Purple Power Salad 紫色養生沙拉

I love foods that have deep colours, and some days I just crave for a particular colour. This is a salad that I made one day when I was in the mood for something purple (yes, purple is actually one of my favourite colours!). I wanted something very nutritious and hearty, yet light in terms of taste. It'll help boost your immune system and lowers the risk of heart disease and cancer. It turns out to be a truly satisfying meal that I can have again and again without getting tired of it. Besides all the health benefits, it tastes really delicious and looks beautiful, too! It has become one of my all-time favourite salads, and this is why I want to share this special recipe with you. Perhaps it'll become one of yours as well!

Purple Power Salad (4 servings)


1/2 C hazelnuts

1/2 C quinoa

A: 2       medium-sized apples, cored and cut into 1/16" (0.15 cm) thin sticks
    1/3 C shredded carrots
    3 C    shredded red cabbage
    2 C    Balsamic Roasted Beets, cut into 1/8" (0.3 cm) thin wedges

Blueberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

hazelnut oil

flaky sea salt

a small handful of microgreens

crème fraîche *optional

*C = cup

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet evenly and roast them for 10-12 minutes until they're fragrant. Take them out and transfer them onto a big piece of paper towel. Let cool.

2. Follow the instruction on your quinoa package to cook the quinoa, or heat 1 C water in a small pot. When it comes to a boil, add the quinoa, a little bit of sea salt, and 1/4 t oil. Let it cook over low heat for 15-18 minutes until a white spiral-like thread appears around each grain. Turn off the heat and let it sit for another 5 minutes. Set it aside and let cool a little bit.

3. Gently rub the hazelnuts with the paper towel with both hands. The skins will rub off, but don't worry if some are still attached. Roughly chop the hazelnuts.

4. In a large bowl, add ingredients A, cooked quinoa, and some vinaigrette. Toss everything gently and mix well.

5. Divide the portions onto each individual plate. Sprinkle the hazelnuts with some flaky sea salt and black pepper over the salad. Finish with a little drizzle of hazelnut oil and some microgreens and serve it with a dollop of crème fraîche (if using). Enjoy!

 

                                                                                               - Yvonne

也許跟我喜好顏色有關係，我非常喜愛深色系的食物，而且有時候我會突然想吃特別色系的食物。這個沙拉的來源，是因為某ㄧ天突然想吃紫色系的食物而來的(紫色正好也是我最喜愛的顏色之一！)。這是個具有豐富營養又很容易令人滿足，但吃起來卻很清爽的沙拉。它可以提高免疫能力、減低心血管病與癌症的風險、也可以幫助瘦身。當然除了對身體有益處之外，它的顏色也很漂亮，是令人看了會增加食慾的沙拉！

紫色養生沙拉 (4人份)

榛果 1/2 杯

藜麥 1/2 杯

A: 中型蘋果   2 顆,…切成0.15 cm寬的條狀
    紅蘿蔔      1/3 杯…去皮切細絲
    紫色高麗菜 3 杯…切細絲
    巴薩米可醋甜菜根 2 杯…切0.3 cm

自製藍莓巴薩米可醋

榛果油

粗粒海鹽

一小把野菜苗 (microgreens) *可省略

法式酸奶油或鮮奶油 *可省略

1. 將烤箱預熱至180 C/350 F，將榛果均勻的放在烤盤上烤約10-12分鐘至有香味溢出。從烤箱取出後將榛果放到大張的紙巾上待涼。

2. 在ㄧ個鍋子裡將1杯水煮滾後放入藜麥、ㄧ點海鹽與1/4小匙油煮15-18分鐘至熟，熄火後再悶5分鐘。放置ㄧ旁待涼備用。

3. 以紙巾將冷卻的榛果輕輕搓一搓使大部分的外皮拖落，再將榛果稍微切碎。

4. 在ㄧ個大型的鋼盆內放入A料、稍微冷卻的藜麥與ㄧ些沙拉醬扮勻。

5. 將沙拉分別放入個人的盤子內，撒上榛果、粗粒海鹽、黑胡椒與野菜苗，然後再淋上榛果油、並與法式酸奶油ㄧ起食用。

                                                                                               - Yvonne

© recipe and photos by My Chouchoux