Saturday 19 January 2013

Leon Superfood Salad

Last week was tiring.  I would like to claim that making this Leon Superfoods Salad gave me the energy I needed but it was no match for a young girl who did not want to sleep.  While it might not work magic, it is a delicious salad that is healthy without feeling heavy.

I bookmarked the recipe because it sounded excellent.  I made it because I was searching my bookmarks for avocado recipes.  This one particularly appealed because we are still buying broccoli but I have less desire to cook it in the hot days of summer.  It wasn't that hard to make but it took me quite some time to prepare between trying to settle Sylvia. 

Allegra McEvedy of Leon claimed that this was one of two recipes that she was still making 3 years after opening Leon restaurant.  That impressed me.  Yet I still made changes.  I am a bit lackadaisical about measurements for salads.  I did buy a really good soft marinated feta, which I would recommend.  It was a great salad. Crunchy, soft, spiky, creamy, little bit sour, little bit salty. 

The biggest disappointment was that the following day there was only enough leftovers for one person.  Possibly this was because I didn't follow the measurements precisely.  Unfortunately E loved it too, but he was happy to eat pasta while I polished off the salad.

I am sending this salad to Catherine of Cates Cates for her Anyone Can Cook Vegetarian Food challenge.  This is a new challenge that she has started this month with the theme, Substantial Salads.


Previously on Green Gourmet Giraffe:
One year ago: WSC Blueberry Chocolate Cake
Two years ago:  CC Hal's Stirfry Sauce
Three years ago: Cheese and Almond Loaf
Four years ago: Beat the heat with fruit salad
Five years ago: Nigel’s bulghur supper

Leon Superfood Salad
Adapted from Allegra McEvedy in The Guardian
serves 3-4

3/8 cup dry quinoa
160g broccoli florets (from 1 head of broccoli)
160g frozen peas
150g cucumber (1/3 telegraph cucumber), diced
180g marinated feta cheese, crumbled
20g alfalfa sprouts
40g seeds (I used sesame, sunflower, flax and pumpkin)
120g avocado, cut into pieces
Small handful parsley, rough chopped
Small handful mint, rough chopped
6 dessertspoons lemon juice
8 dessertspoons olive oil from the marinated feta

Cook the quinoa (place in saucepan with slightly more than twice the water and a pinch of salt, then simmer about 15 minutes). Set aside to cool.

Cook the broccoli until only just cooked.  (Allegra said to steam for about 3 minutes but I microwaved it.)  Cook peas with broccoli if doing on stovetop or separately if in microwave.  Dry fry the seeds until they smell fragrant.

Layer the salad in a salad bowl in the order in the ingredients list.  Toss and check taste.  Adjust seasonings and lemon juice if required.  Serve at room temperature.

On the Stereo:
L'Imaginaire Irlandais: Various Artists

28 comments:

  1. Ooh, that sounds great! I've got Allegra McEvedy's Colour cookbook, and make the baked sweet potato with hot pink coleslaw quite often in autumn. This one will definitely be going onto my list of things to make.

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    1. Thanks Catherine - I think I have seen this on your blog - sounds great and like Allegra McEvedy appreciates a colourful meal

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  2. Lots of good stuff in there! And I love those dot paints, I break them out when I need five minutes to enjoy (and finish) a cup of tea :)

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    1. Thanks Veganopoulous - I had thought the dot paints might give me a breather but alas they didn't - but they are great fun and easy for little kids to make lots of colour

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  3. I can always use more interesting salad recipes and this one is filled with so many fun mix-ins!

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    1. Thanks Joanne - it does have lots of variety - hope you love it

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  4. That's one jam packed salad!!! I love how bright and green and fresh it looks!

    Adding this to my list of recipes to try! ;)

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    1. Thanks Dayna - I was pleased at the green colour - esp once I mixed it up (but the photos of it weren't decent quality - I think I was too eager to eat)

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  5. Looks lovely. Delicious and as well as being healthy. I love all the different shades of green together

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    1. Thanks Katie - it does feel so healthy that it shouldn't taste so good but it does - and looks good too

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  6. I remember when the recipes were first published in The Guardian - I ripped those pages out and they've been with me ever since. Yours looks fabulous - I love this salad as a lunchbox salad - all my workmates are really jealous (but too lazy to make it themselves - their loss!)

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    1. Thanks Marmaduke - I take my hat off to you for getting into the salad when it was first in the Guardian - rather than 6 years later like me! I had hoped to have some for lunch but it didn't stretch as far as I had hoped - more ingredients next time

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  7. Looks wonderful Johanna. I really like the sound of this one. It would be a good one to add to bookmarked recipes too :)

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    1. Thanks Jac - I had hoped to send a pasta dish in but had forgotten you had a theme - try and get you a bookmarked dish soon :-)

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  8. I wish I could still hassle my mum during my insomniac nights.

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    1. Thanks Hannah - must be the advantage of insomnia in canada - then you can ring your mum in the middle of your night but not hers :-)

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  9. Hey, if Allegra is still making it, it muts be good.

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    1. Thanks Cakelaw - I must find more allegra recipes - sounds like you are a fan!

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  10. I read your post title and had a little shiver of excitement. On our one visit to Leon in London, this is what I ordered and it was incredibly good. I am looking forward to making it from the Leon book we (I...) bought for Christmas. Your version is the same really so I'm glad you found it enjoyable when homemade.

    I'm less glad you have a sleep resistant toddler and hope she settles into a routine soon...tricky things, children and sleep!

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    1. Thanks Kari - having tasted the salad I wish I had an opportunity to visit the leon restaurant - maybe I will just need to seek out the book instead :-)

      And don't get me started on children and sleep - why they don't sleep when they need it and when they can have it so easily - if only they knew how hard it is to get sleep as they get older and busier. Nuff said!

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  11. That looks so lovely and healthy Johanna! I hear you, last week was terribly tiring with all of that hot weather!

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    1. Thanks Lorraine - we have had another hot day today - does make you wonder how we lived without air conditioners on these days!!!

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  12. Looks delicious.. very jealous of your hot weather right now! :)

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    1. Thanks Janet - please take some of our hot weather and send us a bit of your cold - really truly!

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  13. That looks quite delicious. I'm always on the lookout for quinoa salad recipes. Will give this one a try.

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    1. Thanks Quince Poacher - I find some quinoa salad recipes too full of quinoa but this one had a great balance of textures

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  14. I had plans to make this a long time ago and never got around to it. It's back at the top of my list now. Thank you!

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    1. Thanks Wendy - I know the feeling but highly recommend this salad

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