A Bit Cheesy?

We’re super excited because we’ve just picked the first of our asparagus crop from the Bariatric Cookery kitchen garden. It isn’t huge and we need to make the most of this home-grown speciality then check out some more supplies from the farmer’s markets nearby to really indulge while it is at its best. We plan on using this versatile vegetable in some frittata recipes, some roasted combos and simply steamed alone then served with a delicious dipping sauce or two.

Our first picking has gone on this simple salad idea. We’ve combined nutty

quinoa (great for protein) with the asparagus and some fabulous English goat’s cheese. A couple of handfuls of pre-prepared Italian style salad mix (this time with a few strands of beetroot) and a lemony dressing made it a quick and easy meal to throw together.

NUTTY QUINOA SALAD WITH GOAT’S CHEESE

Ingredients

METRIC/US

75 g/generous 1/3 cup quinoa

25 g/¼ cup toasted flaked almonds

100 g/4 oz asparagus tips

low-fat cooking spray or mist

juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 handfuls Italian Style Salad (with beetroot strips)

75 g/3 oz English goat’s cheese, halved

Method

Cook the quinoa in boiling water for 15 minutes (or according to the pack instructions), drain and cool under cold water. Drain well and mix with the almonds.
Liberally spritz the asparagus with low-fat cooking spray or mist then saute in a pan for 2-3 minutes, turning frequently. Remove and cut in half.
Meanwhile, mix the lemon juice with the oil and salt and pepper to taste and add to the quinoa mixture with the salad leaves. Toss to mix.
Grill/broil the goat’s cheese until golden, about 2-3 minutes and place on top of the prepared salad mixture to serve.

SERVES 2

WLS PORTION: ½-¾

V suitable for Vegetarians

CALORIES PER PORTION: 404

PROTEIN: 15.7g

CARBOHYDRATE: 28.7g

FAT: 24.9g

Image courtesy of www.makemoreofsalad.com