Original Superfoods Salad

publication date: Feb 29, 2008

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author/source: Allegra McEvedy

Another Fairtrade recipe from the Fairtrade Everyday Cookbook, this time from Allegra McEvedy who doubles as a partner in the admirable fresh food chain Leon and a columnist in the Guardian.

I’ve actually eaten this salad at Leon and it’s quite delicious but as it contains a fair number of ingredients I’ve classified it as a treat - and made a couple of suggestions for keeping the cost down. In fact the ideal thing would be to double or treble the recipe and make it for a crowd.

Ingredients
Serves 2
Preparation time 15 minutes
Cooking time 15-20 minutes

30g (1oz) Fairtrade quinoa
200g (7oz) broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
120g (4oz) fresh or frozen peas (frozen are cheaper FB)
100g (3 1/2 oz) cucumber, cut into slim batons
100g (3 1/2 oz) good quality feta cheese*, crumbled
20g (3/4 oz) alfalfa
20g (3/4 oz) toasted seeds (we use Fairtrade sesame seeds and sunflower, flax and pumpkin seeds**)
50g (1 3/4 oz) Fairtrade avocado cut into bite-sized chunks
Small handful flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Small handful mint, roughly chopped
2 dessertspoons juice of a Fairtrade lemon
4 dessertspoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and Fairtrade black pepper

Method
Put the quinoa in a small pan. Cover with cold water plus about an inch (2.5cm) then let it gently simmer until the water’s gone - about 15 minutes. Spread it on a baking tray to cool to room temperature.
Pour an inch of hot water into a saucepan with a pinch of salt and cover it. Once boiling drop in the broccoli and peas and put the lid back on. Drain after three minutes and run the veg under cold water to take all the heat out and keep them crisp and green
Build your salad in layers now, either individually or on a big plate to share - this is more of a flat salad than a big bowl affair. Start with the first ingredient on the list and end up with the chopped herbs.
Lightly whisk the lemon juice and oil together with some seasoning but only dress the salad just before you eat it.

TOP TIPS
* You could use a crumbly white cheese such as Caerphilly or Wensleydale instead of feta

* It would be quite pricey to buy all these different seeds just for two. I'd use a ready-prepared seed mix designed for scattering on salads

For more information about Fairtrade certified foods visit www.fairtrade.org.uk