Quinoa, cashew and honeyed carrot salad and Father's Day weekend

We don't have much of a garden!  Yet I was very grateful for my little collection of plants on the weekend when this salad got a bit much for me.  To be more specific, I was racing around trying to make it while getting ready to go out and had asked Sylvia one time too many to brush her hair.  Which took my attention away from the roasting cashews.  They burnt.  I was very cross.  At least I could go out and pick mint with Sylvia to calm us down.

It was a busy Father's Day weekend.  Sylvia took E along to her gymnastics class because it was Bring a Dad to Gym week.  According to Sylvia he said "ouch" a lot!  She had her friend and her sister visit for lunch and to set up a bed on the verandah.  After they left, Sylvia and I finished a daffodil project for Spring.  Then we checked out the chocolate selection at the new Coburg North Coles.

On Sunday morning I made the Quinoa, pistachio and honeyed carrot salad from the Coles supermarket magazine.  The magazine had sat in the house for weeks until I finally took it along to Sylvia's netball practice to read as I sat on the sidelines.  I was glad I did as this salad was just right to take to a family lunch.  It was gluten free, vegetarian and substantial.  And I had most of the ingredients on hand.  We don't have a lot of mint at the moment but were able to glean enough for the salad.  I didn't have pistachios but we had so many cashews I just used those.

Sylvia also found a lemon off the tree and helped squeeze them.  I was grateful for any help.  The salad wasn't too complicated but it did have quite a few steps.  So it took longer than I expected.

Once the salad was ready, we headed to the car to go out for Father's Day brunch with E.  At that point I found that E had less time before he went to a ukelele recording session that I expected so instead of being able to head home after brunch I put the salad in the boot of the car so we could go directly to my parents' house..

We had planned to visit True North but it was chockas.  Instead we headed up Sydney Rd to a little greasy spoon cafe called Twins.  I wonder if this is a common name for greasy spoons as I remember one in Carlton that we went to when I was a student.  The Coburg Twins is pretty basic but E enjoys an egg and bacon sandwich.  Sylvia had the biggest pancake I had ever seen.  She made a pool in the middle of melted ice cream and maple syrup.  I had cheese, avocado and sun dried tomato.  It was nice and hit the spot.

Sylvia and I arrived at my parents in time for lunch.  Everyone else was having fried chicken but I had falafel and Sylvia had roast chickpeas instead.  The salad went down well.  Erica called to Ashy to let her know it had feta in it.  Fran exclaimed how much she loves cashews and the carrots: she thought the carrots tasted like dried apricots.  We also had an asian coleslaw and roast potatoes.

Afterwards we sang happy birthday to Fran and Quin.  It is a busy time for my family.  Then we ate chocolate cake, red velvet cakes and pavolva.  Then our day ended as it started.  In the garden.  As we left my parents' house, Sylvia noticed the camelia tree.  She has been doing an assignment on camelias at school.  So we stopped to take a photo of the camelias and my mum gave her a perfect camelia to take home.  Which was just a pile of petals at the bottom of the car by the time we got home.  But like my life, it is the thought that counts even if we don't get it perfect!

I am sending this salad to Jac for Meat Free Mondays, Elizabeth for Shop Local (as well as our own mint and lemon, we used carrots from the CERES farmers market), Lisa (and Jac) for No Croutons Required, Lucy and Lauren for Fabulous Foodie Fridays #68, and Cindy for Gluten Free Fridays.

More substantial salads from Green Gourmet Giraffe:
Avocado, pickled ginger and tofu soba noodle salad (gf, v)
Couscous salad with chermoula (v)
Energising buckwheat salad (gf, v)
Leon superfood salad (gf)
Peasant potato salad (gf)
Smoky potato, bean and corn salad (gf, v)
Taco salad with creamy dressing (gf)

Quinoa, cashew and honeyed carrot salad
Adapted from Coles Magazine
Serves 4 as a side dish

1 cup quinoa, rinsed, drained
2 large carrots, peeled, thinly sliced diagonally
2 tablespoons honey*
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 lemon, zested, juiced
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves
100g feta, crumbled

Preheat oven to 200 C.

Place quinoa in a saucepan with 1 and 1/2 cups of water.  Bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes (covered).  Set aside covered for 15 minutes to rest.

Line a baking tray with baking paper.  Mix sliced carrots with 1 and 1/2 tbsp honey and 1/2 tsp of cumin.  Cook in oven for 15 minutes, turning occasionally until carrots caramelise (they will shrink a bit).

While carrot bake, place cashews on a baking tray and roast for 5 minutes until golden brown.  Keep your eyes on them (and your nose on the case) as mine were done just a bit before 5 minutes.

Heat oil with 1 tsp cumin and 1 tsp smoked paprika until spices are fragrant.  Remove from heat.  Whisk in remaining 1/2 tbsp of honey and the lemon juice.

Mix dressing with quinoa, carrots, cashews and mint in a large bowl.  Scatter feta and lemon rind on top.  Serve warm or at room temperature

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