A Simple Salad

Here is a simple spring/summer salad that is often lunch or supper all in itself. All of the green are from my window sill and the garden.
serves 1-2
10 minutes

The Salad

• A handful of lettuce, kale, spinach, chard, lovage and chives. Tear the leaves into smaller pieces and put into a bowl.
• Add half a red pepper, diced.
• Add 1 carrot, grated.
• Add a handful of chickpeas.
• Add a small handful of wakame seaweed.
• Add a small handful of pumpkin seeds.

The Dressing. Mix everything together and toss with the salad.

• 3 Tbsp of olive oil
• Juice from one lime/lemon
• 2 tsp of light Miso paste
• 2 tsp of real French mustard
• a few dashes of Soy sauce
• 3 anchovies, chopped into small pieces
  

Spinach, Chick Pea Thai Curry

Spinach was the vegetable on sale today at the store so my thoughts turned to what to do with it all. It wasn't until I actually had the vegetables frying in the pan that I finally decided on having a Thai coconut curry.
serves 2-3
20 minutes

• 1 onion, cut into strips
• 1 red pepper, cut into strips
• 1 carrot, cut into thin slices
• 3 cloves garlic, cut into thin slices
• 3 cups of rinsed spinach
• 1/2 cup of cooked chick peas
  
• 1 1/2 Tbsp Thai curry paste (red, yellow or green)
• 1 can of coconut milk
  
• fish sauce
• chili pepper
  
• half a lime

1. Fry onion, red pepper and carrot in a small amount of oil in a pan at medium high until vegetables start to brown.
2. Add garlic, spinach, chick peas and a small amount of water. Cover the pan and let simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add the curry paste and mix with the vegetables.
4. Add the can of coconut milk and mix in well with the vegetables.
5. Simmer for a further 5 minutes.
   
6. Serve with juice from a quarter lime, fish sauce and cayenne into individual bowls.
7. I didn't have cilantro but this would have been added had I had some.
   

Hummus

Another favorite of the kids is simple to make hummus. Eaten with carrots, celery, cucumber, peppers, etc., it ensures that they are eating something good. It's never the same recipe twice so use this as a starting of point to do your own thing. This recipe is for this particular batch.

serves a family
5 minutes

• 1 1/2 cup chick peas
• 1/2 large lime or lemon
• 1 small carrot, finely grated
  
• 2 Tbsp tahini paste
• 1-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
• olive oil
  
• a handful of chives and garden cress

1. Mix first 6 ingredients in a blender and puree. Use enough olive oil to get the consistency you like. I like mine slightly on the chunky side.
2. When pureed, add the chive and cress and blend them into the mix.