526. Revitalizing salad
1 zucchini, cut into thin ribbons using a mandolin
1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
1 handful rocket
1 cup cooked quinoa
2 radishes cut into thin slices
5-6 mint leaves
1/2 ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
2 tsp chia seeds
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dijon
1 tsp organic raw honey
- mix all the salad ingredients into a medium bowl.
- in a small bowl add the lemon juice, olive oil, dijon and honey, mix to combine, then pour this dressing over the salad and toss to combine. serve straight away.
525. Fresh english peas with mint
1 1/2 pounds fresh english peas in the pod, or about 10-12 ounces shelled fresh peas
2-3 tablespoons sweet butter, room temperature
4 sprigs fresh mint
salt & freshly ground black pepper
shell peas, or in a pinch you can use frozen. melt the butter in a sauté pan over a medium heat. add the peas, stirring until crisp-tender, about 2-3 minutes. the key is not to over cook these delicate little gems.
place the peas on a large serving platter. tear the mint leaves into bite sized pieces and gently toss with the peas. top with remaining tablespoon of butter, salt and freshly ground pepper. serve in the moment.
COOK’S NOTES: an option is frozen peas, which I defrost and thoroughly dry before giving them the quick sauté in the butter. I like to splurge on a rich european-style butter, with a higher butter fat content, such as lurpak salted butter, straus organic european style sweet butter, or plugra, available in most supermarkets.
524. Vegetable flatbreads
BROCCOLI FLATBREAD
makes about 12 slices
1 large head of broccoli
100 g / 1 cup almond flour / ground almonds
4 eggs
1 tsp dried herbs of choice (oregano, thyme, lemon pepper), optional
sea salt and black pepper to taste
preheat the oven to 200°c / 400°f and line a baking tray with baking paper. coarsely chop the broccoli (use the brighter part of the stem too), place in food processor and blend until you have got a fine rice-like texture. measure 4 cups / 1 liter of the vegetable ‘rice’ and place in a mixing bowl. add ground almonds, salt and pepper (plus herbs, if using) and mix with your hands. make a well in the centre and add the eggs. whisk the eggs with a fork. use your hands to pull the dry ingredients towards the middle until everything is combined and you can shape it into a ball. it should be more loose and wet than a traditional bread dough. transfer to the baking paper and form into a rectangular base by flattening the dough with your hands. bake on the middle rack in the oven for 23-25 minutes or until slightly golden and firm. remove from the oven and let cool completely. turn it upside-down and carefully remove the baking paper. cut into bread-sized slices and store in the fridge.
BEET FLATBREAD
1 small head of cauliflower, including the stem
2 medium beetroots, peeled
100 g / 1 cup almond flour / ground almonds
4 eggs
1/2 tsp sea salt and black pepper
use the same instruction and measurements as above. the dough is slightly more moist than when using broccoli but dries up when baked.
CARROT FLATBREAD
1 small head of cauliflower
1 large carrot, peeled
100 g / 1 cup almond flour / ground almonds
4 eggs
1/2 tsp sea salt and black pepper
use the same instruction and measurements as above. the dough is slightly more moist than when using broccoli but dries up when baked.
note for vegans: we have tried a vegan version of this recipe but weren’t entirely satisfied with it. we used 3 chia ‘eggs’ (3 tbsp chia + 9 tbsp water, set a side for 15 minutes) instead of eggs, but it didn’t hold together well enough once baked. next time we will try replacing the almond flour with a more starchy flour (rice flour or chickpea flour) or replacing chia seeds with psyllium seeds for the bread to hold together better.
523. Zucchini flatbread
YIELD: 1 SHEET PAN OF FLATBREAD PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES COOK TIME: 35 MINUTES TOTAL TIME: 45 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds zucchini
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1 egg
1 egg white
1 garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
· preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
· grate the zucchini using a box grater or a shredding attachment on a food processor. Dump the grated zucchini into the center of a clean kitchen towel and squeeze as much water as you can out of it. Transfer the zucchini to a medium size mixing bowl.
· add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
· line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray the paper with non-stick spray.
· dump the zucchini mixture out onto the parchment paper and spread it out in an even layer.
· bake on a lower oven rack for about 25 minutes until the edges begin to turn golden brown. Flip the flatbread over and cook for another 5-8 minutes until the top (well, bottom) is covered with golden brown spots.
· remove the flatbread from the oven and let it cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
NOTE: If you find that the flatbread has gooey pockets throughout, slice the crispy edges off and return the flatbread to the oven to finish baking. Spreading it out evenly on the pan really makes a difference in how evenly it bakes.