Enjoying fresh abundance from the garden!
I love middle eastern foods and enjoy trying new ideas and simple dishes using fresh produce from the garden.
One thing I love to make are Falafel which are a delicious lunchbox treat, especially served with a small tub of Hummus.They’re also tasty served in a wrap with hummus and some fresh greens. Healthy and tasty ideas for the kids!
Having loads of fresh greens, I was recently inspired to try a gluten-free version of Tabouli, using Quinoa instead of Buckwheat. It’s only a slight variation to this world famous dish, but for anyone cutting down on gluten foods, this is a delicious alternative.
This salad is super easy to make, packed with flavour and includes a mass of fresh ingredients that are growing in my garden, ready for picking.
Prepare these…
~ 2 cups cooked and cooled Quinoa. When cooking I added a few Kaffir Lime leaves for extra zing. Follow cooking instructions on pack. OR purchase precooked packs of Quinoa and grains to use straight away (great for making a small salad for one!)
~ 2 cups freshly harvested mixed greens – try Celery, Parsley, Lettuce, Mint, 
Spring Onion, Sorrel or perennial spinaches…add whatever greens you have growing! Fresh Mint tastes delicious in this dish!
~ 1 cup chopped Cauliflower, Cucumber and red Onion – I didn’t have these growing at the time so purchased them from the store.
~ A good handful of home-grown Cherry Tomatoes – again, if you don’t have them growing you can use store bought Tom’s.
~ Lemon or Lime juice plus a little splash of Apple Cider Vinegar.
~ Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper to taste.
Then…
Chop all the greens, herbs and veg into small pieces
TIP – when chopping herbs and veggies cut into similar size small pieces.
Halve the Cherry Tomatoes. If using large Tomatoes just quarter and remove seeds – optional.
TIP - sprinkle good quality sea salt over cut tomatoes to increase the flavour.
Toss all the veggies and herbs into a large bowl, add the cooled Quinoa and blended juice with olive oil.
Toss until combined.
Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.
Chill for approx. 20 minutes.
Serve with your choice of protein (my faves are tofu and falafel) or just on its own…perfect for a healthy lunch!
Enjoy!!
♥ Cath
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© cath manuel 11 november 2015