Dressings - My Wholefood Romance

Salads, sesame and top 10 health tips.

March 11, 2013 By Meg With 2 comments

It’s been a super hot week here in Melbourne, so there have been salads galore. They are the perfect thing for a hot day, and also to use up any left overs that are hanging around. I usually work on a basic principle of combining a protein source with some crunch, and a fun dressing. So whatever I have in the protein stakes (tofu/tempeh, fetta, haloumi, chickpeas, lentils, quinoa etc), with some fresh leafy items, crunchy veg, some nuts or seeds to round out the protein, and a dressing including a lovely healthy fat of some kind (olive oil, flaxseed oil, tahini/nut butter, you get the idea). Including protein and good fat in your salads this way will keep your blood sugar regulated and will keep you feeling full for longer – creating a legitimate satisfying meal. Fab!

On Friday I was lucky enough to be featured on Jess Ainscough’s website The Wellness Warrior as a Friday Foodie. If you haven’t visited Jess’ site, make sure you check it out. She is an absolute inspiration and a wonderful person, and her site is full of educational and inspirational posts, videos and books, along with my favourite weekly inspiration board.

I decided to make this nutrient packed sesame noodle salad. The noodles are made up of buckwheat noodles, arame, and spiralised carrot and zucchini; combined with marinated tofu, fresh veg, coriander/cilantro and pepitas. The dressing is a ripper. For the full recipe, check out the post but do me a favour – add 1-2 tablespoons of lime/lemon juice to the dressing (a bit of a typo…). I also forgot to write the clove of fresh garlic for the tofu marinade in the ingredients section, but we won’t go there, I’m sure no-one noticed!…

If you have any left over dressing, it

…

Continue Reading →

Quinoa-tastic Tabbouleh

February 14, 2012 By Meg With 5 comments

How fabulous is quinoa? Its versatility, nutrient profile and deliciousness have made it almost a household name, and I see it appearing more and more in cafes, restaurants and several print publications. Just in case you may have missed the news, here is a recap.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is a fabulous nutrient-packed food that you should try to sneak into your diet wherever you can! And here’s why:

It has an amazing nutrient profile; high in protein, B vitamins (in particular B1, B2, B6 and folate), iron, potassium, zinc, calcium, magnesium and vitamin E.
It’s gluten free and lovely and easy to digest.
It is quick and easy to prepare.
It comes in red, black and white varieties to add colour and excitement to your meals!
It’s slightly nutty, slightly chewy, slightly fluffy and completely delicious!
It is a wonderful first food for babies mixed with vegetable or fruit purees. Note: pre-soaking the quinoa in water with a teaspoon of lemon juice for at least 6 hours will optimise digestion. Blend after cooking for young babies.

Cooking quinoa is similar to cooking rice. I prefer the absorption method.
Combine 1/3 cup of uncooked quinoa with 2/3 cup of water (or stock), bring to the boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for around 15 minutes. It will be translucent and plump when cooked. This will give you about a cup of cooked quinoa.

Go forth and add to soups, salads, breakfasts, desserts, and as a replacement to rice or combined with rice for added nutritional benefit. There are literally thousands of ways to use quinoa! Here is another fabulous idea - double broccoli quinoa from Heidi Swanson. So, back to the tabbouleh. Traditionally made with bulgur, I substituted quinoa and added fresh parsley, mint, basil, toasted pumpkin seeds

…

Continue Reading →