Recipe Inspiration

Ingredients...

For the Charred Vegetables:

1kg Courgettes, sliced lengthwise

1kg Mixed red and yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into thick strips

1kg Aubergine, sliced into rounds

500g Cavolo nero, stalk removed

100g Olive oil

300g Drained, tinned chickpeas

20g Essential Cuisine Light Vegetable Stock Mix (to season)

300g Essential Cuisine Kitchen Ready Cooked Onion

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Grain Salad Base:

2kg Cooked Quinoa or farro, cooked as per instructions with Essential Cuisine Vegetable Stock Mix at 16g per litre of water.

For the Dressing:

20g Essential Cuisine Asian Miso Base 

60ml Fresh lemon juice

100g Essential Cuisine Kitchen Ready Caramelised Red Onion

120ml Extra virgin olive oil

20ml Honey

10g Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Salad Garnish:

200g Baby spinach leaves

200g Rocket leaves

300g Crumbled feta cheese

150g Toasted pumpkins

10g Chopped parsley

Method...

1. Chargrill the vegetables- Preheat an oven to 180 degrees C. Heat a large grill pan to high, toss the courgette, peppers, aubergine and cavolo nero with the olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Grill in batches until lightly charred, transfer to a roasting tray. Sprinkle the chickpeas, Vegetable Stock Mix and Kitchen Ready Cooked Onions evenly over the vegetables and place in the oven, cook until the vegetables are tender. Allow to cool to room temperature and cut the vegetables into bite size pieces.

2. Make the dressing- Heat the Asian Miso Base in a small pan with a little of the lemon juice until boiled, allow to cool. Whisk together the Kitchen Ready Caramelised Red Onions, oil, miso, remaining juice, honey, Dijon mustard until emulsified, season with salt and pepper.

3. Assemble the power salad- In a large bowl, combine the cooked quinoa, grilled vegetable pieces, baby spinach and rocket leaves. Toss gently with the dressing and fold through the pumpkin seeds and feta (reserving some to sprinkle over the top of the salad if desired) transfer to a large serving platter, finish with the reserved pumpkin seeds and feta (optional). Finally, sprinkle with the parsley.

Chefs Tip: This salad is best served at room temperature, great served with grilled chicken or lamb, roasted salmon or tofu.