Basil, Lime and Roast Vegetable Salad
Do you get half way through Winter, and want to head into some more salad based meals but still need something warm? Then this is for you. An exciting combination of warm roasted carrot and pumpkin (can be substituted for kumara), fresh spinach leaves mixed with a yummy combination of seeds and chick peas and tossed with a zesty lime and basil dressing. This makes our taste buds hum...
Serves 4
Ingredients
Roast Veges
250 gm pumpkin
1 large carrot
1 tbsp Olive Oil
Season with salt & Pepper
Salad
2 cups fresh spinach leaves
4 tbsp chopped spring onion
4 tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
140 gm can of chick peas
1/2 small head of cauliflower (blitzed into rice)
Salad Dressing
4 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp Splenda
1/4 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
small pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 200ºC (390ºF) bake function.
Chop the pumpkin and carrot into small bite sized pieces. Place in a roasting tray and toss with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden and tender.
While the veggies roast, place cauliflower in food processor until a rice consistency.
Blitz all the salad dressing ingredients together in a grunty blender or food processor until smooth-ish.
Finely chop the spinach leaves and spring onion then place to one side. Drain and rinse and the chick peas.
Place a fry pan over medium heat and toast the pumpkin and sunflower seeds for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring every now and then, until slightly golden (watch closely otherwise they will burn).
Remove the seeds from the frypan. Place the frypan back over the heat, add a splash of olive oil and fry the cauliflower until it is of cooked rice texture (about 10 minutes) and add the chick peas towards the end.
Toss all the ingredients into a large bowl and pour over the salad dressing. Mix until well combined. Season with salt and pepper and serve! This salad is also gorgeous the next day just keep in the fridge until you are ready to serve.