Vegetarian Avocado and Egg Potato Salad

I'm not the biggest fan of mayonnaise. I love Carlos' mothers' home made aioli and her Russian salad, but there's always a limit to how much I can eat. I find the same sensory-blow out with other very rich foods such as pate and seafood - I can be fine with a couple of mouthfuls, but then I hit a wall and can't handle any more.

This week I had to do something with some left-over potatoes from an empanada my partner made. I thought a potato salad for dinner with some celery and apple soup would be a nice light meal, but I didn't want to make mayonnaise so I improvised with some smashed avocado and mustard. It was amazing and I'll be making this from time to time in the future - in fact I've had the request already from Carlos.

Recipe

Makes 4 serves

Cooking time 30 mins

Keeps in fridge 2 days, but doesn't look as pretty as the first day

Ingredients

2 medium sized Kestrel potatoes (or buy the Low G.I. Charisma Potatoes at Coles)

4 spring onions, washed and cut into 1 cm pieces

3 small ribs of celery, cut into small pieces

1/4 red onion, cut into thin crescents

lettuce leaves

1 avocado, mashed

1 tablespoon of seeded mustard

2 teaspoons of american mustard

3 egg, hard boiled

Method

Cut the potatoes into medium sized cubes - you can leave the skin on. Place potato into a steamer and steam until soft, about 12 mins. Once potatoes are cooked remove and let cool. Place eggs in a saucepan of cold water and bring to the boil. Once at a boil set a timer for 6 mins. Keep the eggs at a steady boil, once 6 mins is up run the eggs under cold water until egg is cool to touch. Peel and set aside.

Chop up the spring onion, celery, and red onion and place in a large bowl with some lettuce leaves. cut boiled eggs into quarters and add to bowl.

In a small bowl mash the avocado with a fork until smooth. Add mustards and mix through.

When potatoes are cool add them to the vegetables and mix. Add the avocado mix and stir through gently until everything is evenly coated.

Notes:

When I make this again I think I will omit the lettuce leaves as they didn't last in the fridge - I think it would be a good idea to take the potato salad and leaves separate and add them just before eating. I think this salad would work really well with butter beans in place of potato. 

Spring onion, celery, red onion, and mixed lettuce leaves

Mashed avocado with mustard

The next day - a little worse for wear in the colour dept.

Beef Noodle Salad

This is another of our mid-week lunches that I made up out of what was in the fridge and pantry. Carlos made me beef empanada last Saturday and had some beef left over which I put in a marinade of ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, fish sauce and ginger wine. Into the fridge it went on Saturday night. On Sunday night, after getting home from Father's day celebrations I fried off the beef and quickled some veg (quick pickled) - this was the most delicious thing! It's my first attempt at cold noodle salads and I can confidently say I will be making a lot more over the coming summer.

Recipe

Makes 4 serves

Cooking time 30 mins

Keeps in fridge 3 days 

Ingredients

100 grams rump beef, marinaded at least 4 hours

2 large cloves garlic, grated finely

1 large piece of ginger, grated finely

1 tablespoon of oyster sauce

2 teaspoons of fish sauce

1 teaspoon of green ginger wine

4 cm wedge of red cabbage, chopped into thin pieces

2 carrot, grated 

3 ribs of celery, grated

1/4 red capsicum, grated

1/2 red onion

1 teaspoon of caster sugar

1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup cashew nuts

rice vermicelli noodles, soaked in boiling water for 10 mins

Method

Place the rice vermicelli noodles in a heat proof bowl and cover with boiling water. Set aside for 10 mins. In a small frying pan cook off the beef using a high heat until cooked to your preference. Set aside and let cool.

In a large food processor using a grating plate, process the cabbage, carrot, onion, celery and capsicum. When everything is chopped sprinkle with sugar and vinegar and mix well. Leave for a few mins and the squeeze the excess liquid out of the vegetables. Discard liquid.

Strain the noodles really well and place into a large bowl. Add the squeezed vegetables and mix through. Take the cooked beef and slice thinly, adding it to the salad. Add the cashews and toss well.

Serve.

Two-Bean salad with Chorizo

I've been making lunches for both Carlos and I to take to work/uni and have really enjoyed trying out different ideas. If I'm preparing vegetables for dinner, I'll sometimes make extra in order to put in a salad for the next day - I particularly love roast broccoli and pumpkin.

