Salad of tomatoes, nectarines and labneh with chermoula

July 14, 2020 Belinda

Fruits (peaches, nectarines, mangoes) are great with tomatoes, especially when there is lemon or lime juice or fish sauce in the mix.
Lovely recipe from Diana Henry.

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SERVES 6
16oz Greek yogurt
1 garlic clove, grated to a purée
2 large just-ripe nectarines
14oz tomatoes, different shades of red if possible
A good sized bunch cilantro
1½ tbsp white balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

For the chermoula
1/2″ cube of ginger,  peeled and grated
¼ tsp sweet paprika
1 medium-sized red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
Finely grated zest and juice  of ½ lemon (you might want  more juice)
2 garlic cloves, grated to a purée
A good bunch cilantro,  stalks discarded, leaves  finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped  flat-leaf parsley
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Make the labneh the day before you want to serve  the dish. Line a sieve with  a piece of cheesecloth  (or a new J-cloth) and set  it over a bowl. Put the yogurt in the cloth and refrigerate for 24 hours.
The yogurt will lose moisture, leaving you with  a cheese-like substance. Help it along by giving it  a squeeze every so often.
Remove the drained yogurt from the cloth. Season with salt and pepper and add the garlic. Store in a container that you can cover.

Mix together the chermoula ingredients in a bowl  with some seasoning.  Taste for balance.

Halve and stone the nectarines and cut each half into four or five slices.

Quarter the larger tomatoes  (or cut into six or eight, depending on their size) and halve the smaller ones. Remove the leaves from the coriander (leave them whole) and discard the stalks.
Toss the tomatoes and the nectarines in a bowl with the balsamic and extra-virgin olive oil and season.
Arrange them on a serving plate and dot chunks of the labneh in among the sliced fruit, scattering with the cilantro leaves.
Spoon over the chermoula and serve.

Dairy-free · lentils · Salad · Vegan

Moroccan farro salad

June 23, 2020February 18, 2024 Belinda

This healthy vegan farro salad, infused with Moroccan spices can be made ahead and keeps for 4 days, perfect for healthy midweek lunches!

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Serves 6-8

1/2 cup chopped red onion
4 cups cooked farro, (I cook it in chicken or vegetable broth to give it more flavor)
2 cups celery, chopped
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup almonds, chopped or slivered, toasted
1 cup cilantro or flat-leaf parsley (or use part mint, or a blend of all three, chopped
Zest and juice of one orange

Moroccan Dressing:
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup sherry vinegar or apple cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp salt, more to taste
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1.5 tsp cumin (I roast/toast mine first, as it releases more oils)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
pinch or two chili flakes (optional, but good)

Cook the farro according to package directions (see notes, feel free to do ahead)
When cool, place the farro, celery, apricots, almonds, onions, herbs and orange zest in a large bowl. Juice the orange and add to the salad.
Mix the dressing ingredients into the bowl. Toss with salad ingredients.
Taste, adjust salt and add chili flakes if you like. I usually add a little more salt after this sits a while.

This is will keep 4 days in the fridge.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Salad · Vegan

Spicy orange salad, Moroccan style

March 31, 2020February 12, 2024 Belinda

Simple perfection

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Serves 4
Takes 10 minutes

3 large, sweet, seedless oranges

1 avocado, ripe but too too ripe, cut into cubes
⅛ tsp cayenne
1 tsp sweet paprika
½ tsp fresh garlic, crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
⅓ cup chopped parsley or half chopped mint and half parsley
14 pitted, halved black olives, and preferably imported Greek or Italian

Peel the oranges, paring away all the exterior white pulp.
Cut each orange into 8 wedges. Cut each wedge into 1-inch pieces.
Set aside.
Place the cayenne, paprika, garlic, olive oil and vinegar in a salad bowl.
Add salt and pepper to taste and whisk to combine.
Add the oranges, almonds, avocado, parsley and olives. Toss gently to blend.
Serve cold or at room temperature.

Asian flavors · Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Salad · Vegan

Pad thai zucchini noodle & quinoa salad

March 27, 2020January 21, 2024 Belinda

Recipe c/o “Simply Quinoa” food blog

This pad thai zucchini noodle and quinoa salad is a carb-free, lightened up version of a takeout staple. Clean ingredients, tons of flavor and packed with nutrients!

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Serves 2

1 medium zucchini
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 cup sliced red bell pepper
2 scallions thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts

for the sauce
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter or almond butter
Juice of 2 limes
2 tsp gluten-free tamari
1 tsp sriracha sauce or asian hot sauce of choice
1/2 tsp ground ginger
Water as needed to thin the sauce

Slice the ends off the zucchini and secure it to your spiralizer.
Spiralize the zucchini into long noodles and transfer to a large bowl.
Thinly slice the cabbage and pepper, either with a knife or mandolin slicer, and add that to the bowl with the zucchini noodles, along with the scallions, cilantro, quinoa and peanuts.

