Sunshine in a Bowl

Although January isn’t the month that often brings a hankering for salads there’s nothing like a bowl of fresh veg with some vinaigrette. Grated carrots and beetroots, blanched broccoli, just ripe avocado and some lightly pickled red onions topped with toasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds. Just the sight of these brightly coloured veg make me feel good. It’s real power food. The content of such a salad can vary considerably but they are always enhanced with a drizzle of vinaigrette and the toasted seeds which adds a dose of the omega threes and sixes.

To make one of these mega salads peel and grate the carrots and beetroots, keeping them apart for the colour scheme.

Slice a small red onion finely, massage with a little salt and sprinkle over a little vinegar. Put aside for ten minutes

To prepare the broccoli bring a large pot of salted water to the boil, cut the broccoli into small florets  and finely slice any stems and pop into the boiling water. as soon as the water returns to the boil take the broccoli out and refresh in cold water and then drain.

Peel and dice a just ripe avocado and toss with a little lemon juice. This will prevent the avocado from discolouring.

To make the vinaigrette, whisk together a scanty teaspoon of Dijon mustard, a tablespoon of decent vinegar, about 5-7 tablespoons of olive oil and a little splash of soya sauce.

Toast the seeds in a dry pan and when they are golden toss them with a little soya sauce, just enough to lightly coat them. It has a similar effect to dry roasted peanuts, giving a savoury coating to the seeds.

Assemble the salad, as you fancy, in a large bowl, scatter with the seeds and serve with the vinaigrette