe's Apple Strudel led you astray) then this salad is the ideal tasty-yet-virtuous dish to get you back on the straight and narrow. This is my simplified student-friendly version of Gizzi Erskine's Superfood Salad recipe, and is as packed with colour and flavour as it is with healthy, nutritious goodness. I've seen quinoa recipes popping up all over the place for ages now, and after trying it in this dish I am converted. When cooked properly it is totally delicious, satisfyingly filling, and full of flavour, not bland in the slightest as I have found before. The key is toasting it in a dry pan before simmering in water, as it adds a rich nutty taste that I think is difficult to get with alternatives such as couscous. Great for lunch or as a light supper, this salad can be served solo, or for something a little more substantial top with shredded chicken or some flaked trout or salmon. 

To serve one person you will need...

Dressing

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

Seasoning

Salad

60g quinoa

1 strip of lemon peel

A pinch of dried mixed herbs

Salt & pepper

1 large chopped handful kale, blanched for 30 seconds in boiling water (substitute with broccoli if you can't find kale)

1/2 avocado, chopped

1 spring onion, sliced

1 cooked beetroot, (I buy the pre-cooked vacuum packed ones from any supermarket) chopped

4 radishes, thinly sliced

1 chicken breast (cooked and shredded) or 1 fillet salmon/trout (cooked, skinned and flaked) 

You will need to...

- Put the quinoa into a small, dry saucepan and toast on a fairly high heat for a few minutes until golden brown. Keep shaking it around the pan to stop it burning.

- Pour over roughly 120ml water, add in your lemon peel, herbs and seasoning and cover with a lid. Bring to the boil and simmer for ten minutes, then remove from the heat but keep the lid on and leave to steam for a further five minutes.

- To make the dressing, combine the mustard, oil and lemon juice - season to taste. 

- Drain the blanched kale well with kitchen paper and stir into the cooked quinoa. Stir in the avocado, spring onion, beetroot, radishes and dressing, ensuring everything is well combined and coated with the mustardy dressing. 

- Serve with your chicken or fish ontop.

Enjoy! C x