Waste Not Winter Salad

INGREDIENTS

SERVES    2             PREP + COOK TIME      20 mins

4 big handfuls spinach leaves

180g haloumi cheese, sliced 0.5 cm thick

4 peeled and cooked baby beetroot, sliced (see notes)

1 cup left over roast vegetables (see notes)

1 cup red quinoa, cooked (or white)

1 x 400g tin brown lentils, washed and drained

LEMON PESTO DRESSING

3/4 cup basil leaves

4 tbsp. pine nuts, toasted

1 tbsp honey

1 lemon, juice of

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt

Cracked pepper

METHOD

1. To make the dressing, process all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth, you may need to add a splash of water to loosen; season to taste; set aside.

2. Place all salad ingredients, besides the haloumi, in a big bowl and toss to combine, or layer on a chopping board (see image).

3. Heat a medium fry pan to medium heat with 1 tbsp. olive oil; panfry haloumi pieces on both sides until golden.

4. Top salad with haloumi and drizzle with dressing.

GEORGIE'S NOTES

If you don’t have the ingredients or time to make the pesto dressing make a simply Honey Wholegrain Mustard dressing instead by whisking together 1 tbsp honey, 1 heaped tsp wholegrain mustard, 1/4 cup lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

I use fresh cooked beetroot in vacuum sealed 250g packs from the fresh section of supermarkets.

Use any leftover roast or cooked vegetables you have, like sweet potato, tomato, capsicum, zucchini, pumpkin OR alternatively use 2 cups of chopped fresh vegetables.

SWAP

Lentils for chickpeas, quinoa for rice, haloumi for feta, left over chicken or meat.