3 Bomb-Awesome Salads: The Slow Kitchen

It's the last month of summer here in Australia (in terms of the official seasons anyway - it tends to stay warm here until late-April at least) and that means it's the season of salads. Since I stopped eating meat I found I need more from my salads than just leafy greens, cucumber and tomatoes, so I've pulled together three of my favourite salads that won't leave you gnawing on the tablecloth once you're done.

Aside from satisfying, these awesome salads all accompany other dishes really well and are also great to keep for work lunches and those hot lazy nights when leftovers are just what the doctor ordered.

Plus, like all other recipes in my Slow Kitchen series, they're simple, easy, healthy and full of real ingredients. Enjoy!

Packed Salsa(Makes a big bowl - enough for 4 people as a side)

You’ll Need:

• 2 ripe avocados - diced
• 2 corn cobs - steamed, kernels sliced off
• 2 large tomatoes - diced
• 400g tin red kidney beans - rinsed and drained
• handful fresh coriander - roughly torn
• lemon juice
• glug of olive oil
• salt and pepper

Simply:

1. Combine all ingredients and top with good squirt of lemon juice and a glug of olive oil.
2. Mix.
3. Eat with abandon.

Try serving with:

• A baked potato topped with melted cheese, natural yoghurt and baby spinach.
• Chilli con carne or my lentil and vegetable chilli.
• Steamed fish or a BBQ.

Garden-in-a-Bowl Salad(Makes a huge salad - enough for dinner and lunch the next day)

You’ll Need:

• handful brussel sprouts - shredded
• medium-sized beetroot - peeled and grated
• 1/2 small head broccoli - chopped into florets
• a few handfuls baby spinach, kale or other leafy green
• avocado - diced
• 2 cobs of corn - steamed, kernels sliced off
• cucumber - sliced
• tomatoes - sliced
• 1/2 small head cauliflower - chopped into florets
• handful green herbs - coriander, basil or mint
• cup of cooked quinoa or other grain
• lemon juice
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Simply:

1. Combine all ingredients (if you aren't eating immediately, keep the beetroot out until just before serving).
2. Add or subtract ingredients based on seasonal availability and add more pulses or legumes as desired. (Black beans or kidney beans are also a great inclusion, as is crumbled goat's cheese).

Try serving with:

• Pita bread, felafel, pickled jalapenos and natural yoghurt
• Grilled field mushroom
• A piece of fish or BBQ

Quinoa and Roast Vege Salad(Makes enough for 8)

You’ll Need:

• 400g packet quinoa - cooked
• 1/2 butternut pumpkin - roughly chopped (skin left on - it's quicker)
• 3 large beetroot - peeled and roughly chopped
• 2-3 handfuls kalamata olives - drained (I love olives but you can leave them out or have less in your salad if you'd prefer)
• goat's cheese
• baby spinach
• baby rocket
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Simply:

1. Preheat your oven to 220C / 420F.
2. Place the pumpkin and beetroot on a roasting tray in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 30 minutes or until bottom of vegetables begins to colour.
3. Pull the vegetables out of the oven, flip and add a few handfuls of kalamata olives to the tray. Return to oven for another 20-ish minutes or until the veges begin to caramelise and crisp up.
4. Remove vegetables from oven and leave to rest for a little while.
5. Combine quinoa, vegetables, baby leafy greens and goats cheese in a large bowl and combine well. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
6. Enjoy!

Note on cooking (and pronouncing) quinoa:It's pronounced KEEN-wah, and the best way to cook it for most savoury needs is:

1. Rinse in a fine sieve under warm water. Use your fingers to swirl the seeds around and ensure the water runs clear from the bottom of the sieve or there will be a slightly bitter, soapy flavour.
2. Put in a saucepan on high heat and add double the amount of liquid to quinoa. That is, if you're cooking 1 cup raw quinoa, add 2 cups of liquid.
3. You can cook it in water, but I prefer to cook in vegetable stock. Gives it a little more flavour.
4. Once the quinoa comes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until liquid has been absorbed.
5. Remove saucepan from heat, put the lid on and set aside for 10-15 minutes.
6. Quinoa should be nice and fluffy, with the white 'germ' visible in the cooked seed.

Try serving with:

• Tortillas and natural yoghurt.
• Lamb or chicken skewers.
• Felafel and pita bread.
• Nothing! This is a delicious meal on its own and keeps very well for weekday lunches.

 Feeling hungry (and strangely virtuous) just writing about these. Bon appetit, my friends!