Category Archives: Salads

Have you ever tried packaged vegetarian burgers from the supermarket before? I have. I don’t know what I was thinking. It was horrible, overly salty and mushy. In fact, making your own at home is damn easy and a lot healthier. The secret to making a good vegetarian burger comes from the patties. This lentil burgers with lots of flavours using spices, herbs and nuts are, I guarantee, as good as or better than the meat patties. It is gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan-friendly. You can make a big batch and freeze them as well. Great for easy light dinner on weeknights and also quick lunch on the weekends. It is up to you having it with salads, putting in the wraps or buns, adding poached eggs or smashed avocados on top. I topped with caramelised beetroot and onion and served with simple green salad. It is all delicious!

Ingredients (6 little patties)

100g dried lentils
200g mushrooms
1 tbsp brown rice flour
1 tbsp tahini paste
1 egg
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp cardamom
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp Himalayan salt
1 tsp grounded pepper
handful of flat leaf parsley
handful of mint leaves
a handful of pine nuts

Rinse and cook lentils in a boiling water for 20-30 minutes until cooked and tender. Rinse and drain. Put cooked lentils and all other ingredients in your food processor and pulse until all combined. Season to taste. Cover and put the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes to set. If the mixture is too wet, add extra flour in. If too dry, add a bit of water or extra egg. Taste the mixture to adjust the flavour, as well. Take it out of the fridge, shape the mixture into little discs. You can either pan-fry with coconut oil or bake in the oven until golden brown.

I have to admit I’m so obsessed with zucchini noodles at the moment.I love the fact that it is nutrition dense, totally gluten-free and wheat-free and also it doesn’t leave you feel heavy and full like after eating a giant bowl of pasta. It is a great alternative to traditional pasta for sure. Tomato based sauce is always my choice over the creamy Alfredo sauce. It is incredible how these little humble tomatoes can create such a beautiful sweetness when roasted. Seriously, 20 minutes is all you need. When it comes out of the oven, they are gooey, beautifully caramelised and spitting open. It adds a rich smokey and sweet flavour to a boring zucchini pasta. Yes, flavour bomb!

Ingredients

1 cup of zucchini noodles
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 cup of grape tomatoes
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
salt and pepper to taste
a squeeze of lemon

Toss tomatoes in coconut oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Spread them on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven (180) for 20 minutes. In the meantime, using a julienne peeler, make a zucchini pasta. Toss with 1/2 tsp of salt and set aside. Take the tomatoes out of the oven. Squeeze the juice out of the zucchini pasta. Put them in a large bowl, toss and marinade for 5-10 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and add a squeeze of lemon on top.

A bag of carrots is a staple food in my fridge. I chew on it for a snack, add into my salads, stir-fries, cakes and muffins. It is cheap, versatile, yummy, nutritious and lasts long in the fridge as well. I had to make a salad with what I’ve got in my fridge today – of course, carrots are in it. All you need is only three ingredients that I believe we all have in the fridge and pantry. Miso dressing really makes a difference here. It tastes even better next day as the rice absorbs the dressing and flavour develops even further. So it is a good idea making a salad a day before or a few hours before serving.

Ingredients

2 carrots
1 cup of wild rice
a bunch of coriander

For dressing
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tsp Deonjang or miso paste
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp Himalayan salt
pepper to taste

Wash and chop the carrots. Mix all dressing ingredients in a bowl. Toss the carrots in the dressing and bake in the preheated oven (180) for 20-30 minutes until cooked. In the meantime, cook the wild rice in a boiling water for about 40 minutes until cooked. Drain and set aside. To assemble the salad, simply toss carrots, wild rice and roughly chopped coriander in a large bowl. Transfer to a serving plate. Drizzle more dressing if you like.