Recipe

Makes 4 serves

Cooking time 20 mins

Store in fridge up to 4 days

Ingredients

Pumpkin, 3cm wedge, chopped into medium chunks

Broccollini (baby broccoli)

1 can of canellini beans, rinsed and soaked in fresh water

1 can of red kidney beans, rinsed and soaked in fresh water

1/4 red onion, sliced thinly

1/4 red capsicum, sliced thinly

6-8 olives, left whole

12 slices of chorizo cut thinly (you can substitute salami)

30g parmesan cheese, grated

Method

Preheat oven to 200C and roast the pumpkin and broccolini for 15 mins.

Combine the rinsed beans in a bowl. Add the onion, capsicum, chorizo, olives and parmesan cheese. Once the roast veg are cooled, add to the salad. Mix.

This is a really low-gi salad as it's main ingredients are beans - they will give you slow-release energy all through the afternoon. You don't have to use any meat product in this if you choose not to. 

The type of chorizo I used was bought from an importers and was Spanish style - be careful because sometimes a South American sausage which is also called chorizo is sold which is not cured to a point where you can eat it without cooking first.If you're at all unsure, fry the slices off in a fry pan just to be safe.

Vegan Roast Pumpkin and Butter Bean Salad

Recipe

Makes 2 serves

Cooking time 20 mins

Ingredients

1 2-inch slice of pumpkin, cut into large chunks

olive oil

pinch of salt

1 can of butter beans

1/2 red onion, sliced into thin cresents

2 sticks of celery, cut thinly

rocket leaves

1 roasted red capsicum, drained, patted dry and sliced into long strips

Method

Pre-heat oven to 200C. Cut pumpkin into large chuncks and place on an oven proof tray. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and roast for about 20 mins, until pumpkin has caramelised a bit. Once pumpkin is cooked, remove from oven and let cool before making the rest of the salad. 

Drain and rinse the butter beans and place in a bowl of fresh water for about 10 mins. When ready to use drain them again. 

Add the sliced onion and celery to a large bowl, along with the drained butter beans and cool pumpkin, the rocket and red capsicum. Mix gently.

I didn't use a dressing for this salad as the roast pumpkin disintegrated a bit and coated the other ingredients with its sweetness, and the roast capsicum also added a vinegary flavour to the salad.

Thin slices of onion and celery

All packed for tomorrows lunch

Roasted Red Onion and Sweet Potato Salad

I've been enjoying bulgar for around 4 years now - I was introduced to it through researching Low GI alternatives. It's a great pantry staple to have on hand, Carlos keeps a bag at work with some canned tuna for a quick lunch option. 1 cup of bulgar has fewer calories and more than twice the fibre content of rice and is considered a whole-grain.

I have read of it being added to home-made breads and scones and will have to investigate those uses in the kitchen soon.

I usually buy my bulgar from the local nut and coffee shop, and I have seen it in some supermarkets. It makes a great comfort-food lunch in winter when "cooked" in some broth.

Bulgar is known by many different names across the globe - the other most popular name I've heard is burhgul, but it's also known as "dalla" in Indian cuisine.

Recipe

Makes 2 serves
Cooking time 20 mins

Ingredients

20 green beans, cut into small lengths
half an orange sweet potato, cut into cubes
half a red onion, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (or balsamic if preferred)
1/2 cup of roasted cashews
1/2 cup bulgar/burghul
1/2 cup boiling water
feta cheese
Ice cubes for the ice bath

Method

Preheat oven to 200C. Place chopped sweet potato and red onion into an oven-proof dish and drizzle with red wine vinegar and bake until sweet potato is soft but still holding it's shape.

In a small saucepan bring a cup of water to boil and blanch the green beans for a minute or two, depending on personal preference. Remove beans from boiling water and place into an ice-bath to seize the cooking process and to retain the vibrant colour. Once cool remove from ice water and drain.

Place dried bulgar/burghul in a small bowl and cover it with boiling water from your kettle. Cover the bowl with cling film for 5 mins and then stir. If there is still liquid in the bowl, cover it again and leave for a further 4 mins.

In a large bowl place the bulgar/burghul, sweet potato, red onion, green beans, cashews and feta cheese together and mix gently.

Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Before roasting

An ice water bath keeps the beans crisp

Roast Broccoli and Pumpkin Salad

Recipe

Ingredients

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets

16 brussels sprouts, halved

1 2-inch slice of pumpkin, skin removed, chopped into large chunks

2 tablespoons of ghee (melted if solid)

pinch of salt

1/4 red onion, sliced into thin crescents, seperated

fresh rocket

feta cheese

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C. Place chopped broccoli, brussels sprouts and pumpkin in oven-proof dishes. Pour melted ghee over the vegetables and toss to coat. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and bake in hot oven for 30 mins, or until cooked. Leave vegetables to cool for 30 mins. Once vegetables are cooled, slice the red onion thinly and chop feta into cubes. Toss the vegetables with the rocket and onion and feta.

I didn't use a dressing for this salad as the vegetables had enough ghee from the roasting which covered the rocket nicely. I also found that the roasted pumpkin came apart a little at its edges which also gave the rest of the salad a really creamy texture.

Vegetarian Celery and Lentil Salad Recipe

Pretty enough for a cafe

Carlos' parents grow a lot of things for themselves - lettuce, rocket, bok choi, celery, cabbage, capsicums, tomatoes, broadbeans, artichokes, asparagus; alongside fruit trees that produce apricots, nectarines, plums, cherries - which means we get to share in the bounty. Every meal at their house is amplified with just-out-of-the-ground fresh produce and sometimes we are given things to take home. It's amazing how much a regular-sized backyard in suburban Dandenong is capable of producing.

On Sunday we were given a head of celery. Its freshness and peppery taste is perfect for a Mirepoix when creating a base for a sauce or soup, but it is also so juicy and crunchy that it would be a perfect salad addition. If you're anything like me you like your salad to have a lot of crunch, and this celery certainly delivers on that count.

This is a great take-to-work lunch to make if you want to minimise the amount of animal protein you eat throughout the week - which is something Carlos and I are dedicated to doing. It's satisfying, filling, energy-boosting and doesn't leave you hungry 2 hours after lunch.

Pic of the fresh ingredient prep

Recipe

Makes 4 serves
Cooking time 20 mins
Keeps in fridge up to 3 days
Vegetarian. To convert to vegan, omit feta cheese

Ingredients

2 cups green lentils, cooked and cooled
4 ribs of celery, washed and cut on an angle
1 small red capsicum, chopped
half a small white salad onion, thinly sliced and the cut into half rounds
150 grams baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped
50 grams feta cheese, chopped into small chunks
handful of pine nuts
2 teasppons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
pinch of salt

Method

If cooking the lentils from dry, place in a saucepan and cover them with twice as much water and a spash of olive oil. Bring to boil and cook for about 20 mins, or until soft to the bite. Remove from stove, drain and run under cold water until lentils are cool. Strain well, set aside.

Chop up the fresh ingredients and add them to a bowl. Add the cooled lentils to the bowl and stir through. 

In a small glass mix the sherry vinegar, olive oil and salt together the pour over the salad. Mix well.

Keep covered in the fridge. Will keep for 3 days.

Sherry vinegar, olive oil and a pinch of salt - the perfect dressing

Yum!

Vegan Lentil and Celery Slaw

Carlos' mum gave us a bunch of home-grown celery that was still quite young and thus really tasty. In an effort to use it and make a couple of lunches I decided to make a fresh slaw-type salad. I had a night-class today and took some for my 7pm meal.

Recipe

makes enough for 2 meals

Ingredients

makes enough for 2 meals
1 cup of green lentils
1 small bunch of celery
1 carrot
1/2 white salad onion
1/2 cup chopped red cabbage
1 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin

Method

In a medium saucepan bring 2 cups of water to boil, then add lentils. Cook lentils for about 14 mins, or until soft to bite. Once cooked, strain the lentils under cold water until cool. Set to one side.

Finely chop the celery. Using a grater, grate the carrot roughly. Chop the onion up into small pieces. Mix cooled lentils, celery, carrot, and onion together in bowl. In a small cup place the sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper and mix it well. Add to the salad and mix through. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of cumin over salad and mix through. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.

Notes

This kept really well, the celery didn't lose its crispness at all. One problem was leakage during transportation. Next time I will have to use a glass jar or something instead of the systema containers that failed so badly today.

Vegetarian Rocket and Walnut Pesto Pasta Salad

As part of trying to plan and control what I (and Carlos) eat for lunches, I made a pasta salad today. There is enough for about 6 meals, which means I don't need to worry about lunch until Thursday.

In the fridge I had a large amount of rocket wilting in a container. I had bought a 350gram bag at Costco for $4.99. I don't really remember why I bought it. I think I had plans of a frittata and never got around to it.

