Quinoa Tabouli Salad

Tabouli or Tabbouleh is so refreshing and is perfect for a summer salad. Well, it's no really summer here in London but I decided to do this anyway as it's light and delicious. Quinoa grains contain essential amino acids like lysine and good quantities of calcium, phosphorus, and iron.
As you will see below I mix the vegetables first and then add the quinoa and that is because if I don't the quinoa absorbs all the dressing and leave the vegetable tasteless.

Ingredients:
150g cooked quinoa
2 cloves of garlics smashed
Zest of one lemon
1 cucumber diced
10 cherry tomatoes cut in four
10g parsley chopped
1 avocado cut in cubes
Juice of one lemon
1 tbsp olive oil
Smoked sea salt

Method:
1 - Mix together the garlic, lemon juice and zest, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, parsley and salt in a salad bowl.
2 - Pour the quinoa and mix with the vegetables.

Enjoy!!

Where Is The Love Salad

The black-eyed peas, the legume not the band, is an excellent source of calcium, folate, protein and vitamin A. It's a versatile legume and it's used worldwide. Although I can think of many other ways of cooking it, to use it on a cold salad is the best. It doesn't longer than 5 minutes to prepare it. 
On other thing, did you know that eating black-eyed peas on new year's day is thought to bring prosperity in the Southern United States. 

Ingredients:
250g Black eyed peas (one can or pre-boiled)
20 cherry tomatoes cut in 4
10g parsley chopped
2 sticks of spring onions chopped
1/2  onions thinly chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Juice of one lime
Smoked sea salt

Method:
1 - Mix all the ingredients together and enjoy!!

Chickpeas Salad

Every vegan know that legumes are very important for our diet and chickpeas are no exception. Chickpeas are very high in protein, a good source of zinc and folate, it's low in fat and recent studies have also shown that they can assist in lowering of cholesterol in the bloodstream. Convinced? If yes, try this salad, you'll love it!!!

Ingredients:
250g chickpeas (one can or pre-boiled)
10 cherry tomatoes cut in 4
10g parsley chopped
1/2 red onions thinly chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
Juice of one lime
Smoked sea salt

Method:
1 - Mix all the ingredients together and enjoy!!

Wrap Salad Cups

After a long hot day or a trip to the gym this is the best salad you can wish for. It's effortless and it looks really nice. The fact that you can eat the cup will impress your friends and family.
This recipe serve two, so if you are making this for more people just multiply the ingredients per the number of people you are serving. On the salad you can use basically anything you want. I'll give you the recipe of what I used on mine but feel free to create your own.

Ingredients:
2 Wraps
1/2 tsp spread
1/2 Lettuce ball
10 baby plum tomatoes
50g sun dried tomatoes
10 Dried figs cut in small bits
150g baby leaf spinach
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar
Salt 

Method:
1 - Pre-heat the oven at 180c
2 - Spread half of the spread on the up side down bowl
3 - Using your hands press the wrap (you are going to cook them one at a time) on the bowl so it sticks on the bowl a bit
4 - Cook it for 15 minutes or until it gets a bit brown.
5 - Mix the rest of the ingredients together and put half on one wrap cup

Serve it while the cup is still warm. Enjoy!!!

Quinoa Tofu Salad

Quinoa has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value as its a source of complete protein. It is also a good source of fiber, calcium and phosphorus and if that is not good enough quinoa its also high in magnesium and iron. It is very useful for vegans or people looking for a nutritional and healthy meal. The fact that is so tasty just adds to the list so I have decided to create a (kind of posh) salad of quinoa and orange juice sauce. I hope you like it!

Ingredients:
1 cup of quinoa
2 cups of water
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic smashed
200g smoked tofu (I used Taifun Beechwood Smoked Tofu)
1 orange (zest and juice)
Salt
Black pepper

Method:
1 - In a sauce pan cook the quinoa with the water for 15 minutes
2 - When ready transfer for a big bowl and pour 1 tbsp of the olive oil, the orange zest and put aside
3 - Fry the garlic with the rest of the olive oil
4 - Add the tofu, salt, black pepper and the orange juice and stir for 2 minutes
5 - Pour the mixture on the quinoa the mix together
6 - Leave in the fridge for 30 minutes before serve

Enjoy!

Lettuce Wrap

This dish is perfect for a summer lunch or dinner, the crunchiness of the cold lettuce combined with the hot rice is just perfect. You can wrap it or serve on the lettuce shells. Whatever you prefer, it is just delicious.

Ingredients:
1/2 onions chopped
250g closed cup chestnut mushroom sliced
50g carrots thinly sliced
12 cherry tomatoes cut in half
250g sweet corn (the no added salt and sugar one)
3 sticks of spring onions chopped
400g cooked white rice
Olive oil to drizzle
1 head of lettuce (the amount you are going to use will depend on how big you want the wraps to be)
Salt
Black pepper

Method:
1 - Fry the onions until tender
2 - Add the mushrooms, carrots, tomatoes, sweet corn, spring onions, salt and black pepper and stir until they are all tender
3 - Turn off the fire and add the rice, mix it well
4 - Transfer the mixture onto a baking tray and bake it for 20 minutes at 200c
5 - Wash the lettuce leaves on cold water
6 - When the rice is ready, using a spoon place the rice in the middle of the lettuce leaves and wrap it. The amount of rice will depend on the size of the lettuce leaves
8 - Drizzle with the olive oil just before serve.
7 - Serve it straight away

Enjoy!!!

Black Eyed Beans salad

Bean salad is so refreshing, perfect for a summer lunch or dinner. The secret to a good bean salad is the wash the beans (especially if you using canned beans as they normally are too salty), by doing that you make them less gassy. It is also good to leave it in the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving, not only it tastes better if it's cold but it's also enough time for the beans to marinate a bit.

Ingredients:

235g black eyed beans
½ onions thinly chopped
10g chives chopped
12 cherry tomatoes cut in four
¼ cup olive oil
1 lime
Maldon smoked sea salt flakes

Method:

1 – Wash the beans on a colander.
2 – Add the onions, tomatoes and chives and mix it well
3 – Add the olive oil, lime juice and salt

Leave it in the fridge for about 30min before serving. Enjoy!

Potato Salad

This salad is refreshing and perfect for a warm spring day. It goes well with leafs of any kind, I had it with rockets but you can choose the ones you prefer.

Ingredients:

500g mini new potatoes cut in half

5 tbsp raisins

½ onions chopped

35g carrots sliced

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp mustard
2 sticks spring onions chopped

¾ cup of vegan mayonnaise (I use Tiger Tiger May-O)

Salt

Black pepper

Method:

1 – Boil the potatoes for 20 minutes

2 – Drain the water of it and let it cool

3 – In a bowl mix the potatoes with the rest of the ingredients and put it in the fridge for 25 minutes before serve

Done! Can you believe how easy this was??? Enjoy!!