Buckwheat noodle bowl with roasted butternut and beetroot
Serves 2
1 beetroot, peeled
1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped into wedges
3 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
Sea salt
½ leek
150g buckwheat noodles
For the paste:
3 tbsp pumpkin and/or sunflower seeds
70g roasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp maple syrup, or to taste
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp tamari, or to taste
2 tbsp brown rice vinegar
1 Preheat the oven the 180°C/180°C fan/gas mark 4.
2 Place the beetroot and butternut squash in a roasting tray with 2 tbsp of the olive or coconut oil, plus a sprinkling of salt. Roast for around 20 mins, or until golden. Remove from the oven, roughly chop the beetroot into chunks, then set aside to cool.
3 Meanwhile, slice your leek lengthways and finely shred into thin strips. Heat the remaining oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat, then sauté the leeks, until brown and crispy. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Set aside to cool.
4 To make the paste, pound together all the ingredients in a pestle and mortar (or use a small food processor). Taste and add more tamari or maple syrup, if desired.
5 Cook your buckwheat noodles in boiling water, according to the packet instructions. Drain and stir in three-quarters of the paste. Dish out into bowls with the roasted veggies and the remaining paste piled on top. Garnish with the fried leek and serve.
Kale and avocado rice with pickled carrot
Serves 2
170g short grain brown rice
Salt
1 small carrot, grated
4 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp coconut palm sugar
2 large handfuls of kale, stems removed, washed and chopped
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp hemp oil
2 garlic cloves
15 blanched almonds, ideally soaked in water for at least 8 hours
1 tbsp olive or coconut oil
1-2 tbsp tamari (or to taste)
½ ripe avocado
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the rice. Simmer for 20-30 mins (or according to the packet instructions). When the rice is tender but still has a bite, remove it from the heat, drain, then set aside.
2 Meanwhile, to make the pickle, mix the grated carrot with 3 tsp apple cider vinegar and coconut palm sugar in a bowl, then set aside to marinate. In another bowl, mix the kale, lemon juice, 1 tbsp of hemp oil and a sprinkle of salt and gently massage with your hands for 5 mins, so the leaves begin to soften. Set aside.
3 Use a pestle and mortar to crush the garlic and almonds to a fine crumble. Heat the olive or coconut oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, then gently sauté the almond crumble, until brown and crispy. Take care not to burn it as the garlic cooks very quickly.
4 When the rice is done, mix it with two-thirds of the crumble, the remaining apple cider vinegar and hemp oil. Season to taste with tamari.
5 To serve, pile up the rice, kale and carrot, then top with rough scoops of avocado. Garnish with the remaining crumble, a drizzle of hemp oil and tamari, plus some black pepper.
Quinoa Tabbouleh
Serves 4-6
120g quinoa
1 cucumber, diced
3 large tomatoes, diced
4 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 handfuls fresh parsley
2 handfuls fresh mint
1 Thoroughly rinse the quinoa in cold water. Add to a pan with double the volume of water, then bring to the boil. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for around 15 mins, until the white rings start falling away from the grain, but it’s still firm with a little bite. Remove from the heat, rinse again, drain, then set aside in a large bowl to cool.
2 Mix the quinoa with the cucumber and tomatoes and dress with the oil and lemon juice. Season to taste. Roughly chop the herbs, then run them through the mixture. Serve.
Xochi Balfour is a holistic wellness expert and founder and author of The Naturalista (Headline, £25); a book which provides nourishing recipes to eat well.