The rocket needed to be used, so I decided to make a large amount of rocket pesto for a pasta and bean salad. Unfortunately I had forgotten that I had run out of cashews. Fortunately I remembered that I had half a bag of walnuts in the pantry. So into the food processor went about 200 grams of rocket, 150 grams of walnuts and about 3 tablespoons of grated Pecorino Remano cheese. While processing the rocket mix I added about 3/4 cup of olive oil, drizzled in slowly.

I cooked the pasta until it was still a touch firm. I have read that serving pasta still a bit firm actually lowers the glycemic load as it is broken down more slowly in the small intestine. It's also better to choose a wholemeal pasta rather than the regular sort. I used to buy my wholemeal pasta at Aldi stores, it's a certified organic pasta and it has always cooked well and isn't clumpy. It's also possible to find low GI gluten-free pasta at Coles, according to this news feed. It's apparently their own brand called "Coles Simply Gluten Free" range, and it has the GI symbol on the packet.

I know that pasta is not the greatest carb to be eating, but I really need to use up the carbs in my pantry over the next six months so that in six months time there wont be any sign of such food in the house, so I figure if I make a pasta salad for lunch one week out of four it will be a good way to use it up. It's also a good idea if you're going to eat pasta to have it earlier in the day, that way the big processing done by the intestines is at a peak time of activity (post-lunch), and it's a good thing to plan dinners with that carb-hit at midday in mind, making sure dinner is a half protein and half vegetable mix.

* Updated edit - Reading through The Low GI Diet I have a revised attitude towards pasta. It is a good carbohydrate as long as it is eaten in proper portion sizes alongside lots of vegetables.

Recipe

Ingredients

200 grams of rocket
150 grams of walnuts
3 tablespoons of grated Pecorino Romano cheese
3/4 cup of olive oil
250 grams of wholemeal pasta spirals
1 can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
100 grams feta cheese, sliced into small pieces
half a salad onion, chopped finely
Juice of 3 lemons
50 grams of rocket, extra

Method

Cook pasta until just al dente (still firm but cooked). Drain and rinse under cold water to stop it from cooking any further. When cool, drain and place in a large bowl or container. Add to this the extra 50 grams of rocket.

Place rocket, walnuts, and pecorino cheese in a food processor, processing while adding the olive oil in a thin stream. Blend until it looks like a green, breadcrumby mess. Place pesto mix on top of cooked pasta and gently stir through using a spatula.

Drain and rinse the cannellini beans in a sieve, and squeeze the lemon juice over the beans. This helps neutralise the canned flavour that they can get and will compliment the rocket flavour. Add to the pasta mix.

Chop half a white salad onion into small pieces and add to the pasta, along side the chopped feta cheese. mix gently though.

Store salad in the fridge for 2-3 days, helping yourself to lunch!

Notes

The walnuts complemented the peppery-ness of the rocket so well, it's even better than cashews. I will most definitely be remembering this flavour combination for future salads. The addition of cannellini beans will lower the glycemic load a touch, as will the presence of lemon juice. I hope this salad will last 3 days in the fridge, and will update this post with notes on how it goes. I suspect that the flavours will also have a chance to intensify the longer the salad sits, but I'm not be keen on leaving it in the fridge for more than 2 or 3 days.

PS I have managed to budget for a new digital camera which I will be picking up later this week. Prepare for more detailed photos without lines across them!

Update: Monday Lunch Notes

This did get better as it sat in the fridge, although it was a little drier than yesterday. The flavours aren't too changed from yesterday's tasting, but the onion has crisped up and is more noticeable, giving that fresh pop in the mouth every now and then. The pasta stayed firm but the fresh rocket leaves had wilted a little bit. They still taste good, but as an aesthetic they are a pretty poor show. Also good to note is that the nuts in the pesto did intensify in flavour, and along side the romano cheese and olive oil gave a really lovely mouth-feel to the dish - all those fats, of course! I mention this because I find that foods with a satisfying mouth-feel are more likely to stave off snacking once I've had my fill. Other foods with different mouth-feel can trigger a binge (think pretzels, potato chips, corn chips, bread), so it's good to be aware of those things and focus on foods that satisfy without over-eating.

Salad Days: A Salad Tutorial

I have recently been planning my dinner meals for the weeks ahead before time, and while that is already helping with budgeting and time management, it can turn out to be a bit of a nuisance when I've planned to make a roasted parsnip and garlic soup and the weather has warmed up to a spring-like 19C. I did not want the oven on for 40 minutes, followed by a pot on the stove for a further 30 mins, so I determined a little flexibility was in order, and made a salad.

