Quinoa, Veggie & Olive Bowl

Remind yourself of the goodness in one simple bowl of food!

Quinoa salad with olives, courgette, ramiro red pepper and summer greens. Garnished with almonds, toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Drizzled with olive oil and a squeeze of lemon or lime juice.

Did you know quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) was discovered as an edible grain by the Inca's three to four thousand years ago? It is a complete protein containing all 9 essential amino acids and is a suitable alternative for wheat and gluten intolerance and allergies.

In Ayurveda, the sweet and grounding qualities of quinoa suit Pitta and Vata constitutions. For Kapha dosha, add spices, like black pepper or chilli peppers. Choose bitter and astringent greens like kale, spinach, broccoli and greens beans to make a delicious summer lunch.

You’ll need

Two saucepans

One frying pan

Slotted spoon

Pestle and mortar or electric grinder

Ingredients

Use organic and seasonal veggies, when you can.

1 cup of quinoa

1 cm root ginger

1 red ramiro pepper

1 medium courgette

100g fennel bulb

Tenderstem broccoli

Green beans

Handful of kale

Flaked blanched almonds

Diced Olives

Handful of parsley, tarragon, oregano, chives

Handful of toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds

Olive oil for dressing

Coconut oil for cooking

Lemon or lime juice

500ml vegetable stock

1 tsp tamari

Himalayan salt

Prepare the vegetables

For a seasonal summer dish choose bitter and astringent organic greens like kale, spinach, broccoli and green beans. Wash them and put to one side.

Dice the ramiro red pepper and sprinkle with a little salt and drizzle of olive oil - place to one side.

Dice the courgette, celery and fennel into small pieces.

Finely diced the root ginger.

Prepare the quinoa

Wash the quinoa in a sieve and then place in a saucepan with 2 cups of stock. Use vegetable bouillon or homemade stock with a tiny pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes until the grain is fluffy and the stock has disappeared. Then place the saucepan lid on the pan and let it rest for 5 minutes.

Blanch

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and a teaspoon of salt. This helps to retain the nutrients in the vegetables. In a bowl, fill with cold water. In turn, blanch the courgettes then green beans, tenderstem broccoli and kale. Try not to overcook. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and place into the cold water.

Sautee

Add a little coconut oil to a frying pan. When hot, saute the celery, fennel and root ginger for 2 minutes, then add the tamari. Bring all ingredients together in one bowl and stir in the chopped fresh summer herbs.

Garnish

Garnish with toasted pumpkin and sunflower seeds and a drizzle of olive oil with a squeeze of lemon or lime (limes for Pitta dosha)!

Serve warm as a side dish with falafel and hummus or enjoy on its own!

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