15 LichField Road556835 Singapore
Hey there ! So if you know me a little, you know we live in Singapore and are surrounded by a mix of Asian cuisines, which I looooove ! Noodles and vermicelli are a main staple in every kitchen here, and I always carry brown rice vermicelli for a quick and easy stir fry or salad in this case. I prefer to use brown rice ones, as they are more interesting from a nutritional standpoint and tastewise, you can really not tell the difference once blended with the rest. In the salas below, I use a mix of veggies I like, but feel free to change / skip / replace (cauliflower or brocollini can also work very well, change for red cabbage for more polyphenols and a burst of colour, and play with the herbs: dill or asian thai basil are really nice alternatives). If you don’t like goji berries, use raisins, dried cranberries or blueberries or omit (though I like having that little natural sweet note). Finally, peanuts work very well in Asian flavored dish, but omit if allergic, or replace by toasted crushed cashews or sunflower or pine nuts. If you are not GF you can use soba noodles (some are 100 GF, but not all, so check the label). As always, this is a ridiculously easy recipe, you can do quickly and twist with your current mood ! ENJOY 🙂
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4 large portions as a main
250g brown rice vermicelli cooked as per package instructions
Half a brocoli, cut into small florets, blanched and sliced
1 large carrot julienned
100 g blanched snow peas sliced
Half a yellow raw capsicum sliced
25 g shredded mixed herbs (mint, coriander, chives, thai basil, ..)
2 tbsp crushed grilled peanuts
1 tbsp black sasimi seeds
1 tbsp goji berries
Optional chili flakes
Dressing: Juice and zest of 1 small lime, 3 tbsp rice vinegar, 3 tbsp sesame oil + 2 tbsp avocado oil (or grapeseed), 1 tbsp tamari sauce, 3 tbsp maple syrup (honey is also ok if not vegan)
INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare your dressing.
Transfer all your salad ingredients (except the nuts, seeds and keep 1 tbsp herbs) in your nicest large salad bowl. Using your clean 🙂 hands, mix all dry ingredients well, add the dressing and combine everything well again together. Top your salad with remaining ingredients and serve immediately (or keep in fridge for a few days, but then better not to pour the dressing)
When you live in a country where it is eternal summer, you need to be creative with your salad dressings, trust me 🙂
The super easy dressing I share below can work with many salads (potatoes, pasta, ..) and this time I paired it with white beans and fresh veggies to get a balanced protein and fibers packed light lunch. The little trick in this dressing is the use of SUMAC, a dried red powder coming from a bush bay and which is mostly used in Middle Eastern cuisine. It’s lightly astringent and brings a nice tart twist when sprinkled on houmous or roasted veggies. Really worth trying !
Recipe just below. Enjoy !
Herby Sumac dressing
- 60 ml Olive oil
- A good handful chopped coriander (15grs)
- A good handful chopped mint (15grs)
- The zest of a medium sized organic lemon
- 4 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 crushed garlic clove
- Start with 0,5 tsp sumac and add more according to taste (I put 1 tsp)
- Sea salt and pepper to taste
Mix well everything (you can use your blender for a smoother texture) and use as a dressing on potatoes salad, beans salad, pasta salad. Always remenber to mix carbs, grains (proteins) and fresh veggies in your salads. And colors !!
This dressing can be kept for 2 days in the fridge but better used on the day it was made (herbs will not look as nice:)
Your table should always be colorful !
So when planning a single dish meal like a salad, I always ensure I combine ingredients to get a burst of colors and textures that will please our eyes even before we taste it 🙂
Today I made this nice combo of roasted and fresh vegetables, combined with lentils, seeds and herbs, it was really delicious and you can do it even if you can not cook 🙂
Recipe below if you want to try it.
Don’t hesitate to share your comments if you give it a go.
Recipe:
- 3 cups pumpkin cut in medium chunks (you can leave the skin if organic)
- 2 cups beetroot cut in medium chunks
- 3 red onions sliced in 6 parts
- 1, 5 cup cooked puy lentils
- 3 cups kale
- pickled onions (optional but real nice twist)
- a good handful coriander
- vegetarian: crumbled blue cheese / vegan: marinated crumbled tofu or vegan cheese
- roasted pepitas
Coat your pumpkins, beetroots, red onions with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper and 1,5 tbps cumin (you can add an additional 1 tsp turmeric on the pumpkin). Roast in the oven for approx 30 min, 180°C.
Once the vegetables have cooled down, dress your plate with all the veggies, top with the herbs, pickled onions, cheese and roasted pepitas. Drizzle with a dressing made of 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 3 tbsp olive oil.
Add a pinch of salt and cracked pepper according to taste
During our holidays I tried lots of new healthy restaurants and cafés in Europe and discovered great recipes I can’t wait to adapt at home !
I also did a lot of staples shopping in the organic shops I love in Paris.
I came home with some Spirulina and couldn’t resist to try a savory recipe with it. So here it goes, I opted for spirulina pesto and used it do dress up a superfood salad.
If you want to try, just follow the link below.
Hope you enjoy, and share your comments with me 🙂
Spirulina pesto superfood salad
I love green colour ! from clothing to food, anything green will do !
I guess unconsciously it is the link with nature, the vibrant plant energy and the freshness it inspires that attracts me.
Also, when I have been a little overindulgent over the week end 🙂 I need to go for green food !
So today, I say yes to an all green veggies lunch salad.
I chose wholewheat soba noodles as I had been running 9 km this morning and needed some good carbs to pair with my veggies.
If you want to make yourself this super easy 10 min yummy Asian salad, follow the link below.
Living in Singapore, we eat salads all the time. At the moment I love mixing fruits with veggies and grains to create new flavor combinations and twist traditional recipes. It’s the magic of vegetarian and vegan cuisines, anything is possible, you reinvent recipes everyday !
If you want to try this one, follow the link below.
I hope you will enjoy it and share any comment you might have with me !