In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients.
Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it’s thin enough to pour — you’re looking for the consistency of a creamy dressing.

Pour dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat. Transfer to two bowls, sprinkle with a bit more peanuts and cilantro and enjoy!

Appetizers · Fish · Salad

Smoked trout and avocado salad toasts

March 26, 2020 Belinda

This is a great recipe for lunch using cans of Trader Joes smoked trout.

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Serves 4
1 large shallot
1 lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 heads Belgian endive
2 to 3 scallions, finely sliced
1/2 pound smoked trout, or use 2 x 3.9oz cans from Trader Joes. They are great to have in the pantry
1 firm, ripe avocado
1/4 cup finely minced parsley
Four 1-inch thick slices good bread

Preheat the broiler to high.
Finely mince the shallot and place in a small bowl. Cover with the lemon juice and a pinch of salt and freshly cracked pepper. (I like to add a pinch of sugar, too.) Set aside to macerate for 15 to 20 minutes.
Use a fork to whisk in the olive oil. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Meanwhile, quarter the heads of endive through the core, then finely slice crosswise. Place in a large bowl. Scatter the scallions over top. Break the smoked trout into large pieces over top.
Pour the dressing over top, and use your hands to gently toss everything together, keeping the trout in largish pieces. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed—now is the time to correct for seasoning because once the avocado is in, you don’t want to toss too much or it will all turn to mush.

Dice the avocado, and add to the bowl followed by the parsley. Toss with your hands again gently until combined. Set salad aside.

Arrange bread on cooling rack set on sheet pan. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Broil 2 minutes or until lightly golden, keeping a close watch. Remove pan from oven, flip slices of bread over, drizzle with more oil, and return pan to the oven for another 2 minutes, or until bread is golden.

Transfer toasts to a platter. Mound trout and avocado salad over top. Serve immediately.

Dairy-free · Gluten Free · Salad · Vegan

Easy, tasty “detox” salad

February 20, 2020February 20, 2020 Belinda

Recipe from Food Blog “Simply Quinoa”
This is a quick and easy easy, packed with nutrients and so easy to take to work. You can always add your favorite ingredients to it or just play around with it.

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Serves 6

2 broccoli crowns
1 head cauliflower
1 medium carrot
2 cups finely chopped kale
1/2 cup parsley finely chopped
1/2 cup sunflower seeds or pepitas
1/2 cup sliced cashews or almonds
1/2 cup dried golden berries or other fruit of choice
1/2 cup dried wild blueberries
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or other mild flavored vinegar
1 tablespoons pure maple syrup
Salt & pepper to taste

Wash and rinse all your vegetables, then cut the broccoli and cauliflower into florets.
In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, process the broccoli and cauliflower until fine and add them to a large mixing bowl. You may need to do this in batches – I needed three.
Process the carrot the same way and add to the bowl. Stir all ingredients to combine.
Add the rest of the salad ingredients to the bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until fully combined. Add lemon juice, vinegar and syrup and toss to coat.

Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Grains · Salad · Vegan

Kale & farro salad with almonds and pomegranate

January 24, 2020September 7, 2022 Belinda

Recipe from food blog, “Feasting at Home” Sylvia Fountaine.

This Kale and Farro Salad is one of my all-time favorite vegan salads. Think of it like a Winter Tabouli Salad. It’s loaded up with chopped kale and parsley and instead of bulgar, hearty farro is added to the mix. Pomegranate seeds replace out-of-season tomatoes here and toasted almonds give this a nice crunch! The best part? It can be made ahead!

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Serves 6-8
1 cup cooked farro (or sub wheat berries, bulgar wheat, quinoa, or other grain)
1 bunch lacinato kale ( 8-10 ounces) finely chopped, about 4–5 cups.
4 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 tbsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, very finely chopped ( tender stems, OK) about 1-2 cups
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1 cup pomegrante seeds
1/2 cup – 1 cup toasted almonds, chopped, slivered, or sliced
1 tbsp lemon juice, and more to taste
1/2 tsp allspice, more to taste
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
Optional Garnish: Avocado slices for extra richness

Start farro to cook on the stove ( 1/2 cup dry). Place in a pot of salted water, bring to a boil, lower heat, cover, simmer gently until tender, 30-40 minutes. Drain.
Chop kale finely and place in a large bowl. Add oil, salt, garlic and lemon zest. Massage the kale with clean hands until kale becomes tenderized, 4-5 minutes.
Add parsley, onion, pomegranate, almonds and farro. Toss to combine and add lemon juice and allspice and cinnamon.
Mix and taste, adding more salt, allspice and lemon to your taste. If making ahead, make sure to re-taste right before serving- the farro will soak up much of the salt and lemon, so usually I’ll add more.
For extra richness, right before serving, add slices of avocado if you like.
notes