Creating

When I worked in hospitality I learned that making 'do' with what produce you have access to is the only way to get something into the cafe cold-display, and if you have a limited amount of things in your weekly order you really have to get creative with your mixing and matching. Give me access to a few leaves, some fruit and veg, and some creative freedom, and I can invent a salad within a few minutes. It's funny, because as a kid I did not like salad at all, and had no idea of what kind of variety and pairings that could turn a nominal side into a stellar main. No more soggy iceberg lettuce and cucumber swimming in gloopy mayo (I am still not a fan of cucumber). Working in a small cafe with limited produce really honed my creativity when it came to putting a salad option together.

Dressings

I've also learned that a nice salad dressing does not come from the supermarket in a bottle. There's nothing wrong with that, but when it is so simple to mix vinegar and oil I just can't fathom the need for store-bought mass produced dressing. And if you're anything like my family was, the dressing might get used a couple of times and then it's doomed to a life of lurking in the bottom of the fridge, awaiting the next blue moon when you have the fixings for a salad. One of my favourite dressings is a mix of apple cider vinegar, olive oil, cracked salt and pepper. Another fave is a crushed clove of garlic, olive oil, salt and vinegar. I've also become a BIG fan of sherry vinegar, or Vinagre de Jerez, a beautiful Spanish red vinegar that has such a light quality. Red wine vinegar and white wine vinegar also get a mention here, I like to use red wine vinegar with tomato salads and white wine vinegar is great on a white bean salad. I've even used sushi vinegar as a salad dressing ingredient in the past.

Ready-to-hand

Today's salad turned out to be inspired from my "apple and onion salad" of last week. It follows, since I still had half of the small red onion in the fridge, and one lonesome granny smith in the crisper draw. I also had a small amount of baby spinach and some baby rocket from the weekend. I pulled out a jar of roast capsicum and a jar of anchovy stuffed olives from the fridge, but didn't end up using them. I mention this to highlight that I did not have a solid plan of what was going to end up on the plate in the end.

I knew I wanted to use the apple and the onion. We have some lemons from Mr. Oso's mum's tree and I used them as an acid to keep the apples from turning brown and soft. I squeezed the juice of three lemons into a bowl, added some water, and quartered the apple, cored it and thinly sliced it into crescents. Once sliced it went into the lemon juice mix.

I decided then to nix the roast capsicum and olives, as the vinegary/oily/salty tastes weren't what I wanted. So I grabbed a carrot from the fridge, peeled it and shredded it as if for slaw. I poured the lemon juice mix from the apples over them for a few seconds, strained them and then added a sprinkle of salt. Then I took the half onion and sliced it very finely with a mandoline and was ready to build.

The Build

I like to build salad onto the serving plates, rather than placing into a bowl. Firstly, it saves me washing up, and secondly, things don't end up swimming in dressing. I like crispness in a salad. If a salad is a side, it's not going to soggy up the accompaniment, and if it's a main, you're not going to have a plate with a puddle at the end of dinner. 

Basically, you want to layer everything. I started with the spinach and rocket and then made a 'clock' with apple crescents, then a pile of the grated carrot in the centre, then scattered thin onion rings across. I then placed another layer of rocket over that, in the centre, with some more carrot sitting at the 'peak' of the salad, and more onion rings. Then I took the remaining apple slices and placed them facing the opposite way in a smaller 'clock'. At this stage I thought I needed something else, and was tempted to use pine nuts, but then remembered I had a packet of dried cranberries we add to our home-made muesli. I have seen combinations for apple and carrot and cranberries before, so I knew they would compliment. I scattered a few in the centre, and then around the edges, then seasoned the salad with rock salt and freshly cracked pepper, and splashed a bit of olive oil across the whole thing. I didn't think I needed to add an acid as the apple had soaked in lemon juice, as did the carrot. 

The Result

A really filling main meal, delivering lots of vitamins and fibre with no meat or cheese. 

Spinach, Ricotta and Egg Pies with Apple and Onion Salad

Tonight I thought I'd try a recipe from a magazine I bought last year. As it is meant for four people, I halved the recipe for just me and Mr. Oso. You can see the recipe here: http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/31517/spinach+cheese+and+egg+pies

As I very rarely follow a recipe exactly, I tweaked as much as I wished too. My version is as follows:

Recipe

Spinach, Ricotta and Egg Pies

Ingredients

Filling:

1 packet of frozen spinach, defrosted in fridge overnight

150 grams ricotta cheese

30 grams grated Pecorino Romano cheese

1 garlic clove, grated

1 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

Pastry:

1 1/2 cups Wholemeal flour

1 x 7g sachet dried yeast

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup of water

Method

Pre-heat oven to 220C. 

