Pea and Quinoa Salad

March 31, 2016March 27, 2016Leave a comment

Served on its own as a lunch, or as a side, this is one of those nourishing salads that is simple to prepare yet big on wow factor, perfect for lazy weekend entertaining.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups of McCain Peas – cooked as per packet instructions
¼ cup of tricolour quinoa
¾ cup of water
150g sweet berry truss tomatoes
½ cup of fresh mint leaves – loosely packed
¼ cup of shallots – sliced
100g haloumi – sliced
2 cups of mixed baby salad leaves
1 tbs garlic infused olive oil
1 tbs olive oil
The juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Place quinoa and water in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until quinoa absorbs water. Transfer to a large serving bowl.
Place McCain Peas, shallots, tomatoes, mint leaves and baby salad leaves into a bowl with the quinoa and fold through to combine well. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and dress with the juice of ¾ of the lemon and garlic infused olive oil.

Meanwhile, slice haloumi into approximately 5mm thick pieces. Heat olive oil in a small non-stick frying pan over high heat and cook haloumi with the remaining lemon juice for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until golden. Remove from pan and serve immediately a top quinoa salad mixture.

Pea, Bacon and Lentil Salad

August 3, 2015August 2, 2015Leave a comment

How do you make salad better? You put BACON in it! Yes, bacon!

Don’t worry, you can thank me later..

Ingredients – Salad

2 cups of McCain Peas – cooked as per packet instructions
400g tin of lentils – drained
1 red onion – finely sliced in half moons
1 tbs of olive oil
300g of bacon – diced
1 bunch of fresh mint – stalks removed
160g of baby spinach leaves

Ingredients – Dressing

50ml olive oil
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs of white vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves – finely chopped

Method

Heat 1 tbs of olive oil in a pan over a medium heat, add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until browned. Remove pan from heat and drain bacon on paper towel.
Place McCain Peas and all salad ingredients into a serving bowl and toss well to combine.
Whisk olive oil with lemon juice, white vinegar, Dijon mustard and finely chopped mint leaves. Season with salt and pepper and toss gently through salad.

Enjoy!

Smoked Chicken Salad

April 8, 20152 Comments

This salad is one of my go-to meals for a quick, simple and tasty weekend lunch. Oh, and it is excellent when served with a Sauvignon Blanc! The smoked chicken, plump peas and sharpness of the Parmesan taste sublime together; and paired with the fresh crunchy lettuce and a creamy dressing, makes a fantastic meal that tastes as impressive as it looks. Plus, the minimal effort is a big tick. You can either buy smoked chicken, or smoke your own. However, leftover chicken will also work a treat.

Ingredients – Salad

2 smoked chicken breast fillets – skin removed, finely sliced – available in the meat chiller section of your supermarket
1 cup of McCain Baby Peas – cooked as per packet instructions and cooled
2 baby cos lettuce
1 Lebanese cucumber – halved, seeds removed and cut into wedges
½ red onion – finely sliced into half moons
¼ cup of grated Parmesan

Ingredients – Dressing

¼ cup whole egg mayonnaise
1 tbs honey
2 tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice

Method

Place McCain Baby Peas, cucumber and red onion in a bowl and toss to combine.
Place whole egg mayonnaise, honey and lemon juice into a small bowl and use balloon whisk to mix until smooth.
Divide cos lettuce leaves evenly among serving plates, top with the pea mixture and slices of smoked chicken breast. Drizzle with the dressing, top with flakes of Parmesan and serve immediately.

Tip: serve with fresh bread or garlic pizza.

Enjoy!