xo amys

‘healthy Green Salad infused with flavours of Spring’

Finely, I’ve experienced the feeling of sun rays warming me up allowing me to fully embrace the essence of spring! The amazing weather has generously allowed me to sunbathe on our balcony giving me a healthy complection to the face. The first freckles have appeared and the seagulls are living on our rooftop again. Spring is at it’s best at the moment, flowers are slowly beginning to pop up from the ground and people have shifted to a lighter wardrobe. ♡ I’ve taken my winter shoes and most jackets to the basement and ready to start packing maxi dresses and silk pants for Venice. I’ve noticed a shift in food aswell, we crave for lots of clean flavours like vegetables accompanied with some protein now that the days are lighter and longer. For lunch, I’ve made a delicious super salad that is rounded with a sweetness from the beet quinoa and filled with green delights.

Spring Bowl: This ultimate spring salad is packed with fresh ingredients and amazing flavour. The partially raw asparagus gives a great effect to its fellow green friends while the beetroot quinoa coats a subtle sweetness to the salad. It is packed with nutrients as the broccoli, most of the asparagus, spinach, kale and green leaves are all raw maximizing the flavour, freshness and crunch in the salad. A bit of heat is added from chili and the garlic lemon zest sautéed asparagus merges beautifully with the toasted almonds. You can add any herbs you wish to the mix as this gives the ultimate spring taste.

Ingredients

• Bunch of green asparagus
• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 large beetroot
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1-2 cups finely chopped broccoli
• Spinach leaves
• Kale leaves
• Arugula & tiny green leaves of choice
• Yellow chili, lemon juice (and zest) , olive oil
• Toasted almond flakes
• Maldon salt/Ground black pepper/ herbs of choice

Directions

In a saucepan, roughly chop the beetroot and add a dollop of butter. Place the lid on and let it gently cook in medium heat. Flavour with salt, pepper, thyme, runny honey and grated ( 2 cloves) garlic. Add a touch of water to the saucepan if the garlic begins to burn. Once cooked, press the beetroot into a “mush” with a fork. Mix in the cooked quinoa and remove from heat. Leave to rest to the side.

Wash and remove ends from asparagus. Chop the buds off, as they will be sautéed later. Finely chop the stems into a large bowl. In this bowl, also add finely chopped broccoli, kale and all the green leaves. Drizzle lemon juice and good quality olive oil, black pepper and a pinch of salt. Mix in the purple quinoa into the salad leaves.

In a hot pan, sauté the asparagus buds in butter, lemon zest and garlic for a few minutes until a bit golden. Add to the salad once cooked. Lastly, add in finely chopped yellow chili and toasted almonds. Ready to plate. Lastly, sprinkle with favourite herbs in, such as thyme, oregano, basil parsley or mint.

Can’t wait for those warmer days, when you need to find shade to cool yourself down! Ps. How cute is this hay bed in Southern Italy, it surely makes a decent reading spot listening to birds and crickets in the backdrop.