Guest post: Quinoa, Cauliflower and Asparagus Salad

Today I have a very special treat for you, a guest post from my dear friend Stephanie who is a great cook. I can’t wait to make her delicious-looking salad. Over to Stephanie…

We are always looking for new ways to increase our intake of vegetables, and salads can be a great way of achieving this. My daughter especially can be a little leery of your bog-standard green salad, so here is a delicious recipe I adapted from something I found on the Internet. The original is a Sicilian recipe made with farro, which contains gluten. I swap out farro for quinoa, and instead of raisins I use dried goji berries, as they are packed with nutrients and a bit less sweet!

Quinoa, Cauliflower and Asparagus Salad

Ingredients

200g cooked and cooled quinoa

1 cauliflower, cut into florets

250g asparagus, woody ends trimmed

Olive oil

2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted

40g dried goji berries

Handful of baby salad leaves

4 eggs, hard boiled, peeled and halved

For the dressing

1 tablespoon each of chopped dill, parsley and chives, or to taste

80ml olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

Method

1. Cook cauliflower in pan of boiling salted water for about 6 minutes, until tender. Drain and cool.

2. Heat a pan until quite hot, add a tiny amount of oil and lightly char the asparagus for 3-4 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove the asparagus to a plate and allow to cool.

3. Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and test the seasoning.

4. In a serving bowl, combine quinoa, cauliflower, asparagus, pine nuts, goji berries and baby leaves with the dressing. Serve eggs as a side to the salad, or omit entirely if you are serving as a side dish to a meat-based meal.

Enjoy!