Quick and easy pick-me-up salad

We’re all a little frazzled and run down around here, between being flat out with work, the little guy going through some kind of brain explosion (I think the technical term would be ‘developmental leap’, or more specifically, ‘catastrophic testosterone surge’), and having Mum up to visit for a big week of Grandma-love for Declan and our annual mother-daughter day out at the Sydney Writers’ Festival.

For me, the first thing to go always seems to be looking after myself on the food front, and lunch is always the hardest to motivate myself for. On busy work days (I run my business from home) if I don’t plan and shop ahead, I have a tendency to just wander into the kitchen, open the fridge, lose interest, and walk out with a cup of tea and maybe a rice cake or a banana.

So today, desperately in need of a nutritional boost, I figured it was high time to crack out my go-to lunch salad; it is not only quick, easy and super-healthy, but I reckon it tastes great too. It’s perfect when you’re feeling decision fatigued, but can still be tailored to your mood (or more likely, what’s in the fridge and pantry).

Here’s how it goes…
I like to start with a base of cooked quinoa, some torn baby spinach, and a handful of finely sliced red cabbage.

For protein and a bit of texture, quinoa is great and just so easy – you can boil it if you prefer, but it’s easy to do in the microwave too. Just rinse it, bung it in a microwave safe bowl with water (1:2 ratio, so 1 cup of quinoa needs 2 cups of water) and give it 10 minutes on high. Then cover for a few minutes and let it sit so the last of the moisture can soak in.

If you’re not a fan of quinoa then barley or rice work well too – especially brown rice, with its nutty, earthy flavour.

Then, you can pretty much toss in whatever you like, and leftovers – or things you can cook up on the weekend to last a few days in the fridge – work a treat. Today it was some cubed sweet potato, avocado and poached chicken that I cooked up last night.

 

Thanks to the quinoa and chicken it packs a pretty decent protein punch, so it’s really filling and satisfying. I’ll often add or substitute a hard-boiled egg or a handful of chickpeas or lentils, depending on my mood.

Anything goes, but some other options on high rotation here are:

• corn kernels (canned or fresh)
• canned tuna
• roasted beetroot (or canned and diced)
• goats cheese or feta
• seeds, nuts, and dried berries
• sprouts (alfalfa, mung bean, etc)
• roasted pumpkin or carrot
• raw or roasted capsicum
• cucumber
• tomato (especially roasted baby roma)
• edamame beans (we grab them from the supermarket freezer section, and just thaw them in a mug of boiling water)

I’m looking forward to when our fledgling little veggie garden can fuel most of the ingredients!

And for the dressing?
I like to mix a blob of tahini with a bit of apple cider vinegar and some water to make it runnier (a traditional recipe handed down by the Internet, as Steve would say). Good old olive oil and lemon juice work well too, as does a lemony Greek yoghurt-based drizzle. Mix it through – or keep it separate if that’s more your thing – and you’re good to go. Too easy.

Believe it or not, the little guy likes it too – the crunch of the red cabbage does it for him; he’ll be found snaffling it off the chopping board before it makes it to the bowl. I make him up a little serve of his own, minus the stuff he’s not fond of.

I’m aware it won’t be up every kid’s alley, but hey, given little tastes change every day (or sometimes, every minute or second) it’s worth a try, right? Often keeping it ‘deconstructed’ rather than mixing it together, so they can see the ingredients, can help. And never underestimate the appeal of a wacky container – a bento box, a set of measuring cups (Dec’s personal favourite), or an ice cube tray can be a great way to separate ingredients and make it interesting for little fingers to pick at. Try adding a few different dipping sauces – salad dressing, pesto, some whole-egg mayonnaise – in some of the compartments.

Though for the most part Declan hasn’t slept more than a few hours in a row since he entered the world in August 2012, the kid is freaking awesome when it comes to eating and loving a good variety of foods. Kids seem to be either great sleepers or great eaters – it’s seemingly rare to find both in one package. We’re very grateful he’s such a healthy little foodie… though the odd night without bedtime battles and multiple waking wouldn’t go astray, bless him. It’s lucky the cheeky little article is so damn cute!

So what’s your go-to dish when you need a nutrition pick-me-up? Do you feel all virtuous after eating it? And for those with little people in the house, are they good eaters, good sleepers, or the mythical (I’m yet to see it) combo of both?

xJen
seeding the wild