Squeeze out excess liquid from defrosted spinach and place into a bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, pecorino, grated garlic, peppers and salt and mix well.

In a separate bowl place wholemeal flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Make a well in centre and add the water. Mix with a blunt butter knife until a soft dough forms and halve the dough. On a floured board roll out one half of the dough into an oval shape about 25cm long.

Place spinach in centre of dough and fold up the sides, squeezing the dough to make it secure. Once sides are folded up, place on a greased oven tray. Make a well in the middle of the spinach dip and crack an egg into it. Bake until pastry is cooked and egg is baked, around 20 - 25 minutes.

Apple and Onion Salad

Ingredients

1 granny smith apple
2 lemons
1 small red onion
baby spinach
splash of olive oil

Method

Squeeze lemon juice into a small bowl, add some water. Take the apple and core it, then slice it in thin wedges, placing the wedges into the lemon-water mix. Make sure each wedge is covered, you can add more water if needed.

Thinly slice the red onion with a mandolin slicer on its thinnest setting.

Place baby spinach, onion and apple on serving plates in alternate layers. drizzle a little bit of olive oil over the salad.

Notes 

A small rant: 

The trouble with some recipe magazines is that they neglect to list any quantities of water needed in the initial ingredient list, and only list it in the method. I've found this annoying for years. There are places in the world where you can't just turn the tap on and use the water from it without distilling it first, and though I don't live in that situation I think it's stupid not to list water in the initial list. It can also help people make mistakes. Like me, tonight. Even though I mentally halved the amounts I needed of everything, when the recipe stated "add 1 cup of water to flour mix" that is exactly what I did. I didn't realise my mistake until the filling was sitting on the pastry, and by then I was over it and zero f--ks were given, and as it turned out, the pastry was pretty good with the extra water. I guess this might be because I used all wholemeal flour and not a mix of wholemeal and white. Wholemeal flour tends to be a thirsty flour.

Size:
These pies turned out HUGE. I think I could easily half the recipe again and it would be enough food. In that case, it would be an idea to get some quail eggs for smaller pies, or just add the egg beaten into the spinach mix. Carlos and I ended up halving one pie between us and keeping the other for lunches. This pie will definitely be made again, I've already received the request from Mr. Oso.

Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potato Salad

Firstly, I offer apologies on behalf of my camera. It is an old first generation digital beast that is on its last legs. Unfortunately I can't afford a new one right this minute, so it is with a make-do mentality that I post pics here.

Tonight I made a fairly quick salad for dinner:

Recipe

Ingredients

baby spinach

1/2 a small salad onion, thinly sliced

capsicum, cut into batons

feta cheese

1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into rounds/"coins"

10 brussels sprouts

Method

Select some small brussels sprouts and take the tip off, then cut in half. Lay in a steamer and steam until just soft. When cooked, remove from steamer and place in a bowl of iced water, leave for a minute, and then drain. Set aside.

Take some baby spinach and wash in a lettuce spinner, spin until dry. Slice some salad onion and the capsicum into batons and keep to one side.

Take a small sweet potato, or half a large one and peel. Slice into coins of half a centimetre, place into a bowl and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Place in a flat-based sandwich press/Panini press and cook until soft and caremelised. If you do not have a flat grill, cook in a medium-hot frying pan for 4 mins, or until soft. 

Once the sweet potato is removed from press (or frypan) take the drained brussels sprouts, and using the same bowl you oiled the sweet potato in, coat the sprouts in a little olive oil and grind some rock salt over them, mix them up and then place them face up in the press/frypan. Cook until browned on the underside (around about 2 mins) and then carefully flip them over to brown the other side.

Scatter some spinach on your serving plates and scatter with the cooked sweet potato, brussels sprouts and other ingredients.

Serve with a dressing of your choice, or forgo a dressing as there is a little oil from the potato and sprouts. 

Tonight I made a very simple and tart dressing with a little seeded mustard, some apple cider vinegar and a touch of olive oil. Both of us really enjoyed our salad and because it had a medium carb load (via the sweet potato) and a high fibre content (thank you spinach and sprouts) we feel full and content.