From Heal by Melissa Delport
Ingredients
2 Teaspoons Coconut Oil
1 Cup Uncooked Quinoa (Preferably Red)
4 Cups Boiling Water
Salt And Pepper
Cup Edamame Beans, Shelled
2 Nectarines, Halved And Pips Removed
Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Coconut Flakes
50 Grams Raw Macadamia Nuts
2 Handfuls Baby Spinach
1 Avocado, Peeled, Pip Removed, Cubed
Dressing
Zest And Juice Of 2 Limes
5 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Honey
1/2 Teaspoon Red Chilli Flakes (Optional)
1 Small Handful Fresh Mint Leaves, Finely Chopped
Salt And Pepper
Method
Heat the coconut oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Add the quinoa and stir, allowing the quinoa to toast for roughly 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of the boiling water and a good crack of salt, and bring to a simmer for 15-20 minutes. As the last of the water is absorbed in the saucepan, switch off the heat and cover with a lid, allowing the quinoa to steam for 5 minutes. Once steamed, remove the lid and spread out the quinoa on a baking tray, allowing it to cool. Mix all the ingredients for the salad dressing together in a small bowl and season to taste. Set aside.
Place the shelled edamame beans in another small bowl and cover with the remaining 2 cups of boiling water. Blanch for 5 minutes and then rinse with cold water, drain and set aside. Slice the nectarines into crescent shapes about 5 mm thick. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Heat a griddle pan over medium to high heat, then add the nectarines to the hot pan. Grill for 4-5 minutes on each side until grill marks appear. Remove from the heat and set aside.Toast the coconut flakes in a small frying pan for 5 minutes until golden brown. Keep an eye on them so that they don’t burn. Meanwhile, roughly chop the macadamia nuts.
Spread the spinach leaves over a medium-sized serving platter. Cover the spinach with the cooled quinoa and add the edamame beans. Top the salad with the avocado, nectarine slices, toasted coconut and macadamia nuts. Drizzle the dressing generously over the salad and season to taste with salt and pepper