Wonder salad

Delightfully healthy in more ways than one! By Innes Hope

This salad not only nourishes the body. It is socially enriching! Wondering what’s in it? That’s the idea! Invite everyone to wonder what’s in it. The salad itself is ‘game-central.’ Include as many ingredients as possible. People have fun naming as many as they can.

IDEAS FOR INGREDIENTS

Greens - various types of lettuce, spinach, silver beet, mizuna, cavolo nero (tuscan kale), mustard greens, kale, tatsoi, cabbage: red, green and/or Chinese wong bok. Herbs - parsley, basil, rocket, mint, lemon balm, coriander greens, chickweed, fennel, edible flowers, etc. Grated or sliced raw vegetables - carrot, beetroot, radish, parsnip, squash, zucchini, red onion, leek leaves, spring onion, cucumber, capsicum, mushrooms, etc. Chilled cooked foods - broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, roasted root veges, carrot, corn, quinoa, barley, whole wheat, whole buckwheat, protein pasta, etc. Fruits - tomatoes, avocados, chopped or grated apple, pear, berries, orange, persimmon, kiwifruit, stone fruits, melon, pomegranate, citrus peel, currants, cranberries, dried apricots, sultanas. Lemon juice galore. Extras - nuts and seeds of all kinds, sprouts, cooked beans & lentils, tofu cubes, seaweeds, couscous, wholegrain croutons, wholegrain noodles, sprinkles (kelp, ground hemp protein etc), sauerkraut, kimchi, jalapenos, etc. METHOD Have a paper and pen handy. As you add an ingredient write it down, numbering your list as you go. Choose your own ingredients, which will vary over the seasons. To keep everyone guessing, your salad should ideally be different each time. The game works best when the salad contains finely chopped ingredients. As you serve your creation, explain ‘how to play.’ Tell people how many ingredients there are – often an impressive number! By now, even the kids will be keen to eat their greens.

Putting a Wonder Salad together inspires the chef too! Cooks need a little fun in the kitchen sometimes to boost our enthusiasm for putting in the extra effort that can make dishes super healthy. If you’re in a rush, a bag of mesclun salad provides a good base.

Delightful lemon-tang! Anti-inflammatory, dairy & nut free. By Innes Hope

I casually call this herb spread-come-dip a ‘pesto’ though, strictly speaking, pesto is made with basil. This ‘pesto’ has a medicinal quality, as it can help reduce inflammation in the body in a most delicious way!

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup 1/4 cup x3

Approx 1 tsp 1 Tbsp lemon juice water tightly packed cups of curly parsley (leaves minus stems) salt or white miso ground chia or ground linseed

extra parsley, chia or water if needed

TIPS No parsley? Other greens or herbs can be used as a base or combined to bulk it out if you don’t have enough of any one green. Suggestions: spinach, basil, coriander, or rocket (monitor the amount of ‘bite’ you want). Experiment with seasonal greens and herbs so you can make some kind of pesto all year round.

Pesto provides instant, raw, mega-greens when you’ve no time to cook, or you’ve not enough greens for meal-sized servings.

This pesto is freezer-friendly. Store in small batches so it will thaw quickly.

Pesto has an aura of luxury about it, but it will cost you practically nothing if you grow the parsley. It is very easy to grow - no green fingers needed! METHOD

1. Juice the lemons and pour the juice and about half the water into a blender. 2. Add one cup of parsley, and blend, then add the salt or miso and blend it in. 3. Add another cup of parsley and blend. Add the rest, bit by bit, enough to keep the mix moving. Add the chia or linseed, blend. The pesto should be thick and moving slowly in the blender. Add a touch more water if the blender gags. 4. Scrape the mixture into a bowl. If it looks too watery, stir in some extra chia or linseed to take up excess moisture - it will soon swell, so avoid adding a lot; you can always stir in more later if needed. Makes about a cupful.

Spread it on sandwiches, toast, or wafers. Nice on crackers with soups and salads. Stir it into pasta, scoop a dollop onto the dinner plate with mains, or serve as a dip. It keeps well, covered, in the fridge – the lemon juice ensures it stays looking fresh and green.