The holidays are a great time to unwind and enjoy laughs with family and friends. If you’re looking to eat well and manage your health during the festive period, we have a few recipes that will help you do exactly that.

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Veg & Spinach

Quinoa is a great source of protein and magnesium. It’s a versatile base for a side dish or vegetarian meal, as a wide range of veggies and seasonings can be added. This wholegrain seed is also gluten-free. 

We love this dish. Taken from “Cooking from the Heart: DASH Edition Cookbook”, this recipe is not only delicious, but it’s also incredibly healthy. 

Ingredients

• finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon 
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) dried thyme or dried
• mixed herbs
• 1⁄2 cup (80 ml) olive oil 
• 1⁄2 tsp (2,5 ml) salt
• black pepper to taste
• 4-5 medium carrots, thickly sliced
• 6 baby marrows, thickly sliced 
• 2 onions, cut into wedges 
• 1 red pepper, cut into chunks 
• 200 g broccoli, cut into florets 
• 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) coarsely chopped
• unsalted almonds
• 1 cup (250 ml) uncooked white quinoa
• 1⁄2 tsp (2,5 ml) salt
• 2 medium spinach leaves, shredded
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh
• Italian parsley
• 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) pumpkin seeds, toasted
• lemon wedges to serve

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 200 °C.
2. Mix lemon rind and juice, dried herbs, and half of the oil together in a large glass bowl. Season with salt and pepper. 
3. Add carrots, baby marrow, onions, and pepper and toss well to coat evenly. Spoon veggies in a single layer into a large oven dish. Roast for 20 minutes. Toss in broccoli and almonds. Roast for another 10 minutes – veggies should be cooked but not mushy. 
4. Meanwhile, place quinoa with salt and 21⁄2 cups (625 ml) water in a pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce the temperature and simmer with the lid, for 20-25 minutes or until just cooked. Drain well. The quinoa is cooked when its ‘white tail’ is visible.
5.  Add the remaining oil to the quinoa and toss through.
6. Mix spinach with roasted veggies and nuts in a large bowl and toss in cooked quinoa, Italian parsley, and pumpkin seeds. Serve warm or at room temperature with lemon wedges. 

Tips

1. Substitute white quinoa for brown lentils or red quinoa and cook for 25-30 minutes. 
2. Roast pumpkin seeds in a frying pan, over medium heat, without any oil, for a few minutes until aromatic. Take care as these can easily burn.

Serves 6 | Ready in 1 hour